During excavations in 2021, specialists noticed the unusual weight of a vessel—over 9 kilograms. Inside, they found a collection of tetradrachm coins from the 3rd century BCE. The obverse of the coins features Alexander the Great in the likeness of Heracles, while the reverse depicts Zeus on a throne. Later, the coins were modified with Aramaic inscriptions and local motifs, demonstrating how the Arabian Peninsula adapted Greek imagery to create its own cultural identity.
Most of the coins weigh between 16 and 17 grams, adhering to the international standards of the time and facilitating trade. Mleiha, located between the Persian and Oman Gulfs, was a crucial hub on ancient trade routes that connected India with the Mediterranean, where goods like spices, textiles, frankincense, and metals were transported.
Archaeologists note that the discovery confirms the Arabian Peninsula’s key role in ancient trade networks and highlights the region’s deep cultural synthesis. The city of Mleiha had fortifications, palaces, temples, and advanced underground irrigation systems, which allowed for a successful economy even in desert conditions.
The Mleiha treasure shows that Arabia was not on the periphery of the Hellenistic world. Instead, it actively adopted, reinterpreted, and transformed imported ideas, using them for economic exchange, political influence, and cultural expression.
