Archaeozoological for AlUla Project (AZAP)

©HMonchot 2025

Presentation of the project

 

The Archaeozoological for AlUla Project (AZAP) is directed by Hervé Monchot : hosted within the Jaussen and Savignac Research Center, it is funded by the French Agency for Al-Ula Development (AFALULA) on behalf of The Royal Commission for Alula (RCU).
 

This research program aims, through archaeozoological studies of numerous sites in the Al-Ula region, to better understand meat-based diets and track their evolution through ancient times, from the Bronze Age to the Arabian cultures of the 4th–7th centuries AD, and into the medieval period, from the Umayyad dynasty to the Ottoman Empire.

Since animal bones are direct witnesses of human activities, this program will provide valuable information about the daily life of different social groups and their subsistence activities related to the animal world, including agriculture, livestock breeding, hunting, fishing, and trade. It will also provide information on the environment and the evolution of ecosystems (landscapes) over the last five millennia.

Finally, a comparative analysis of ancient textual, historical, ethnographic, and archaeological sources, including those from other regions, will be conducted.
 

Thus, archaeozoology will contribute to a better understanding of the history of the Al-Ula region, and by extension, the Arabian Peninsula.
 

Throughout this research program, the dissemination of knowledge will be emphasized through publications, participation in conferences, and notably the creation of roundtables and workshops.

In the context of the Master 1 Jaussen & Savignac programme, a 20-hour course on zooarchaeology (the relationship between humans and animals) is offered. 

The Archaeozoological for AlUla Project (AZAP) adheres to standardized archaeozoological methodologies while emphasizing innovative approaches tailored to the unique archaeological context of AlUla. The key stages and methods developed by AZAP include:

  • From osteoarchaeological identification to the development of a species list
  • Biometrics analyses and statistics
  • Establishment of an Archaeofaunal GIS
  • Studies of mortality profils
  • Studies of bones traces
  • Study of Animal Species Mobility (Isotopy, Ancient DNA)
  • Dissemination of knowledge

AZAP : a project in synergy

This project is in synergy with many other research programs directed by AFALULA on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla, from which it will benefit in terms of information and collaborations. For instance, with: