Najran: The Heritage Commission highlighted Shoaib Dahdah archaeological site in Najran Region as vital evidence of early human settlement and migration in southern Arabia, featuring Lower Paleolithic stone tools dating back between 1.2 and 1.8 million years.

According to Saudi Press Agency, the site was discovered during a 1980 survey on elevated gravel terraces overlooking the valley. It yielded a systematic sample of 34 Oldowan stone tools made from hard, malleable quartzite. The artifacts include pebble cutters, polyhedrals, scrapers, blades, and hammers used for cutting meat, breaking bones, and skinning hides.

Director General of the Antiquities Sector at the Heritage Commission Dr. Ajab Alotaibi emphasized that Shoaib Dahdah provides critical scientific insights into the chronology of early human presence in the Arabian Peninsula, underscoring ongoing efforts to document, protect, and study prehistoric sites.

Connected to the Wadi Najran on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains, the site offered water, toolmaking materials, and abundant flora and fauna during the wet, river-fed Pleistocene era. Geographically, it supports hypotheses of early human migrations out of Africa across the Bab al-Mandab Strait into interior Arabian valleys.

Head of the Najran Society for History and Archaeology Mohammed Al Hetailah affirmed that these Early Oldowan discoveries illustrate early human ingenuity in adapting local resources, reinforcing Najran's historical significance as one of the world's earliest centers of human activity.