The Heritage Commission completed the first season of its joint scientific mission with the University of Exeter at the ancient Al-Juhfah Miqat site, uncovering more than 1,700 artifacts, including pottery, glass, stone pieces, shells, and worked objects, confirming the site's significance along the Egyptian pilgrimage route. Discoveries included diverse fragments used in daily life, six pottery kilns, a water channel believed to have served pilgrims and travelers, and 13 tombstones dating to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods. Some finds originated from the Levant, Egypt, and Ethiopia, reflecting the diverse origins of pilgrims who passed through this miqat, SPA reported. Al-Juhfah Miqat is located 187 kilometers northwest of Makkah and has been an established miqat since the early Islamic period, associated with the Prophet's migration, and is known to have flourished in the second Hijri century, with water facilities and shops serving pilgrims. These works are part of the Heritage Commission's efforts to survey and document archaeological sites along the Hijrah route between Makkah and Madinah, using advanced technologies to reveal the historical and civilizational depth of the Kingdom.
