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<< Other Photo Pages >> Marawah Neolithic Village - Ancient Village or Settlement in United Arab Emirates

Submitted by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019  Page Views: 2659

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Marawah Neolithic Village
Country: United Arab Emirates Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Khor al Bazm  Nearest Village: Marawah Island
Latitude: 24.298760N  Longitude: 53.207300E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
1 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : CGI reconstruction of the village of Marawah 8,000 years ago Credit: Image Nation Abu Dhabi Site in United Arab Emirates (Vote or comment on this photo)
Archaeological discoveries from an ancient village on Marawah Island located about 100 kilometres off the west coast of Abu Dhabi reveal the presence of a sophisticated and skilled population that traded and thrived during the Neolithic period.

People living at that time on Marawah constructed stone-built houses, which are the earliest such examples of architecture discovered in the Arabian Gulf. These people herded sheep and goats, and used stone tools to hunt animals like gazelles. Large quantities of fish, dugong, turtle and dolphin bones suggest that seafood was the main part of their diet. There is also evidence they engaged in pearling, thus beginning a tradition that was to define the region for centuries to come.
Their knowledge of the sea also allowed them to engage in maritime trade. Marawah has revealed the earliest complete ceramic vessel yet known from the UAE. It was an import from Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) and is now on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It is possible pearls harvested from the sea were an important part of this trade.

At some stage, a few houses in the village were abandoned. One house was reused as a burial chamber for at least one person who is buried in a crouched position with the head facing east, similar to other known forms of burial from the Neolithic Period.

Source: Abu Dhabi Culture


Note: World's oldest natural pearl found in Abu Dhabi, dated to 5,800 to 5,600BC will go on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi, with a talk there on the 26th November
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Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : World's oldest natural pearl found in Abu Dhabi. The oldest natural pearl in the world is less than a centimetre long. Photo Courtesy Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi Site in United Arab Emirates (Vote or comment on this photo)

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : 7000 year old buttons made from pearl oyster Photograph: ADIAS Site in United Arab Emirates (Vote or comment on this photo)

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : 7000 year-old flint spear and arrowhead from site MR11 on Marawah island Photograph: ADIAS Site in United Arab Emirates (Vote or comment on this photo)

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : 7000 year-old house at site MR11 on Marawah island Photograph: ADIAS Site in United Arab Emirates (Vote or comment on this photo)

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : A tour of the Marawah Neolithic Village Photo Credit: Abu Dhabi Culture Site in United Arab Emirates

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : An aerial view of the foundations of an 8,000-year-old home on the island of Marawah. Photo Courtesy: TCA Abu Dhabi Site in United Arab Emirates

Marawah Neolithic Village
Marawah Neolithic Village submitted by dodomad : Dr Mark Beech excavating on Marawah island in 2004. Photo Courtesy: Richard Cuttler Site in United Arab Emirates

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"Marawah Neolithic Village" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Marawah Neolithic Village at ADIAS-UAE by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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The island of Merawah lies around 100 kilometres to the west of the city of Abu Dhabi, and is located just to the north of the Khor al Bazm. It is around 15 km north of the main coastline and about eight km north west of Junaina. Marawah is around 13 kilometres from east–west and a maximum of 5.5 kilometres north–south.

ADIAS carried out a preliminary survey of the archeological sites on the island in 1992 (King 1998). This identified a total of 13 major sites ranging in date from the Late Stone Age to Late Islamic period.

http://www.adias-uae.com/marawah.html
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Talk: Abu Dhabi Pearl: Earliest Known Evidence for Pearling in the World, 26 November by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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Abu Dhabi Pearl: Earliest Known Evidence for Pearling in the World
With Dr Mark Jonathan Beech, Head of Archaeology – Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi
26 November 2019 – 6pm – Free admission

While excavating a stone-age village on the island of Marawah in the Western Region of the UAE, archaeologists discovered a nearly 8,000-year-old pearl, believed to be the earliest known evidence for pearling ever discovered.

Dr Mark Beech, Head of Archaeology for Al Dhafra & Abu Dhabi, Department of Culture and Tourism, will discuss the discovery of the pearl and the important history of pearling in the UAE.

