18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

New Archaeological Discoveries in Abu Dhabi shed light on Umm an-Nar Bronze Age culture (2700-2000 BCE)

New findings demonstrate the resilience and inventiveness of local Bronze Age societies (Umm an-Nar Bronze Age culture), as well as the emirate’s role in regional and international trade, nearly 65 years after the first archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi.

A recurring theme at Abu Dhabi excavation sites has been the use of natural resources, such as copper, pearls, plaster, and freshwater, to facilitate international trade, sustain communities, and establish prosperity.

Archaeologists from the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) kicked off the new archaeological season by announcing discoveries from the Umm Nar Bronze Age culture (2700-2000 BCE) on Sas Al Nakhl Island.

Recent excavations on Sas Al Nakhl Island, also known as Umm an-Nar, have revealed bitumen from ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) that was used to waterproof pottery, as well as a clay-lined storage pit. One fragment, which bears the impression of wood and two pieces of rope, was most likely part of a Bronze Age boat.

Sas Al Nakhl also referred to locally as Umm an-Nar, which means “mother of fire” or “the place of fire,” is situated close to the contemporary city center. Ashes and dark soil, which result from fires, cover large areas of the site, which may be the reason for this name. The island has given the Bronze Age Umm an-Nar culture its name because it was the first site of this era to be excavated in the area.

A stone object found on the Sas Al Nakhl Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism
A stone object found on the Sas Al Nakhl Island. Photo: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

Finds from the recent excavations include a well-preserved assemblage of over 30,000 bones revealing new insights into the Bronze Age diet. This diet consisted mostly of fish and seabirds. Large animal bones discovered gathered around a large, circular fireplace point to ritualistic or group activities. A few of the bones have been fashioned into spindles and spatulas, among other things.

These new findings indicate that it was also a thriving port of significant international importance between 2800 and 2200 BCE, trading with Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley (modern-day Pakistan and India).

Bitumen from the site has been traced back to sources in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), where it was used to waterproof pottery and a clay-lined storage pit. One large fragment bears the impression of wood and two pieces of rope, indicating that this was likely once part of the waterproofing on the hull of a Bronze Age boat, providing evidence of the long history of seafaring.

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Department of Culture & Tourism Abu Dhabi, said: “Our Founding Father Sheikh Zayed was instrumental in driving understanding of Abu Dhabi’s history through his passion for the land and people of the United Arab Emirates. DCT Abu Dhabi’s ambitious archaeology programme is a commitment to perpetuate that legacy to discover, preserve, and educate about our country’s past.”

Abu Dhabi currently has seven active excavation sites. Excavations are scheduled for the 2023–24 season in Al Ain, Sas Al Nakhl, Ghagha Island, the westernmost island of the United Arab Emirates, where DCT Abu Dhabi archaeologists have discovered 8,500-year-old structures, and Delma Island, where they are uncovering a 7,000-year-old settlement.

Cover Photo: Abu Dhabi Culture

Related Articles

Archaeologists Discovered a Luxury Roman Village in Southeastern Sicily

17 October 2024

17 October 2024

In the province of Catania, archaeologists have excavated the remains of a Roman house with a mosaic floor dating from...

The tomb of the “Bird Oracle Markos” was found in the ancient city of Pergamon

31 August 2022

31 August 2022

During the excavations carried out in the Ancient City of Bergama, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the...

A Rare Find That Stuns Archaeologists: Ancient 3,500-Year-Old Dagger Found in Germany’s Heartland

22 August 2025

22 August 2025

A simple family walk near the village of Gudersleben in Nordhausen County, in Thuringia, central Germany, has turned into a...

Ancient quarry discovered near Tas-Silġ archaeological complex in Malta

28 May 2023

28 May 2023

The Malta Superintendence of Cultural Heritage announced on Friday that trenching works by the Water Services Corporation had uncovered an...

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon brooches in seven graves during an excavation in Gloucestershire

5 April 2022

5 April 2022

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon saucer brooches, one pair in each of seven burials unearthed in an excavation...

Exceptional discovery of a fully frescoed chamber tomb dating back to the Republican and Imperial Roman ages

10 October 2023

10 October 2023

Waterworks in Giugliano, a suburb of Campania (Naples), have uncovered an untouched chamber tomb full of frescoes ceilings, and walls...

After 1,300 years, water to again flow from monumental fountain in the City of Gladiators in Turkey

30 December 2022

30 December 2022

The approximately 2,000-year-old monumental fountain in the ancient city of Kibyra in Golhisar, Burdur in southwestern Turkey will start flowing...

1.5 Million-Year-Old Hand Axes and Seven Paleolithic Sites Discovered in Iraq’s Western Desert

30 January 2025

30 January 2025

Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels (VUB) uncovered hand axes dating back 1.5 million years and discovered seven Paleolithic...

Archeologists find a 3,500-year-old mosaic in central Turkey

16 September 2021

16 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a 3,500-year-old mosaic in central Turkey, which might be one of the world’s oldest. The impressive power...

The 6th-Century “Türk-Kagan” Coin Discovery in Uzbekistan Could Rewrite History as the Oldest Known Record of the Name “Türk”

15 May 2025

15 May 2025

A remarkable archaeological find in Uzbekistan has unearthed a 6th-century coin bearing the inscription “Turk-Kagan,” a discovery that could significantly...

Family Looking for Lost Gold Earring Finds Viking Age Artifacts in Their Garden on the Island Of Jomfruland

2 October 2023

2 October 2023

A family in Norway was searching for a lost gold earring in their yard on the island of Jomfruland when...

A woman in Norway found Viking-age 1000-year-old hoard in basement

20 April 2023

20 April 2023

A woman in Norway cleaned her parents’ home, she found 32 iron ingots dating to the Viking or early Middle...

Archaeologists discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in eastern Iran

21 June 2022

21 June 2022

Iranian archaeologists believe they have discovered the first evidence of early administrative management in an eastern Iranian province, which they...

In southern Turkey, the remains of a Roman villa whose floor was decorated with geometrically patterned mosaics were unearthed during construction

13 July 2022

13 July 2022

Workers working to lay the foundation of a new building in the Defne district of Hatay, southern Turkey, by accident...

Hidden Inscriptions Discovered on Paris’ Luxor Obelisk

1 May 2025

1 May 2025

Nearly two centuries after its prominent placement in Paris’ Place de la Concorde, the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk continues to yield...