14:17, 09 May 2009 | GMT +5
Rare coin found in Domat Al-Jandal
JEDDAH. May 9. KAZINFORM A rare bronze coin and remains of Nabatean potteries were discovered at the Domat Al-Jandal archeological site in the north of the Kingdom by a team of Saudi-Italian experts carrying out preliminary exploration work; Kazinform refers to the Arab News.

?It is very difficult to unearth what is below the soil but we are extremely happy to discover the antiquities after digging seven meters into the ground,? said Italian archeologist Alessandro De Maigret, head of the team.
He said extensive excavations would continue in the area to find the traces of the oldest inhabitants in Domat Al-Jandal. The Adomato Kingdom existed in the area during 685 BC.
?Domat Al-Jandal is an important historic site and it?s one of the oldest civilizations in the Arabian Peninsula,? he said. It is also linked to Syrian and Yemeni civilizations of the past.
?Domat Al-Jandal is considered a link that connects these civilizations because of its location on the trade route,? the professor said. ?The oldest recorded history about this place dates back to the seventh and eighth centuries before Christ,? he said.
De Maigret said Domat Al-Jandal was the capital of several Arab kingdoms such as Talkhunu, Tabua, Zabeeba and Shamsi. Assyrian Army overpowered Arabs to take control of the vital trade route.
Ali Al-Ghaban, vice president for Antiquities and Museums at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) recently signed an agreement with De Maigret, who is a professor at the University of Napoli; Kazinform cites the Arab News.
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