On Siniyah Island, where the pearling center is located, archaeologists claim to have discovered a variety of houses constructed from beach rock and lime mortar.
On a small island off the coast of one of the northern sheikhdoms of the United Arab Emirates, archaeologists claim to have discovered the oldest pearling settlement in the Gulf.
Thousands of people and hundreds of homes may have once resided in this village on Siniyah Island near Umm al-Quwain, according to artifacts discovered there that date back to the late sixth-century pre-Islamic period.
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, United Arab Emirates [Planet Labs PBC via AP]
Despite the fact that older pearling villages have been described in historical books, this is the first time that archaeologists have claimed to have physically discovered one from this ancient era across the Gulf countries.
The oldest example of a town that is specifically a Khaleeji pearling settlement is this one.
It serves as the spiritual forebear of cities like Dubai.
At Umm al-Quwain, an emirate 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Dubai, the pearling village is located on Siniyah Island, which protects the Khor al-Beida marshlands.
Journalists film uncovered ruins on Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, UAE, March 20, 2023 [Jon Gambrell/Reuters]
The name of the island, which translates to "flashing lights," probably refers to the effect of the intense sun above. Archaeologists have already found an old Christian monastery on the island that dates back about 1,400 years.
The village occupies a 12-hectare area and is located directly south of that monastery on one of the island's curving fingers (30 acres).
There, archaeologists discovered a range of residences made of beach rock and lime mortar, from small dwellings to larger homes with courtyards, Power said. This suggests a social hierarchy.
In contrast to other pearling operations in the area that are conducted in seasonal locations, the site also shows traces of year-round occupancy.
Archaeologists found the oldest pearling town in the Gulf on an island off one of the northern sheikhdoms of the UAE [Jon Gambrell/AP Photo]
There, the homes are jammed close together. Permanence is the important factor. There are residents there all year long.
Archaeologists have found diving weights and loose pearls within the dwellings, which the free divers used to descend fast to the seafloor while relying solely on their held breath.
The settlement was founded before Islam spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, hence its inhabitants were probably Christians.
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born about 570 and passed away in 632 after taking Mecca, which is now in Saudi Arabia.
