A 3,000-year-old cemetery has been discovered in Al Ain

The new discovery in Al Ain dates back to the Iron Age…

A new archaeological discovery has been made in Al Ain – a 3,000-year-old cemetery dating back to the Iron Age has been uncovered close to the Qattara oasis, about 150km east of Abu Dhabi.

Several artefacts have been unearthed from the site, including sets of spouted vessels perhaps used for drinking, bowls, small cups, gold beads, weaponry, pottery, copper vessels and personal items like shell cosmetic containers, nose rings, rings and bracelets, all found in more than 100 graves.

According to Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), this is the first major Iron Age cemetery found in the UAE, as part of an archaeological project established in 2024 – ‘the funerary landscapes of Al Ain’.

The project was put together to further investigate a growing number of prehistoric tombs found at the border fence shared with Oman, during archaeological monitoring of construction work in the area. Some 30 graves have been found so far but the actual numbers are expected to be much higher.

According to an in-depth investigation by The National, archaeological teams have been conducting detailed digs and tests on the items found to piece together a picture of what the Iron Age looked like in this area, a time about which much is known in the regional context.

The Iron Age is pre-historic UAE was a time of transition and development, when the falaj system came into existence and the farming community saw a subsequent boom. Agricultural expansion came next and as such, several elements of a comprehensive community system have been found, including Iron Age villages, forts, temples, aflaj (individual water channels) and ancient palm gardens.

What is sure is that Al Ain is a region of historical and archaeological significance, with majority of the historical evidence found in those parts. These discoveries have indicated the existence of human civilisation back to the Neolithic period and parts of the finds there are under Unesco World Heritage site protection.

@dctabudhabi

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