The Archaeology of The Hajj: the cultural and economic implications of the Kufa-Mecca pilgrimage route on Al-Rabadhah site

Abstract

The archaeology of Islamic pilgrimage (Hajj) has developed since the twentieth century. The literature on the archaeology of the Hajj usually mentions the key roles of the main pilgrimage routes in the Arabian Peninsula on archaeological sites located along these routes. However, it is rarely discussed how these routes affected the development of sites and what the impact process was. The archaeological site of Al-Rabadhah, located on the main pilgrimage route between Mecca and both Iraq and Iran, dated from the seventh to the tenth centuries and represents an important period in Islamic history. Using pottery, ceramic, glass and metal objects from the site, the study archaeologically investigates the cultural and economic implications of the Kufa-Mecca route on the development of the town and how the impact process of the pilgrimage route worked. The latest archaeological studies of material culture in Al-Rabadhah enabled the study in providing explanations for the ways in which the route effected Al-Rabadhah. The connection between Al-Rabadhah and Iraq and Iran through the Kufa-Mecca route led to the dynamic flow of craftsmen, techniques and ideas between these regions, thereby explaining the significant cultural and economic implications of the route on the site.