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The discovery of the oldest known pearl town in the Bay Area was announced Tuesday.Found on Siniyah Island in the United Arab Emirates, it is believed to date back to the area pre islamic history In the late sixth century AD.
The discovery was made last year by the Umm Al Quwain Ministry of Tourism and Archeology and its partners in the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain, the UAE government news agency WAM reported. The town is located near the ancient Christian Sinia Monastery, which was also discovered in 2022.
Sheikh Majid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, chairman of the department, said the discovery is important for the Umm Al Quwain emirate in the United Arab Emirates, where generations of pearl people still live.
“Pearls have been an important part of people’s lives and a fundamental part of heritage for over 7,000 years. Furthermore, the Neolithic burials at Umm Al Quwain are known for their evidence of pearls,” he said.
Such a great story! #archeology #UAE #pearl #Discover
A team of archaeologists from the United Arab Emirates discovered what they believe to be the oldest pearl town in the Persian Gulf on Monday on the island of Sinya, east of the emirate of Umm Al Quwain. pic.twitter.com/e05yaj8kqa
– Vicky Bennett (@vickybbennett) March 20, 2023
The pearl town found on the island appears to cover about 12 hectares, with a large number of identifiable houses, suggesting that thousands of inhabitants once lived there. The houses are built using beach rocks and other traditional materials found in the surrounding environment, and the roofs are made of palm trees.
Rania Kannouma, head of archeology at Umm Al Quwain’s Department of Tourism and Archeology, said her team’s research confirmed that the island town of Siniyah is one of the largest ancient urban settlements ever discovered in the country.
A large area covered in opened and discarded oyster shells was found near the city.
Based on the history of the UAE government website, the researchers concluded that the residents were likely Christian because the town predated the rise of Islam in the region, which was introduced to the UAE around 630 AD.
The earliest known Christian sites found in the UAE so far are churches and monasteries on Sir Bani Yas Island, off the coast of Abu Dhabi, dating from the 7th and 8th centuries AD. It was first discovered in 1992 and reopened in 2019.
The UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, UAE University, Umm Al Quwain’s Italian Archaeological Mission and NYU’s Institute of the Ancient World will continue to collaborate on more research and excavations in Sinia.
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