Northwest Arabia at the Eve of Islam: Decline, Collapse or Transformation? A Reassessment of the Archaeological Evidence (Third–Eighth Century CE )

ABSTRACT

This paper reexamines settlement dynamics in northwest Arabia between the third and eighth centuries

, drawing on recent archaeological research conducted across multiple oases in Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, scholarship has emphasised a narrative of decline in the region during Late Antiquity, largely shaped by historiographical interpretations and supported by limited archaeological evidence. However, a new synthesis of available data offers a more nuanced understanding of settlement patterns. Rather than experiencing a sudden collapse, the region underwent a gradual process of abandonment and contraction, occurring in two distinct phases: one in the third century and another at the end of the fifth century. Various factors—including political, economic and social dynamics—contributed to these changes at different times. Rather than a single, catastrophic crisis, Late Antiquity in Arabia was marked by a slow transformation, ultimately leading to a reconfiguration of settlement networks and site distributions.