This is Yemen’s history (part II) [Archives:2007/1056/Culture]
June 4 2007
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“This is Yemen History” is a three-volume book written in Arabic by Yemeni history specialist Abdullah Al-Kumaim.
Volume two includes three chapters, the first dealing with the Aad tribe, an ancient Arab nation mentioned in the Qur'an, to whom God sent the Islamic prophet Hud to guide them back to the righteous path of believing in Him. However, its citizens didn't heed his warnings, so God destroyed the town in a great storm. Aad civilization existed from 7,000 to 13,000 B.C. Aad was the first to rule after Noah.
The second chapter is devoted to the Thamud tribe, which came after the Aad tribe, both of which are mentioned in the Qur'an, while chapter three is about Yemen's numerous archeological cities and ancient temples, as well as about silver mining in ancient mining locations. Al-Kumaim presents 66 pieces of evidence and many discoveries proving that Yemen is the birthplace of civilization.
Concluding his book about Arab and Muslim history, Al-Kumaim spent 35 years collecting information from books, field studies and meeting with specialists, particularly regarding the Aad and Thamud nations, as these are the first civilizations of early man on earth. The two nations are mentioned 50 times in the Qur'an.
In his book, Al-Kumaim questions the reasons Arab and Muslim historians, as well as scholars of the Qur'an and the Hadith, ignore Aad and Thamud history, in addition to the explanation for the Qur'anic verses about these nations, when Aad was the first nation to inhabit the earth?
“The large number of verses mentioning these nations doesn't give the opportunity for anyone to ignore them. The Qur'an, the most authentic book in the world because it is Allah's word that can never be fallible, is one of the important sources upon which I depend to write history,” according to Al-Kumaim
“Ignorance about Yemeni history, which is the source of human civilization, is due to what? Al-Kumaim wonders in his book, is it because of the time dimension or the place dimension? Is it due to lack of objectivity or the conflicts between Yemenis and other nations?”
He also holds Yemenis themselves responsible for losing and fabricating their history because they stopped writing down their history to convey to future generations. “For this reason, we now read Yemeni history, which involves numerous untrue stories, particularly in the two centuries before the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) came,” Al-Kumaim commented in his book.
Some evidences about Yemen being the birthplace of civilization
The first evidence about Yemen being the birthplace of civilization is about the depth of time regarding Yemeni history. In 1994, Al-Thawra newspaper published an article about new landmarks during civilized Yemen's history. A writer in Al-Thawra article confirms that Yemeni history is about 7,000 years old.
Excavation and studying ancient antiquities have proven that Yemeni civilization dates back hundreds of thousands of years. A U.S. delegation recently found some remains in Marib, and upon examining them back, they wrote that some are 6,000 years old.
Another delegation by the Soviets in 1983 and 1985 discovered dozens of historical lands in Raybun located in Hadramout-Lahj. The delegation said in its report that antiquities from there affirm that man lived there a million years ago.
The second evidence is the discovery of stone tombs and embalmed (mummified) corpses in Mahwit governorate. Yousef Abdullah, director of the General Organization of Antiquities at that time, said in September 26 newspapers that the discovery of such graves in Mahwit indicates that these locations were settled before the invention of writing. This means that the history of these places dates to 10,000 years ago, as writing began during the Aad period.
One evidence is the discovery of transcripts written by Al-Zabur and a poem written in Musnad ancient script. Added to this is the discovery of an ornament on wood. Wood adornment and Yemeni Zabur handwriting are considered a revolution in the world of writing in ancient Eastern history.
Stone and Bronze Age antiquities were discovered in 1998, with digging taking place in Lahj, the southern Red Sea coast, Shabwa and Hadramout. Field studies and excavations in Lahj confirmed that huge and vast construction took place in the Bronze Age, whose history dates to the second millennium B.C. Added to this are the discovery of ancient pieces dating to the fourth millennium B.C.
Hadramout before writing and recording
The prevailing belief of Western researchers and scientists states that primitive man evolved in the Hadramout valleys slowly, just as in any other part of the Arabian Peninsula that was uninhabited, only in a relatively late stage during the middle Stone Age.
However, results of new research by an archeological team from the University of Aden, with the participation of a Soviet archeological science team from 1982-1986, refuted these conclusions. Their research conducted at more than 40 archeological sites in Doaan Valley and its estuaries revealed the existence of stone tools dating back to the oldest period of the first Stone Age, called the Al-Dowee period. The latter age is more than a million years ago.
In Al-Jabir Valley near Doaan Valley, three caves were discovered from the same ancient Stone Age containing 1,000 stone tools, the remnants of two stoves and the remains of animal bones.
Sand analysis, geological research, geo-morphological and balio-magnetic analysis of the materials determined the absolute age of the southern Arabian Peninsula during all periods, beginning from Al-Dowee until the modern Stone Age of 3,000-4,000 B.C. This reality is being enhanced by continuing field study.
Another example recently was discovered from among historical relics from the ancient period in western Hadramout. The discovery revealed the existence of graveyards, which were implied by round and oval burial chambers built of stones placed vertically with a semi-domed partition.
They also found stone tools from the previous historical period regarding the agricultural civilization, which leaves no doubt that the Arabian Peninsula, especially the southern portion, was populated by primitive man during the earliest periods.
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