During the year 2024, the United Arab Emirates recorded a group of important archaeological discoveries that constituted a qualitative addition to the tangible material evidence of the succession of ancient civilizations that the country has witnessed on its territory throughout its history.
The announced set of discoveries contributes to drawing a clearer and more comprehensive picture of the history of the UAE territory in ancient times, the nature of the customs, traditions and human relations of its inhabitants and how they treat the various local natural resources and exploit them for their benefit.
On June 25, the Fujairah government – in cooperation with an international team of researchers from the emirate’s Department of Tourism and Antiquities, Germany’s Jena University and Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom – announced the discovery of new evidence indicating an ancient human presence dating back to prehistoric times in the Emirate of Fujairah.
The new findings provide evidence that mobile human groups repeatedly inhabited the rock shelter of Cave Al-Dur Mountain, located in the Habhab region, between about 13,000 and 7,500 years ago. The region in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula was previously thought to be uninhabited from 38,000 years ago, when dry climatic conditions prevailed, until its climate became wetter about 7,000 years ago.
The discovery epitomises Fujairah’s rich historical heritage, as experimental archaeological excavations at the Jabal Al-Dur cave rock shelter revealed three layers containing stone tools, animal bones and furnaces. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal extracted from these furnaces indicated that the site had been inhabited at various times from around 13,000 to 7,500 years ago, making the rock shelter the oldest archaeological site in the emirate.
For its part, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism announced in January its latest discoveries on Sas Al Nakhl Island, which shed light on the Bronze Age culture in the “Umm Al Nar” region of Abu Dhabi, which was widespread in Abu Dhabi during the period between 2700 and 2000 BC.
Some 65 years after the first archaeological excavations were carried out in Abu Dhabi at this site, new excavations have begun at Sas Al Nakhl, and the current archaeological excavation programme also includes work at various sites across Abu Dhabi, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Al Ain.
The finds included a well-preserved collection of over 30,000 bones that shed more light on the diet of the Bronze Age. The bones of some large animals were found around a large circular fireplace, often indicating group or ceremonial activities, or This place was intended for people to gather to eat.
Stone finds included grindstones, polished stones, axes, beads, a smooth stone bowl, and perforated circular stone discs that were used to weigh down fishing nets, while copper finds included a small hammer or chisel and fish hooks.
Recent excavations have uncovered a large number of pottery vessels imported from distant regions such as ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization, confirming the island’s central role in the trade that prevailed between distant regions at that time.
The bitumen found at the site has been compared to sources from ancient Mesopotamia, where it was used in the manufacture of waterproof pottery in addition to a clay-lined storage pit. Traces on ropes and wood also indicate the use of bitumen to waterproof boat hulls. the Bronze Age. This is evidence of the prosperity of maritime navigation for long periods. These important finds also indicate that the island of Sas al-Nakhl was a thriving seaport between 2800 and 2200 BC.
For its part, the Department of Tourism and Antiquities of Umm Al Quwain, during regular excavations at the archaeological site of Tal Abraq in the emirate, and in cooperation with the Italian mission, revealed a group of Roman gold coins, which are coins that were imitated original coins known as “Ori” dating from the period of prosperity of the archaeological site of Al-Dur during the first century AD.
These gold coins bearing the image of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who ruled the Roman Empire from 14 to 37 A.D., were found inside a small pottery jar, in addition to another group of bronze coins modeled after the currency known as the “Abel,” which was minted locally. Also included was a bronze bracelet.
The United Arab Emirates attaches great importance to archaeological sites and historical monuments, as they embody the memory of peoples and societies. The archaeological discoveries that the country has witnessed in the recent period, dating back thousands of years, have reflected the nature of the civilizations that have flocked to it since ancient times.