Ghagha Island

Archaeologists working for DCT Abu Dhabi on the emirate’s Ghagha Island have discovered evidence of the earliest buildings yet discovered in the UAE and the wider region, pushing back the previous record for signs of human habitation in the region by approximately 500 years.

Scientific analysis of the artefacts and structures unearthed on this, the westernmost island of the emirate, revealed they were at least 8,500 years old – breaking the previous record for the earliest known structures built in the region, which were discovered on neighbouring Marawah Island.

Confirmation of the carbon dating meant that previous assumptions about life in the region were challenged, as it was previously thought that long-distance maritime trade routes were the catalyst for settlements in this area. The Ghagha discoveries proves structures existed in the area prior to the onset of trade, which means it was local economic and environmental conditions that led to the first settled life in the UAE.
The structures that were uncovered were simple round rooms, the walls of which are made from stone and preserved to nearly one metre in height. The rooms were likely houses for a small community who may have lived on the island all year around. Hundreds of artefacts were found in the rooms, including finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting. DCT Abu Dhabi experts believe the community would also have used the rich resources of the sea to sustain their existence.

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Last Modified - 17/02/2022