To register for the talk please click here
https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/programmes/talks
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Fishing activities of the inhabitants of the Neolithic tripartite house of Marawah Is by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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Lidour, K. and M.J. Beech. 2019. At the dawn of Arabian fisheries. Fishing activities of the inhabitants of the Neolithic tripartite house of Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi Emirate (United Arab Emirates). Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 2019:00:1-11.

This paper presents the results of a study of nearly 8000 fish bones from MR11 Area A, a Neolithic stone‐built house located on Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the site was inhabited from the first half of the 6th to the mid‐5th millennium BC, making it one of the oldest Neolithic occupation sites in the whole of the Arabian Gulf. Initial excavations between 2003 and 2004 revealed a single room and then more recent excavations in 2016–2017 uncovered two adjacent structures which proved to be a tripartite house. Examination of the fish remains from this particular site allows both a spatial and diachronic analysis. Archaeo‐ichthyological studies can determine the role of fisheries within the subsistence strategies of past societies and the fishing techniques they adopted. This study provides important evidence regarding coastal and island lifestyle during the Neolithic. It outlines the predominance of small coastal fish such as grunts, emperors, and seabreams in the faunal assemblage. It thus suggests that fishing was essentially carried out in the surrounding shallow waters where soft‐bottoms and seagrass meadows predominate. Non‐selective fishing techniques probably involved the use of small‐mesh devices such as beach seines and coastal barrier traps.

Full text available at
https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12134
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Re: Pearl claimed as world's oldest is to be exhibited in Abu Dhabi by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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More news from Dr Mark Beech's web site:

http://www.markbeech.com/index.php/author/beech/

Read the story of how the World’s oldest natural pearl was found in Abu Dhabi in this article in The National newspaper, 20 October 2019.
https://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/world-s-oldest-natural-pearl-found-in-abu-dhabi-1.925967

See this video interview with Abdulla Khalfan Al Kaabi about the discovery of the Abu Dhabi Pearl on Marawah Island
https://players.brightcove.net/pages/v1/index.html?accountId=5367332862001&playerId=default&videoId=6096239567001&mode=iframe&fbclid=IwAR0f2WvbPLsFNvKG96gBOSuTUiXFUhkEQ_OUnurTT18B7x4r7lzaE4gFUio

The 8,000-year-old pearl was found on Marawah Island, and using radiocarbon dating, archaeologists from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) deduced that the pearl dates from 5,800 to 5,600 BCE.

Archaeologists believe the discovery proves pearls were used in the UAE nearly 8,000 years ago and it represents the earliest known evidence for pearling yet discovered anywhere in the world.

Before this discovery, the earliest known pearl in the UAE was uncovered at a Neolithic site in Umm Al Quwain and was believed to be 7,500 years old. Ancient pearls from the same time have also been found at a Neolithic cemetery close to Jebel Buhais in Sharjah. Radiocarbon dating indicates however that the Abu Dhabi pearl is older than both these.

Experts have suggested that ancient pearls were possibly traded with Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) in exchange for highly-decorated ceramics and other goods. Pearls were also likely worn as jewellery.

Evidence for ancient settlements on Marawah was first discovered in 1992. But archaeological excavations undertaken by DCT over the past few years have shown how a vibrant and sophisticated settlement thrived there about 8,000 years ago. Significant finds have included an imported ceramic vase, flint arrowheads and shell beads. Painted plaster vessel fragments were also discovered and represent the earliest known decorative art yet discovered in the UAE.

A major new season of archaeological excavations on Marawah Island is planned for 2020.
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Discoveries on Marawah Island uncover history of Abu Dhabi by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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The latest archaeological excavations on Marawah Island, carried out by specialist teams from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), have shed new light on Abu Dhabi’s earliest known settlement, which dates back 8,000 years.

The most recent excavations, which took place over a period of five weeks in February and March, have uncovered stunning new evidence on the architecture, art and technology of Abu Dhabi’s Neolithic inhabitants.

