Uncovering The Red Sea: Saudi Arabia Launches New Research Project To Uncover Lost Heritage
The Red Sea holds a variety of artifacts that we have yet to unearth, and Saudi Arabia is leading the way. According to Al Arabiya, hundreds of kilometers of the Red Sea will be searched for underwater heritage objects as part of a massive research project being carried out by Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission. In collaboration with King Abdulaziz University (KAUST) and the University of Naples in Italy, the commission will also carry out an extensive underwater search from Umluj to Ras Al Sheikh Hameed to look for submerged ships and other objects.
With the use of archaeological labor equipment and tools, it will also endeavor to recover any items that might be vulnerable to harm and locate any wreckage. The project’s objectives include producing nautical maps, mosaic maps, pictures, and videos of the sunken sites as well as recording a marine sonar survey with undated coordinates of submerged heritage sites using GPS along a 400-kilometer region of the Red Sea. According to The National News, sonar and sound waves will be used to gather and evaluate the data.
Jasir Al-Herbish, CEO of the Heritage Commission, stated during a news conference held by KAUST that the commission has achieved major advancements and discovered submerged cultural heritage. To protect the underwater cultural treasures in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, the heritage commission opened up a new marine center. According to Al Arabiya, the commission would also promote scientific collaboration with regional and international universities to unearth underwater heritage sites and develop the sector’s expertise.
The commission also stated that there are numerous cultural mysteries of the Kingdom that are hidden in the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. An investigation of Umluj, where a sunken vessel with hundreds of pieces of Chinese porcelain and various metals contained, is being carried out by a team of Saudi and Italian specialists. According to The National News, further discoveries are anticipated as work continues until Sept.
