A 2,000-year-old hoard of highly crafted gold rings has been unearthed by archaeologists excavating an ancient village in Saudi Arabia.

The three rings and a large bronze bull’s head were discovered in the dig at the site in Al-Ukhdood and pre-date the region’s Islamic period, say experts.

Photographs of the rings – said to date from the 3rd century BC – show they are decorated with flower petals and delicate strands that seem to be stems.

The footage shows archaeologists at the site and the bull’s head being carefully cleaned and preserved by an expert.

Other images show what seems to be a slab with a large inscription in ancient Arabic, according to local media.

The writing is reportedly the longest from the pre-Islamic era ever found in the country, measuring 230 centimetres by 48 centimetres (90 inches by 18.9 inches).

Newsflash obtained the images from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Authority, who announced that the pre-Islamic artefacts were discovered at the Al-Ukhdood archaeological site, which is located in the southern region of Najran.

Najran borders Yemen and is one of Saudi Arabia’s oldest inhabited regions.

The Saudi authorities described the finds as “rare” and “exciting” as they shed light on the ancient civilisations that once flourished in the south of the Arabian Peninsula.

The Saudi Heritage Authority said in a statement that the finds were “important archaeological discoveries at the archaeological site of Al-Ukhdood in the Najran region” and that they confirm “the cultural depth of the southern region of the Kingdom.”