Highlighted artifacts from the event

Anthropomorphic stele from the fourth millennium BC

This slab of standing sandstone was probably associated with religious or burial practices. It is among the earliest known objects from the Arabian Peninsula. The artifact was unearthed in Qaryat al-Kaafa near Ha'il, and now belongs to the National Museum, Riyadh.

A male figurine made of lapis lazuli from the third millennium BC

Collected by the National Museum in Riyadh, its precious material is produced in what is today known as Afghanistan and it features typical Mesopotamian style.

A gold funerary mask from the first century AD

Unearthed in Thaj, Tell al-Zayer in 1988 and housed in the National Museum in Riyadh, this artifact is believed to have belonged to a young girl from a high-level royal family.

Door of the Ka'ba from 1635-36 during the Ottoman Empire

This gilt silver artifact on wood from Mecca is housed by the National Museum in Riyadh. It shows state-of-the-art techniques from Turkey and was continuously used until 1947.

Ancient Chinese porcelain pieces, among which many are from the ninth to the 10th century

These artifacts unearthed since the 1960s show the longtime trading of tea, porcelains, and silk pieces between the East and the West, and the economic bond of China and Saudi Arabia in ancient times.

IF YOU GO:

Roads of Arabia: Archaeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia

Time: 9 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays), until March 19, 2017

Address: South No 7 and No 8 exhibition hall, National Museum of China, 16 East Chang'an Avenue

Price: Entry to the exhibition costs 30 yuan ($4.30)

(China Daily 12/23/2016 page11)