(CNN) — archaeologists of the United Arab Emirates they discovered the oldest known buildings in the country, dating back at least 8,500 years.
This is more than 500 years older than previous record-holding discoveries, the Department of Culture and Tourism reported on Thursday. Abu Dhabi in a release.
The buildings, discovered during an archaeological program run by the department, are located on Ghagha Island, west of the city of Abu Dhabi.
The uncovered structures are “simple round rooms,” whose stone walls are preserved to a height of almost one meter, the statement said.
The team said in the statement that the structures were “likely houses for a small community that may have lived on the island all year.”
The structures discovered by archaeologists in Abu Dhabi.
Credit: Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism
The team added that the discovery showed the existence of Neolithic settlements before long-distance sea trade routes were developed, suggesting that these were not actually the impetus for settlement in the area, as archaeologists thought.
Hundreds of artifacts were also discovered, including “finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting”, and the team said it was “likely the community also used the rich resources of the sea”.
Although archaeologists still don’t know for sure how long the settlement was used, a body was discovered buried in the structures dating to around 5,000 years ago, and it is one of the few known burial sites from this time on the Abu Dhabi islands. .
“The discoveries on the island of Ghagha highlight that the characteristics of innovation, sustainability and resilience have been part of the DNA of the inhabitants of this region for thousands of years,” said Mohamed Al Mubarak, president of the department.
The previous record for the oldest known buildings in the UAE was held by discoveries on Marawah Island, also off the coast of Abu Dhabi, where the oldest pearl of the world in 2017.
The team said the new discovery suggests that the Abu Dhabi islands were a kind of “fertile coastline” as opposed to “arid and inhospitable”, with settlers drawn to the islands by “local economic and environmental conditions”.