Qattara Oasis

A pendant depicting a pair of entwined, horned animals found at Qattara Oasis, Al Ain.

Qattara Oasis is an area of irrigated date farm in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE) featuring a distinctive falaj irrigation system as well as a late Bronze Age archaeological site dated to 1800–1500 BCE.[1] The Oasis has been extensively surveyed by students from Al Ain University since 2015,[2] and is home to 19 buildings of varying antiquity, of which nine are mosques. Among these are thought to be some of the oldest buildings still standing in Al Ain.[3]

History

Finds from the 14-metre Bronze Age burial at Qattara include Wadi Suq era chlorite jugs and bowls, bronze swords of between 30-60cm length and late Bronze Age short swords and daggers. Artefacts recovered also include carnelian jewellery, often associated by UAE historians with trading links to the Indus Valley. A find of particular interest from Qattara is a Bronze Age pendant discovered in the 1970s depicting a double-bodied or entwined pair of horned animals.[4] Made from electrum, an alloy of silver and gold, the motif is found repeated in a number of Bronze Age sites in the UAE.

The Wadi Suq communal tomb at Qattara is thought to have been constructed from stones recovered from previous Umm Al-Nar burials.[5]

Recent buildings

Qattara also has an old souq dating back to the 1930s. Consisting itself of 19 shops arranged in an alley, the souq was partially restored in the 1970s.[6]

The falaj irrigation system at Qattara is protected by the Al Daramikah Tower, erected by the tribe which cultivated the oasis into the 20th century.[7] They also give their name to a house adjacent to the tower, the Al Darmaki House.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Archaeology of the United Arab Emirates. Potts, Daniel T.,, Nābūdah, Ḥasan Muḥammad,, Hellyer, Peter,. London. pp. 108–112. ISBN 190072488X. OCLC 54405078.
  2. ↑ "Emirati students dig to understand the past at Hili Oasis archaeological site". The National. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  3. ↑ "gulftoday.ae | Delegates tour historical sites in Al Ain". www.gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  4. ↑ "Al Ain National Museum launches Archaeology Workshops for Children". wam. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  5. ↑ 1928-2013., Rice, Michael, (1994). The archaeology of the Arabian Gulf, c. 5000-323 BC. London: Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 020303726X. OCLC 252810506.
  6. ↑ "Al Qattara Oasis". Abu Dhabi Culture. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2018-08-07.
  7. ↑ "Al Qattara Oasis". Abu Dhabi Culture. 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2018-09-18.
  8. ↑ User, Super. "Castles.nl - Al Daramikah Tower". www.castles.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2018-09-18.
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