Lifting the statue
In 2021, archaeologists in AlUla made a startling discovery: a mutilated statue depicting a man was discovered hidden within a wall. It was a find that would reveal much about the history of early AlUla.
In archaeology, it’s not just what you find that is fascinating—it’s where you find it. And sometimes, it’s what is missing that is most revealing. So it was with DDN_B_40_S1, an ancient statue unearthed from within a poorly built wall in Dadan, the ancient capital of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia. It immediately posed questions for the team from the Dadan Archaeological Project: Why had the statue been toppled onto its side and carelessly incorporated into the structure―and why were its head, hands, and feet missing? Piecing together the evidence, the story of DDN_B_40_S1 casts a new light on the period of political and religious turmoil that likely occurred during the first century BCE—a time when old gods and kings were violently overthrown, eradicated, and replaced.
The story of the statue begins in the Great Sanctuary of Dadan sometime between 500 and 200 BCE. Around this time, Dadan was a thriving city on the eastern edge of the AlUla Valley where numerous wadis converged to provide the water that supported human settlement. Nestled beneath soaring red sandstone cliffs and adjoining an extensive irrigated palm grove, the exact configuration of Dadan remains unclear: The city’s buildings have largely disappeared and the stone was reused elsewhere, including during the construction of AlUla Old Town. However, archaeologists has confirmed that between 750 and 500 BCE, a sizable sanctuary was built and dedicated to a great local god, Dhu Ghabat. It was almost certainly here that DDN_B_40_S1 once stood.
DDN_B_40_S1 is a larger-than-life stylized statue of a man carved out of sandstone; factoring in the missing head and feet, it would have been around 2.7 meters tall. Bare-chested and wearing a belted loincloth and an arm ring, the figure stands facing forward with legs together and arms straight to the body, lending an almost expectant air to its posture. These features are strongly reminiscent of Egyptian statues, and it is known that there were cultural connections between Egypt and AlUla. But the statue also displays features that are distinctly local: The belt and loincloth, straight-edged and above the knee, are both a local type. The arm ring, probably of twisted strands of metal, is also a conspicuously local style. Based on other discoveries around the site, the missing head likely had south-Arabian facial features and a particular local headdress holding a mass of hair at the back. This is a mix of Egyptian, Arabian, and AlUlan traditions.
In this way, DDN_B_40_S1 is strikingly similar to other colossal statues discovered within the sanctuary—because DDN_B_40_S1 was not alone. Excavations at the site had already unearthed at least 15 similar statues, all similarly collapsed and missing their heads or faces, with some also missing their hands and feet as well. Early hypotheses suggested that the damage had been caused by a catastrophic earthquake, but there was also a suspicion that the destruction had been deliberate and systematic. The discovery of DDN_B_40_S1 within a wall provided vital proof for this: That the statue was reused as mere building material confirmed that the builders no longer respected its symbolism. It was clear that the sanctuary’s statues had been willfully demolished.
The reason the statue was toppled lies with what it represents: DDN_B_40_S1 is believed to have been a votive statue―an offering to a god. What’s unclear is whether the statue represents the god being worshipped or the human making the offering—in this case likely a king. The latter theory is perhaps most probable―a similar statue was found bearing the epithet “King of Lihyan,” the dynasty ruling Dadan at the time. However, the inscription had been added later, and could refer to either the statue or its benefactor. More compelling is that this is a standardized style of statue found across AlUla. DDN_B_40_S1 and its companions are almost identical to smaller votive statues found in a shrine dedicated to two lesser-known gods. That the same statues are found in sanctuaries for different gods suggests they are stylized representations of the benefactor.
Statues such as these were considered to be living things, and mutilation was thought to purge their power. Removing the hands and feet restricted the statue’s movement and ability to act; decapitation and disfigurement eradicated its identity. This begs the question: Who, exactly, wanted to overthrow the old ways? Known dates pointed to likely suspects: the Nabataeans. The mutilated remains of DDN_B_40_S1 were reused to build a wall that was estimated to have been constructed between 195 BCE and 5 CE―which would have been around the time that the Nabataeans took control of the region. Originally from Petra in modern-day Jordan, the Nabataeans expanded south to AlUla to exert control over the incense trade. It’s not known if this was through military conquest or peaceful infiltration, but this time frame corresponds with the destruction of the sanctuary.
With the Nabataeans imposing themselves as the new ruling dynasty, it’s possible that they would want to remove the images of their predecessors—the gods and kings of Lihyan. Toppling and mutilating the statues in Dadan’s Great Sanctuary, including DDN_B_40_S1, would be essential for this. Significantly, after the date of the wall’s construction we find no more references to Dhu Ghabat, who seems to have been replaced in the sanctuary by Dushara, the principal god of Petra. Despite the absence of a written record, the evidence from DDN_B_40_S1 is compelling: The arrival of the Nabataeans was not as peaceful as previously thought, and brought violent political and religious change to AlUla.
In 2022, DDN_B_40_S1 was carefully encased in a plaster-filled framework and lifted out of the excavated wall where it had lain buried for 2,000 years. The statue was taken to a facility in AlUla, where it is undergoing further study and restoration. With many international museums expressing a keen interest in displaying it, it’s likely that DDN_B_40_S1 will one day be seen by more people than ever before. Far from being forgotten, this headless, handless, and footless statue has not lost its power: Through it, the ancient gods and kings of Lihyan are being lifted from obscurity and restored to history.
Journey through time to discover the rich history of AlUla here.
