Al-Natah


Al-Natah is an archaeological site dating to the Bronze Age, in the Khaybar Oasis on the road between Mecca and Aqaba.

History

The town covered about 1.5 hectares with some 500 residents, protected by ramparts. The occupation dates from around 2400 to 1500 BCE, from the late Early Bronze Age to the early Late Bronze Age. The site may represent "low urbanization", a transitional stage between mobile pastoralism and complex urban settlements.

Early Bronze

In the Early Bronze IIIB, the site was occupied from around 2400 BCE.

Middle Bronze

In the Middle Bronze, the city was a walled oasis.

Late Bronze

In the Late Bronze I, the occupation came to an end around 1500 BCE.

Excavations

The excavation is conducted by a CNRS team led by Guillaume Charloux.