Behind the scenes of the Hegra Archaeological Project (HAP)… first departures

The entire team of the Hegra Archaeological Project (HAP), led by Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Agence française pour le développement d'AlUla - AFALULA, on behalf of the The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), is setting out on a new excavation campaign at Hegra/Madāʾin Ṣāliḥ.

Preparations are well underway… and equipment is piling up in the halls of Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. This first edition of the major multidisciplinary mission will bring together around fifty researchers, archaeologists, and technicians, both in the field and in the laboratory.
Over the course of six weeks, the mission, directed by Pauline Piraud-Fournet (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Abdullah S. Basonbol (King Saud University), will focus on two main aspects: an archaeological one and an ethnographic one.
The team will work to deepen our understanding of the history of the ancient city and to clarify its urban layout. Research will also be carried out around the monumental rock-cut tombs to better identify the constructions associated with them. At the same time, the study of the archaeological material will continue, with a view to its publication.
Finally, a team of architects and anthropologists will undertake the survey and analysis of the abandoned earthen village of the modern oasis (20th century).

Good luck to the entire team!