We are now in the region of Bir Hima, which is one of the most important archaeological areas in Najran province. It is characterized by lots of rock art, but also hundreds of writings in both (unidentifiable) script and Thamudic script.
Right now we are standing by the most important petroglyph in the Bir Hima region. This petroglyph, which goes back to approximately 518 C.E., tells us the story of King Yousif Assar Yathar, and his armyโs invasion of the Najran region. It cites the number of men killed and the amount of booty won by the king in his campaign. The Bir Hima region is considered unique because it was a meeting place for commercial caravans that came here to take one of two commercial routes. One route went toward Fao, then to al Yamamah province, Bahrain province, Mesopotamia, and then to Persia. The other route goes toward Tathleeth, and then al Hijaz, the Levant, and finally to Egypt. When we talk about Hima we are talking about a rich region with its rock art and writings, but also with its historic wells, castles, and cemeteries. If we take a look at Hima, we find all the historical evidence going back to the Middle and Late Stone Ages, as well as Pre-Islamic history.ย For all of these we find evidence here in the Bir Hima region.
