Abu Dhabi unearths archaeological treasures dating back 8,500 years

[Judi Lynn]

New finds show settled life in the UAE began 500 years earlier than previously thought

Published: February 17, 2022 12:31
Samihah Zaman, Senior Reporter

Abu Dhabi: Evidence of the earliest known buildings in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back more than 8,500 years, has been uncovered in the UAE, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) revealed on Thursday.

The finds on the island of Ghagha, west of Abu Dhabi city, includes a number of stone structures. The discovery means that settled life in the UAE began 500 years earlier than previously believed.

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Unearthed structure
The structures that have been uncovered are simple round rooms, the walls of which are made from stone and preserved to nearly one metre in height. The rooms were likely houses for a small community who may have lived on the island year-round. Hundreds of artefacts were found in the rooms, including finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting. It is likely that the community would also have used the rich resources of the sea.

How long the settlement existed is unknown, but after it was abandoned, it apparently remained an important part of the cultural landscape, as nearly 5,000 years ago, a person was buried in the ruins of the structures. It is one of the few burials from this period known on the Abu Dhabi islands.

More:
https://gulfnews.com/uae/abu-dhabi-unearths-archaeological-treasures-dating-back-8500-years-1.85792165