Jizan
© Google MapA Google map showing the location of Jizan.
Remnants of an ancient civilization dating back 450,000 years, including a mass grave, have been found in the southern Jazan region, said Faisal Al-Tumaihi, an archaeologist at Jazan University.

"A group of Saudi archaeologists discovered the site of an ancient civilization in Hasma," he said. "The antiquities that have been found in the area included those dating back to the pre-historic period," he added.

He said the latest excavations in the region took place in Hasma, which is located northeast of Uhd Masaraha, last year. "The antiques found in the area also included a jar dating back 5,000 years. It was found in Ather, an ancient coastal city," Al-Tumaihi said.

The Permanent Committee for Research and Ifta, under the chairmanship of Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, has approved the exhumation of ancient graves in the cemetery, said Ali Zaala, spokesman of the Jazan governorate.