[ARABNEWS] A Saudi-French archaeological team has unearthed in Najran what might be considered the oldest inscription in the Arabic alphabet, said a front man from the French Foreign Ministry.
"The epigrapher Frederic Imbert, a professor at the University of Aix-Marseille, found the Nabatean Arabic inscription about 100 km north of Najran near the Yemeni border," said the front man. "The first thing that makes this find significant is that it is a mixed text, known as Nabatean Arabic, the first stage of Arabic writing," he said.
This script had previously only ever been seen north of Hejaz, in the Sinai and in the Levant. The second is the fact that these inscriptions are dated. The period indicated corresponds to the years 469-470 AD. This is the oldest form of Arabic writing known to date, the "missing link" between Nabatean and Arabic writing, he added.
This discovery, which is important to the history of the Arabian Peninsula and language, represents a success for the network of archaeological missions funded by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, which executed 148 projects this year in more than 60 countries worldwide. It is also an excellent example of cooperation between Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
and La Belle France, the official said. |