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Article: A quick look at South Arabian history
- Article from:
- Middle East
- Article date:
- October 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright International Communications Oct 1997. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Save for a few brief campaigns like the Wendell Phillips expedition in 1950, the study of archaeological remains in Arabia is quite recent. The trend did not really start before the 1970's, with the excavations in North Yemen after the end of the civil war (1969), in Saudi Arabia at Qaryat al Faw (1972) and at Shabwa in South Yemen (1974). These excavations brought to light a large number of unsuspected finds -- temples, palaces, statues and inscriptions of a surprising beauty, proving that contrary to common opinion, the history of the Arabs in the peninsula did not start with Prophet Mohammed's departure from Mecca to Medina in 622 (Hejira). There were, indeed, brilliant civilisations ...