Louvre Abu Dhabi unearths artefacts found in UAE to say about the country’s history

The oldest pottery found in the UAE is also one of the most stunning.

The artifact, a terracotta vase with an undulating brown pattern, dates back to 5500 BC.vase in Louvre Abu DhabiThe opening wing of the museum exhibits the oldest works in the museum’s collection. Unearthed in 2004 marawa i.100 km off the west coast of Abu Dhabi, where numerous artifacts have been found pointing to Neolithic life in the area.

The vase was discovered some 1,000 kilometers from its cultural origins.

“This is the earliest evidence of ceramics in the UAE in relatively complete form,” said Amna Al Zaabi, senior curatorial assistant at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

“The decorative patterns on the neck and body of the ceramic indicate that it was not produced locally. It was brought from Mesopotamia or southern Iraq today.”

The vase suggests that the Neolithic inhabitants of Marawa Island may have had contact with their neighbors as early as 5500 BC, Al Zaabi said.

The artifact, on loan from the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, has been on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi since its opening in 2017. When it comes to expanding the historical depth of the UAE, it is probably one of the museum’s most insightful pieces.

However, a series of loans added to the exhibition in November digs further into how the area became a cultural crossroads thousands of years ago. The artifacts were on loan from several institutions across the country, including Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Museum, Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Archaeological Authority, Umm Al Quwain Tourism and Department of Archaeology and Department of Antiquities and Museums – Ras Al Khaimah.

Among the artifacts are three necklaces on loan from the Ajman Museum. Made from finely carved chalk beads, these necklaces date back to 3000 BC and reveal the customs of the UAE’s Bronze Age inhabitants. They were found at the Al Muweihat archaeological site in Ajman.

“These are examples of local production,” Al Zaabi said. “The materials used here are rudimentary, but it was interesting to see how fine and precise each bead was.”

These necklaces date back to the Umm an-Nar period. Bronze Age cultures exist in what is today the UAE and Oman, and were important trade intermediaries between Mesopotamian and Indus Valley civilizations.

Like other similar accessories, the necklaces were unearthed in a period-characterized mass burial.

“You’ll find hundreds of bodies, along with their personal belongings, buried in the same grave for generations,” Al Zaabi said.

Another newcomer to the exhibition, a comb dating to 2300 BC, was also buried with its former owner. Made of ivory, it was imported and likely originated in northern India, Al Zaabi said.It was found in a tomb at an archaeological site tell abraq In Sharjah, with wide, flat teeth and a rounded design on the handle.

“It’s a common decoration,” says Al Zaabi. “You can also see it on the boats shown next to it. It was a very popular theme at the time.”

Al Zaabi said the artefacts heralded a unique period in the region’s history, showcasing the networks that ancient cultures had developed.

A set of seven cut iron arrows point to the culture of the region during the Iron Age. Dating back to 1500 BC, these arrows were found in Chidfa, Fujairah.

“They are engraved with geometric decorations,” says Al Zaabi. “Archaeologists did some research to try to explain the patterns. Qidfa was an oasis that was excavated in the late 1980s. There, they also found other weapons, such as daggers.”

One of the museum’s most visually appealing items related to the region’s ancient history is a dagger found in Dubai’s Saruq al-Hadid, the same archaeological site where the ring behind the Expo 2020 Dubai logo was discovered.

Made of copper alloy, the hilt of the dagger is shaped like a lion with a pounce in the middle. The peculiar thing is the slant of its blade, which is not curved like a pointed beak, but is curved horizontally.

“We know that in several regions around the world at this time, weapons will be sacrificed or buried with warriors,” Al Zaabi said. “We don’t know why the blade was bent. Some archaeologists say it was part of a ritual where the blade would be offered and bent. This is common in many cultures where items are scattered or damaged to give available. Or it could just be a defective product.”

Others unearthed locally include ridged glass discs dating back 100 years. This is an import from the Roman Empire, found at the Ed-Dur archaeological site in Umm Al Quwain.

“The Roman Empire was one of those empires that managed to influence multiple cultures because it owned many provinces or through trade,” Al Zaabi said. “We found a lot of trade items from the Roman Empire in the Gulf, especially in the UAE.”

He said the sites dated back to 200-200 BC, suggesting it was a port city, and glass objects made up 8 percent of the objects found — although Al Zaabi said the dish was the most complete.

These artifacts are often juxtaposed with similar finds from other parts of the world. For example, the dagger is on display alongside axe blades from Iran and North Ossetia between 700 and 1000 BC and a French scepter dating back to 800 BC. Meanwhile, glass plates are displayed alongside glass goblets and mugs from France.

“We discussed how to fit such an important part of our history into the universal narrative of Louvre Abu Dhabi,” said Al Zaabi. “We wanted to create a dialogue between works of art.”

Al Zaabi said the collection, which aims to shed light on a little-known local history, can only be achieved through collaboration between the country’s archaeological and cultural institutions.

“Archaeology shows that from the beginning, we are connected to people. We are not isolated. We are producing and exchanging. That is the message we want to convey.”

Updated: September 30, 2022 at 6:02 pm