2nd and 3rd century archaeological finds discovered in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Heritage Authority announced Thursday that archaeological finds dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD have been discovered in southwest Saudi Arabia.

The coins were found at archaeological sites on Farasan Island, about 40 km from the city of Jazan, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The discoveries were made by a Franco-Saudi team in collaboration with Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University.

The team unearthed rare pieces, including another type of armor known as the “lorica squamata,” which was frequently used in Roman times between the 1st and 3rd centuries, and a folded Roman armor made of copper ingots.

The finds also include a garnet inscription for “Genos”, a famous figure in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire, and a small stone statue head.

Before excavations on the island began in 2011, the archaeological team conducted reconnaissance and survey expeditions to Farasan Island in 2005 and identified sites with archaeological indicators.

Previous explorations on the island between 2011 and 2020 have led to several architectural and archaeological discoveries, dating the sites to around 1400 BC.