Archaeologists say they have discovered the Gulf’s oldest pearl city on an island off one of the UAE’s northern emirates.
The artifacts discovered in this city on the island of Siniyah in Umm al-Quwain, which were probably once home to thousands of people and many houses, date back to the region’s pre-Islamic history in the sixth century. Peoples have been discussed in ancient texts, this is the first time archaeologists say they have physically discovered one of this ancient era in the Gulf nations.
“This is the oldest example of this type of pearl city, most notably Khaleeji,” said Timothy Power, an associate professor of archaeology at the University of the United Arab Emirates, a word that means “Gulf” in Arabic. ancestor of cities like Dubai. “
The city of pearls is located on Siniyah Island, which protects the swamps of Khor al-Beida in um al-Quwain, an emirate 50 km (30 miles) northeast of Dubai.
The island, whose name means “flashing lights” due to the effect of the hot sun overhead, has already noticed that archaeologists noticed an ancient Christian monastery dating back about 1,400 years.
The town lies south of this monastery on one of the curved hands of the island and spans 12 hectares (30 acres).
There, archaeologists discovered a variety of homes made of beach rock and lime mortar, ranging from cramped neighborhoods to more sprawling homes with courtyards, suggesting social stratification, Power said. It also presents symptoms of habitability throughout the year, unlike other pearl operations carried out in seasonal locations in the region.
“The houses are crammed in there, side by side,” he added. “The key detail is permanence. People there all year round. “
In the houses, archaeologists found loose beads and diving plumb lines, which freedivers used to temporarily descend to the bottom of the sea depending only on their bated breath.
The city predates the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, making its population probably Christian. The prophet of Islam Muhammad was born around 570 and died in 632 after conquering Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia.
The Department of Tourism and Archaeology of Umm al-Quwain, the University of the United Arab Emirates, the Italian Archaeological Mission in the emirate and the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World of New York University participated in the excavations. Umm al-Quwain, the least populous emirate of the United Arab Emirates, plans to build a guest on the site.
The history of the pearl, which temporarily collapsed after World War I with the advent of synthetic pearls and the Great Depression, has a specific importance in the history of the UAE, especially since it has to deal with the extractive industry.
While crude oil sales built the country after its formation in 1971, the UAE will have to deal with its fossil fuel legacy and potentially plan for a long-term zero-carbon emissions as it hosts the United Nations COP28 climate talks later this year.
Those searching discovered a nearby sale filled with discarded oyster shell debris. People crossing the island may also feel those debris crack under their feet in some areas.
“There is only one pearl out of 10,000 oyster shells. You have to locate and dump thousands and thousands of oyster shells to find one,” Power said. “The tea, the commercial tea of the pearl industry, colossal. You’re dealing with millions, millions of thrown oyster shells.