Oasis of archaeology

AlUla is an oasis town in northwestern Saudi Arabia with a deep historic past as a major stepping stone for the traders who brought frankincense and myrrh north into Egypt and the Levant. Implementing its policy of economic diversification, the Saudi Government has charged the Royal Commission for AlUla to found and sponsor the first AlUla World Archaeology Summit, a forum for archaeologists to gather and share their thoughts and plans on key issues in the future of the discipline. I was fortunate indeed, a couple of months ago, to receive a surprise invitation to attend the Summit, and accepted without hesitation. The theme was particularly relevant: ‘Past, present and future in the archa