Marawah lies around 100km to the west of the city of Abu Dhabi, and approximately 25km northwest of the port of Mirfa. The dig site is situated on top of a rocky limestone plateau located just to the west of Ghubba village in the south-western part of the island. First discovered in 1992 during an archaeological survey of the island, the site consists of at least seven mounds that appear to be the remains of collapsed Neolithic stone structures.

Previous archaeological excavations focused on one of the smaller mounds at the site, and uncovered a well-built, three-room stone structure and a number of significant finds.

These included an imported ceramic vase - which the public can now see on display at Louvre Abu Dhabi - as well as flint arrowheads and pearl oyster shell buttons, which are currently on display at Qasr Al Hosn. Other finds retrieved included numerous plaster vessel fragments, shell and stone beads, marine shells, fish bones, mammalian bones from gazelles and dugongs, and cetacean bones from dolphins.

More at
https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2019/04/02/discoveries-on-marawah-island-uncover-history-of-abu-dhabi
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8,000-Year-Old House for the Dead in Ancient Village Found in United Arab Emirates by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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An archaeological dig on Marawah Island, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of the city of Abu Dhabi, has revealed the oldest use of stone-built architecture in the Arabian Gulf to date. The remains of one of Abu Dhabi’s first residents were found within the structure, which archaeologists believe was first used as a house for the living then one for the dead. They also uncovered the remains of an entire Neolithic village, the oldest in the region.

The house containing the skeleton has been radiocarbon dated back 8,000 years, according to the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA). Speaking to Dubai 92 Radio , Dr. Mark Beech, Head of Coastal Heritage and Paleontology at the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, explained why the findings are significant. He describes the house as very well-made, saying that the architecture used on the stone house is the first of its kind to be found in the Gulf region. He also called the building “special” and told the radio station that it consists of three interconnecting rooms.

More at Ancient Origins
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/7500-year-old-house-dead-found-marawah-island-united-arab-emirates-005587
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Abu Dhabi archaeologists unearth rare, well-preserved Stone Age house by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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Abu Dhabi archaeologists unearth rare, well-preserved Stone Age house
The Stone Age house was excavated at the island of Marawah, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Archaeologists have revealed the discovery of what they describe as one of the most remarkable and rare finds in the Gulf region – a 7,500-year-old, well-preserved three-room house.

The house was excavated on Marawah Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, at what was once one of the region’s largest Stone Age settlements.

“These important discoveries signify Abu Dhabi’s advanced construction methods from the Neolithic [era] and the influential role it had in early long-distance maritime trade,” said ­Mohamed Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.

“The expertise of our team of archaeologists allows us to build a narrative of the emirate’s ­development and history, piecing together an intriguing and intricate story of the earliest known inhabitants of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.”

Abdulla Al Kaabi, TCA coastal heritage archaeologist, said radiocarbon dating of the deposit revealed the age of the house.

“This style of architecture is unique for this period and has never been found before in the region,” he said.

Dr Mark Beech, head of coastal heritage and palaeontology at TCA, said it was “very unusual” to find a Stone Age house “so well preserved that you have a complete plan of the structure”.

“It’s a stunning find because there are no parallels to it anywhere else in the Gulf coast region,” he said.

“You can see the back yard and small walls projecting out, which is where the cooking was carried out, just like traditional Arabian houses. We knew it was a Stone Age site but did not expect it to be so well preserved.”

The walls of the home are up to 70 centimetres wide, which enabled the residents to have corbelled walls, meaning they could build a dome shape by placing the stones on top of each other.

The site was excavated at one of seven mounds on the island.

Archaeologists predict that a complete Stone Age village could be unearthed.

Read more at
https://www.thenational.ae/uae/abu-dhabi-archaeologists-unearth-rare-well-preserved-stone-age-house-1.74286
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Life in Abu Dhabi's Stone Age village by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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Marawah Island: Life in Abu Dhabi's Stone Age village was far from nasty, brutish and short

A lecture at NYUAD will reveal more archaeological discoveries, and look at how the first Emiratis were skilled jewellers, traders and fishermen.
Imagine a wetter, greener, cooler place - a country with more rainfall and even lakes.
This is what parts of modern-day UAE looked like about 8,000 years ago.
And the people? Forget simplistic Hollywood portrayals of primitive nomads struggling to eke out an existence.

