For Yous Data - Archaeological Discoveries Break Prehistoric Origins Of Abu Dhabi’S Al Ain
Archaeological discoveries throughout the UAE accept consistently revealed a rich history stretching dorsum thousands of years. Given the challenging climate, the original inhabitants of the portion oftentimes lived inward ane house together with hence moved to some other when the climate changed or novel resources were discovered. But an exception to this designing has been found inward Abu Dhabi’s instant urban gist of Al Ain.
The Great Tomb at Hili, Al Ain, built roughly 3000 BC [Credit: David Millar]
The Department of Culture together with Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s (DCT Abu Dhabi) archaeologists accept determined that a unique array of resources together with the ingenuity of the region’s ancestors ensured the Al Ain oases became a major centre from the Bronze Age to the modern day.As ane of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places, Al Ain amongst its oases together with sites was occupied inward all the major periods of the UAE’s history. The date, size together with extent of Al Ain’s archaeological sites from this fourth dimension are unparalleled inward our electrical current cognition of the UAE together with broader region.
Jebel Hafeet inward Al Ain, the site of ancient tombs, was abode to some of the offset civilisations in the Bronze and Iron ages [Credit: Lauren Lancaster/The National]
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “The Founder Father of the UAE, the belatedly Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, recognised the importance of agreement this ancient past times together with encouraged fieldwork inward Al Ain from the 1960s onwards.The discoveries our squad of archaeologists are regain are fascinating together with bring out incredible details nearly our ancestors, their lifestyles, their resilience together with their ingenuity. These details uncovered nearly our history together with earliest civilisation are both educational together with inspiring to all – peculiarly our younger generations every bit they build their cognition together with appreciation of their Emirati ancestors.”
Excavations at Hili 8 exposing 4500 twelvemonth onetime archaeological layers [Credit: TCA Abu Dhabi]
Al Ain provided a truthful landscape of opportunity. People were able to non exclusively grow crops inward the fields precisely they began mining copper together with stones from the nearby mountains. Copper was the crude of the Bronze Age: much prized together with needed past times expanding economies throughout the known ancient world. Copper was mined together with processed inward Al Ain, together with hence transported to the coast every bit ingots on the merchandise routes that had been established during the before Neolithic period. With their cognition of the sea, these Bronze Age entrepreneurs established a trading port on Umm An Nar Island, correct adjacent to the modern urban gist of Abu Dhabi. It was to move past times a hub for international trade, continuing the tradition that their Neolithic ancestors had began at coastal settlements similar Marawah thousands of years earlier, together with which Abu Dhabi even hence is today.
Two of the Bronze Age tombs located close Hili 8. The people who lived at Hili 8 were buried collectively inward these tombs [Credit: TCA Abu Dhabi]
As the economic scheme expanded, people constructed fortified mudbrick towers, using the clay that was inward abundance roughly the area. Several of these buildings accept been excavated past times DCT Abu Dhabi archaeologists together with visiting international teams. The towers comprise numerous rooms amongst wells at their centre. They also constructed large inward a higher house Blue Planet tombs that tin ambit the axe even hence endure seen.
From ane of these towers, called Hili 8, prove for the earliest agriculture inward the country, dating dorsum nearly 5,000 years ago, was discovered past times French archaeologists inward the 1980s.Continuing operate past times DCT Abu Dhabi at Hili 8 is revealing farther prove for this remarkable early on agricultural village.
The Bronze Age inhabitants of Al Ain, also used the copper from the nearby mountains to brand weapons together with agricultural tools that provided security together with prosperity. Some of these amazing artifacts were found inward the discoveries made at Qattara inward Al Ain. Excavations of a tomb here, dating to betwixt 4,000 together with 3,000 years ago, has revealed dozens of metallic weapons that attest to ingenuity together with technologically mastery of the time.
