Discovery of 4,000-Year-Old Town in Northern Arabia Sheds Light on Early Urbanization

Scientists have uncovered the ancient town of al-Natah in northern Arabia, inhabited between 2400 and 1500 BCE, marking a significant transitional phase from pastoral lifestyles to urban settlements, SciTech Daily revealed yesterday.

Published in PLOS ONE, the study led by Guillaume Charloux from the French National Center for Scientific Research highlights the town’s role in the early stages of urbanization.

Covering approximately 1.5 hectares, al-Natah featured a central district surrounded by protective ramparts and a necropolis indicating social stratification among its estimated 500 residents. This site represents “low urbanization,” showcasing a blend of mobile pastoralism and nascent urban complexity.

The findings suggest that while northern Arabia’s urban development lagged behind regions like the Levant and Mesopotamia, it was nonetheless pivotal in understanding the evolution of human civilization. Further excavations are anticipated to provide deeper insights into the societal structures and architectural changes during this period.