In cooperation with local and international partners, the Directorate of Tourism and Archaeology in Umm Al Quwain has discovered a hamlet on Siniya Island that dates back over 1,300 years.
The community, which is situated next to the historic Christian monastery uncovered last year, is the oldest pearling town in the Arabian Gulf. Archaeologists think the monastery’s monks may have settled close to the prosperous pearling community.
Sheikh Majid bin Saud Al Mualla, Chairman of the Department of Tourism and Archaeology, Umm Al Quwain, stated that this discovery had significant historical implications for Umm Al Quwain, the United Arab Emirates, and the more prominent Arabian Gulf.
“For more than 7,000 years, pearling has been a vital component of our culture and way of life. Some of the earliest documented evidence of pearling comes from the Neolithic era.
The settlement is one of the largest in the nation, covering an area of around 12 hectares. The village looks to have had thousands of residents living in hundreds of homes.
Large buildings with courtyards and small, tightly packed double-roomed cottages have been found during excavations on the island; those who saw them claim they were homes to affluent merchants and poorer fishermen. The houses were made of limestone and lime, and the roofs were probably made of palm trunks transported from the mainland.
“We now have the chance to examine a pearling community from more than 1,300 years ago for the first time. According to Al Majid, we shall learn more about our forefathers and their way of life through studies of this settlement.
The Federal Ministry of Culture and Youth, UAE University, the Italian Archaeological Mission in Umm Al Quwain, and the Center for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University assisted with the excavations.
Raves in Umm Al Quwain,” Al Mualla continued.
