Yesterday's Abu Dhabi
Annette Bingham on digging up the past in the United Arab Emirates.
Just a few years ago almost nothing was known of the history of the northern coastal area of Arabia which is now the United Arab Emirates. Historical investigation was very limited and it was assumed that the inhabitants of the desert had always been Bedu tribespeople who travelled with their camels from well to distant well, looking for grazing.
Recent discoveries have-changed this picture. Archaeologists have found evidence of substantial Bronze Age agricultural settlements with well-developed cultures which had trading links with Mesop Krtamia (modern Iraq) to the north, and with the Indus civilisations at Harappa and Mohenjodaro (in modern Pakistan) to the east. Later Iron Age population centres of between 500 and 2,500 people have been discovered on the coast and in the foothills of the mountain spine which backs Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
To continue reading this article you need to purchase a subscription, available from only £5.
Start my trial subscription now
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
