Saudia Arabia - The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area

The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area, situated at the north-western fringe of the Empty Quarter, stands at the intersection of Wadi Ad-Dawasir and the Tuwaiq escarpment. The climatic conditions of the region evolved considerably over time and passed through significantly wetter periods, which allowed the formation of Wadi ad-Dawasir. The environmental legacy is witnessed by ancient springs in Al-Faw and by the availability of subterranean water that supplied the site and the agricultural sector of the oasis in the past, permitting an early human occupation. The continuously evolving environmental setting of Al-Faw hosted various types of human occupation throughout history: from prehistoric nomadic and semi-nomadic presence to an urban settlement when a thriving ancient caravan city developed in the second half of the 1st millennium BCE. The site was not occupied in the Islamic period.