They were sophisticated and skilled. They built permanent stone houses, knew how to navigate, herded sheep and goats, mined, made jewellery, fished, traded and even created decorative art.

This Stone Age community existed on Marawah Island. Marawah lies just off the coast of Mirfa town, about 160 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi city.

The Neolithic site was originally identified in the 1990s but only in the past few years has the extent and sophistication of the village settlement become more apparent.

More details about the archaeological finds centering around one site, MR11, were discussed at NYUAD on Wednesday evening in a lecture by Dr Mark Beech.

Dr Beech is the leading archaeologist with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and he has directed the painstaking excavations on the island.

“People have a funny idea from Hollywood movies about the Stone Age and that the people are barbarians,” said Dr Beech.

“But they are clever and intelligent. They built their houses at the highest point to catch the breeze. They adapted, like we adapted with air-conditioning.”

The conditions for this type of life started with the end of the last ice age about 18,000 years ago. Global sea levels rose by about 120 metres. The Indian Ocean then slowly encroached on the Arabian Gulf which then starts to fill in and becomes a sea by about 6,000BC.

Excavations on Marawah Island using radio carbon dating methods have revealed how a settled community emerged during this time. The people constructed stone houses, the earliest examples of such architecture discovered in the Arabian Gulf, expertly exploited the sea and even took great care in their appearance.

They caught fish, dugongs, turtles and dolphins using lines made from gut and plant materials, deployed stone sinkers for larger nets and also made basket traps similar to modern-day metal cage gargours.

“If you stepped back in time and went to this village, you would see lots of things happening,” said Mr Beech.

“They are busy and occupied. They are not all struggling for food.”

Life expectancy for the people who lived on Marawah ranged from between 30 to 50 years. But because their diet was mainly fish, the people would have been reasonably healthy.

Studies on skeletons dating to the same period in other parts of the region also show their teeth were probably in a better condition than ours because of the little sugar they consumed.

Evidence unearthed also shows they started to use oysters for pearls as well as for food. “We have found mother of pearl buttons which are really delicate with holes drilled through them. They make all of these with flint stone tools,” said Dr Beech.

Another interesting find are plaster vessels which can be construed as the earliest expression of art found in modern-day Abu Dhabi. People on Marawah decorated gypsum stone with imported haematite iron ore from the nearby Dalma and Sir Bani Yas islands which have salt dome hills. These vessels imitated the more advanced Ubaid pottery from modern-day Iraq which also has been found on Marawah.

“They are astonishing,” said Dr Beech, of the plaster vessels. “These stripes imitate the decoration on Ubaid ceramics as Ubaid pottery was a cultural thing that everyone wanted, like an iPhone. But it

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Pearl claimed as world's oldest is to be exhibited in Abu Dhabi by Andy B on Sunday, 20 October 2019
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Archaeologists say natural pearl was found on island off capital of United Arab Emirates
Agence France-Presse in Abu Dhabi

An 8,000-year-old pearl that archaeologists say is the world’s most ancient is to be displayed in Abu Dhabi, according to authorities who said it was proof that the objects have been traded since neolithic times.

The natural pearl was found during excavations at Marawah Island, off the capital of the United Arab Emirates, that revealed the earliest architecture yet found in the country.

“The layers from which the pearl came have been carbon dated to 5800-5600BC,” said the chairman of Abu Dhabi’s department of culture and tourism, Mohamed al-Muabarak.

“The discovery of the oldest pearl in the world in Abu Dhabi makes it clear that so much of our recent economic and cultural history has deep roots that stretch back to the dawn of prehistory.”

The excavation of the Marawah site, which is made up of numerous collapsed neolithic stone structures, has also yielded ceramics, beads made from shell and stone, and flint arrowheads.
Fisherman hands in giant pearl he kept under the bed for 10 years
Read more

The pearl will be shown for the first time in the exhibition 10,000 Years of Luxury, opening on 30 October at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/20/pearl-claimed-as-worlds-oldest-is-to-be-exhibited-in-abu-dhabi
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