Mecca Pilgrimage Treasure Found in Saudi Arabia, Containing Gold and Gems

JAKARTA - An ancient clay jar was found in Saudi Arabia. Its contents are gold pieces, silver artifacts, and jewelry inlaid with gemstones that are estimated to have been buried for more than a thousand years.

According to a report by The Independent, quoted on Saturday, May 30, the findings are on the outskirts of the Diriyah archaeological site, Riyadh. Experts call it "Diriyah Treasure".

The objects were allegedly buried by a pilgrim on his way to Mecca. At that time, the area became an important stopover on the Hajj route between Basra, Iraq, and Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Commission for Al-Ula Heritage announced the findings via X. They said there were 100 pieces of gold from the Abbasid Era, several silver artifacts, and precious gemstones. The Abbasids were an Islamic dynasty that ruled after the Khulafaur Rasyidin and Umayyah eras.

"The significance of this site lies in its role as a major station on the Basra-Haji line," the commission wrote. The history of settlement in the area stretches from the time of the Khulafaur Rasyidin, the first four caliphs after the Prophet Muhammad died, to the beginning of the Abbasids.

Excavation at the site has been underway for more than six years. The Independent reported that in the latest excavation, archaeologists found stone foundations and walls of several ancient residential buildings.

In one of the buildings, archaeologists found pottery and glass fragments. There, a buried ceramic jar containing more than 100 pieces of jewelry was also found.

"One of the most important discoveries in this sixth season is the discovery of the 'Treasure of Diriyah'", said a researcher in a video shared by the Saudi Commission for Historical Heritage on X. According to him, the findings consist of gold pieces, gemstones, and oxidized copper fragments. Oxidized copper fragments are pieces of copper that change color or coating because they react with air and the environment.

The tomb is estimated to have been buried around 750 AD, in the early days of the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasid dynasty then collapsed after the Mongol invasion in 1258.

The gold pieces in the jar are decorated with flower motifs and intricate geometric patterns. The pattern shows that the jewelry was made by a skilled metal craftsman.

According to Gulf News, the motif was likely created by forming a gold sheet, giving relief, then attaching semi-precious stones, namely decorative stones with high value although generally not equivalent to diamonds, rubies, sapphires, or emeralds. The source of inspiration behind the patterns is not yet known.

The fragments of the jar from the Diriyah site are now preserved in a restoration laboratory under the Saudi Commission for Historical Heritage.

According to the researchers, this finding expands knowledge about human settlements in the region since the late third century. The findings also confirm the importance of Diriyah in ancient pilgrimage and trade routes.