Today, Abu Dhabi is thriving as an economic hub and tourist destination known the world over.
But new evidence has been found by archaeologists from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) that indicate the earliest settlers in what is now the UAE capital arrived as much as 8,500 years ago.
Evidence of the earliest known buildings in the UAE and the broader region date back at least 500 years earlier than previously thought with the discovery on the island of Ghagha, west of Abu Dhabi city.
The DCT Abu Dhabi archaeologists have been conducting scientific analysis of the artefacts since the structures and accompanying objects were unearthed.
The most extraordinary discovery was revealed by carbon-14 analysis of charcoal fragments, which indicates the structures are at least 8,500 years old – breaking the previous record for the earliest known structures built in the UAE, which were discovered on Marawah Island.
It was previously thought that long-distance maritime trade routes, which developed during the Neolithic period, were the catalyst for settlements in the area, but the latest discoveries prove that Neolithic settlements existed prior to the onset of trade, which means it was local economic and environmental conditions that led to the first settled life in what is now the UAE.
Rather than being arid and inhospitable, the islands were in a sense a ‘fertile coast’. This evidence recasts Abu Dhabi’s islands within the cultural history of the broader region, a statement said.
Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “These archaeological finds have shown that people were settling and building homes here 8,500 years ago. The discoveries on Ghagha island highlight that the characteristics of innovation, sustainability and resilience have been part of the DNA of the inhabitants of this region for thousands of years.
“The finds reinforce an appreciation of history, as well as the deep cultural connections between the people of the UAE and the sea. We are also reminded that there is still much to discover across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.”
Until the excavations of Ghagha, the earliest known structures in the UAE were found on the island of Marawah, also off the coast of Abu Dhabi.
Taken with the evidence from Marawah, the new evidence from Ghagha indicates that the islands of Abu Dhabi were a focal point for human innovation and settlement during the Neolithic period – a time of fundamental change throughout much of the world.
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.
The discoveries on Ghagha Island come as part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s emirate-wide archaeological programme.
The emirate contains some of the most prized and unique cultural and historical attractions and finds in the region and internationally.
In addition to the discoveries on Ghagha and Marawah islands, these include the remains of an ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas island, as well as the UNESCO-inscribed Cultural Site of Al Ain, comprising a series of oases, historic monuments, archaeological sites and natural areas, which has featured on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List since 2011.
Abu Dhabi’s archaeological treasures also include Miocene Trackways – footprints of a herd of an extinct form of ancient elephant – which date to 6-8 million years ago; a 3,000 year old falaj in Al Ain; stone tools dating to over 300,000 years ago, which were found in surveys around Jebel Hafit; and a well preserved Iron Age fortress dating to 3,000 years ago, which was discovered during excavations at Al Ain’s Hili 14 archaeological site.
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