A team of experts are digging deep into the UAE’s past after launching archaeological work on an historic Al Ain site for the first time in more than 30 years.
Hili 8, located near Hili Archaeological Park in Al Ain, provided tentative evidence for the beginning of date, wheat and barley cultivation thousands of years ago when it was excavated by French archaeologists in the 1970s and 1980s.
The results of their endeavours were never published, however, due to the untimely death of the chief archaeologist, but their vital work wasn’t in vain as it helped to shape future understanding of the development of oasis agriculture in Al Ain and helped areas of the city to earn UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) is now taking huge strides back in time after commissioning a project to restart excavation work at the site – using the latest techniques and hi-tech equipment available to aid their quest.
Archaeologists hailing from the capital are working alongside leading experts in the field from all over the globe to unearth more secrets from the past.
TCA Abu Dhabi archaeologist, Hamdan Rashed Al Rashedi, said: “I was happy to work at one of most important archaeological sites in Al Ain and a World Heritage Site. The excavation will help us better understand Hili 8 and the nature of life at that time. The team is very experienced in the region with the latest techniques and I benefited a lot from working with them.”
It is hoped that the fresh findings will support evidence pointing towards Hili 8 being one of the earliest places in the UAE in which an agricultural-based society formed, as opposed to early pastoral nomadic existence of previous inhabitants.
The team carefully cleaned the site and used a laser system to record in three dimensions the layers of soil and sand deposits that had built up in the area over the decades.
This will enable a complete and accurate plan of the site to be eventually produced. The team also used the same system to record the many Bronze Age, 4500 year old, tombs that exist in this area, so that a fuller picture of the Bronze Age landscape becomes apparent.
Particular attention was placed on the recovery and analysis of microscopic plant remains from the site.
Tiny burnt fragments of seeds are sometimes found on archaeological sites, but they can rarely be seen with the human eye. Soil in which the remains are contained is slowly floated in water and the ancient seeds float to the surface to then be analysed by an archaeobotanist.
TCA Abu Dhabi built a special system for conducting this work, which had the added benefit of being environmentally friendly by using recycled water.
During the excavations, a rich assortment of artefacts was recovered, as well as plant and animal remains. These will be subject to a battery of scientific tests including carbon-14 dating.
The team, working with Emirati archaeologists, will also be analysing any ancient copper relics found in the area which will then be subjected to isotopic testing to conclude when people began exploiting and trading copper in the UAE.
When all the research results are combined, scientists will have a deeper understanding of the beginnings of oasis life in Al Ain and help Abu Dhabi preserve its culture and heritage dating back thousands of years.
