Recent archaeological research at the Dadan archaeological site, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, have revealed important data that significantly improve our knowledge of the occupation sequence of this site. Earlier evidence indicated that the site had two major phases – the first in the first millennium BCE (corresponding to the Dadanite and Lihyanite periods), and the second in the Early Islamic period (from the eighth to the tenth century AD). However, as part of a new archaeological project carried out by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) on behalf of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA), new large-scale excavations have now revealed a much longer sequence spanning more than three millennia. This paper discusses this new chronology and raises questions about its historical implications.

Key words:

Dadan, AlUla, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Dhū-Ghābat.