Acknowledgements

It is with tremendous gratitude that we acknowledge the generosity of HRH Princess Adela bint Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and HH Prince Faissal bin Abdullah bin Mohammad al-Saud.  Through their Layan Cultural Foundation, they have given us their generous support, enabling this project to go forward.  Their appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expressed amply through their ongoing dedication and their foundation’s programs.

We would also like to offer our thanks to others who helped facilitate our project in so many ways and ensured that our fieldwork was successful.  The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, headed by HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, has been instrumental in providing permission, transportation, and contacts with the local SCTA authorities, ensuring the achievements of our project.

Two individuals who continue to figure prominently are Professor-Dr. Saad al-Rashid, former Deputy Minister of Antiquities, and Mr. Hani Farahat, Director of the Layan Cultural Foundation—we are most grateful for all of their efforts on our behalf. We wish to express our thanks, also, to Dr. Ali bin Ibrahim Al Ghabban, the SCTA Vice-President for Antiquities and Museums, who has been an important advisor and has facilitated our fieldwork in countless ways.

During our work at Jubbah and Shuwaymis, we were aided by Mr. Saad al-Rawsan, Director of the Saudi Commission of Tourism and Antiquities for the Ha’il region, and Dr. Daifallah al-Talhi, professor of archaeology at the University of Ha’il. During our exploration of Bi’r Hima, Mr. Saleh al-Murahi, Director of Antiquities and Museums in Najran, invested considerable time and effort to make our fieldwork and our stay in Najran productive and extremely pleasant. The director of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Tayma, Mohammad Hamad al-Najem, likewise, afforded us with his warm hospitality and provided assistance on our project.  We were accompanied in the field by our dear friend Abdulaziz Ibrhiam al-Hammad, archaeologist at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, who acted as an advisor, provided introductions to colleagues along the way, and facilitated the logistics of our field seasons.