A Note on Sources & Periodization

The archival data examined in this section almost exclusively pertain to the early development of museums under the patronage of the Department of Antiquities. As a result, this analysis only considers evidence of events that have taken place in as early as the 1950s and up to 2015. This arbitrary cut off is made with the purpose of delimiting the first generation of museums built with direct sponsorship of the government with public education and preservation in mind. The sources used are primarily newspapers, public records, magazines and archeological journals intended for both a lay, as well as, an academic audience. Most of these sources, if not all, were also sponsored by the government.

ATLAL: the Journal of Saudi Arabian Archeology was an especially informative source, as it provided an in-depth exploration of the work undertaken to preserve the material culture of the country. While the journal's focus was the periodical publication of advances made in the Comprehensive Archeological Survey Program, it devoted, to a lesser extent, some attention to the establishment of museums. It is also, by far, the only source found that regularly reported on the progress of governmental patronage plans for museums in both Arabic and English.

Inasmuch as this section is an exploration of how the first set of government-sponsored museums evolved out of the state’s expanding educational objectives, it is also an exploration of their obsolescence. Why were these museums underdeveloped following their construction? What plans, if any, were put in place to ensure their continuity? Was the programming and institutional directive of each museum separate from the Department, or were they bound by an overarching mission set by the Directorate of Education?

Answers to these questions may not be readily available. Nor have I come across evidence to suggest that a different outcome for this first generation of museums was possible. Yet, it is nevertheless worthwhile to explore the potential causes of their discontinuation.