Archaeology conference in Capital on March 30-31

“There will be a presentation, for example, of new discoveries by a group of archaeologists from the GCC countries, who have been exploring the area around Rumailah in Al Ain for the past five years,” said Dr Walid Yasin Al-Tikriti, archaeology manager of the Historic Environment Department at the ADACH.

The conference, which coincides with ‘Dawn of History’, a major archaeological exhibition going on in Al Ain till May 2, and with Mesopotamia, a new exhibition with artefacts from the Mesopotamian region at Manarat Al Saadiyat, is meant to promote the UAE archaeology in and outside the country.

According to Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, advisor for culture and heritage at the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Director-General of the ADACH, archaeology is not just a treasure in itself, but a very important part of the UAE’s history and heritage.

“The UAE is rich in archaeological findings from both ancient and modern history. The tangible heritage in the country includes more than 1,200 archaeological sites dating from 3000 BC to the late pre-Islamic period,” he pointed out.

All 26 papers, to be presented by local, regional and international archaeological experts over the two days, deal with UAE archaeology. These will include the excavations and surveys carried out for the past four years in Masafi by the French Archaeological Mission. House 4 from the Iron Age period, North West of Madam in Thuqeibah village (Sharjah), which stands out in the whole region because of its better construction materials, excavated by a Spanish team, will be another topic of discussion.

From Ras Al Khaimah, one of the presentations will focus on Jebel Al Mataradh, first discovered in the 1980s by German geologists, and which is a rare source of agate, chalcedony and carnelian for South East Arabia. The first systematic studies began only in 2009 and findings indicate that these lithic resources were traded as far as 300 kilometres towards the Neolithic coastal settlements and that possible production of fine stone beads started as early as fifth millennium BC.

Most of, if not all, the 26 papers to be presented in the conference will be published in the ‘Archaeology of the UAE’ journal, which will once again be relaunched during the event. The first five volumes were initially published by the former Department of Antiquities and Tourism in Al Ain between 1976 and 1989. Now, the ADACH picks up from where it was left, publishing volume six in late May. The annual journal will also be available online in both Arabic and English languages at www.adach.ae/en/portal/archaeologyintheuae.journal.aspx. — silvia@khaleejtimes.com