The Farasān Archipelago in the Red Sea Context during Antiquity

Archaeological investigations in the Farasān archipelago (southern Red Sea, Saudi Arabia) in the past decade have unveiled unsuspected historical information regarding Antiquity in that part of the Red Sea. The presence of South Arabian inscriptions and artefacts has been outlined. Exchange with the northern Horn of Africa still needs to be defined through further archaeological investigations. As for the Roman presence, Latin inscriptions testified that a military detachment settled on the islands in the 2nd century AD. Archaeological surveys have revealed architectural elements and artefacts that are relevant to this phase of occupation and provide preliminary information on the material presence of Roman soldiers; further investigation will hopefully shed light on the interaction of these with local inhabitants through the study of material culture.