" Sharjah Antiquities Authority" Highlights history "Faya" During the book fair

Sharjah, 12 November / WAM / During its participation in the activities of the 44th session of the Sharjah International Book Fair, the Sharjah Antiquities Authority organized two specialized sessions during which it highlighted the close relationship between archeology and historical narrative in documenting the human and cultural presence on the land of the Emirates, in addition to the country’s ancient archaeological heritage and the role of narrative in preserving national memory and restoring scenes of life from the dawn of history until the modern era.

In a session entitled “Antiquities and Heritage between Narrative and History in the UAE,” His Excellency Issa Yousef, Director General of the Sharjah Antiquities Authority, and Dr. Hamad Bin Saray, a researcher in history and archeology, discussed the process of archaeological discoveries in the country and the efforts that led to building a documented cultural record that reflects the depth of human presence on this land.

His Excellency Issa Yousef explained that the beginnings of archeology in the country go back to 1959 with the first Danish excavation mission, after which research and documentation efforts continued for more than sixty-six years and witnessed the issuance of the first antiquities law during the reign of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the signing of the first archaeological cooperation agreement with Iraq in 1973, which paved the way for the work of subsequent Arab and international missions.

He spoke about the most prominent archaeological discoveries in the country, which varied between the Stone and Bronze Ages, pointing out that the discoveries on Umm Al Nar Island constituted an important turning point in the study of the civilizations of the region before modern excavation techniques revealed new sites such as Shamal in Kalba, which dates back to the Bronze Age.

He pointed to the discoveries of the city of Al Ain, which date back to the first century AD, stressing that the human presence in the country has today been documented in a depth of about 210 thousand years.

For his part, Dr. Hamad bin Sarai stressed that Emirati history is characterized by the diversity of incidents and the deep-rooted human presence on Earth, pointing out that the past five decades have witnessed profound transformations in society, identity and culture, and that historical and literary narratives contribute to highlighting this depth through stories and anecdotes based on scientific origins and material documents.

He called for careful recording of history and heritage and for relying on specialists and researchers to document events and facts, explaining that the historical narrative combines the scientific aspect and the social aspect, and that oral and written heritage together constitute essential tributaries for preserving national memory.

In another session entitled “The Prehistoric Cultural Landscape of Al-Faya,” hosted by His Excellency Issa Yousef and Kholoud Al-Houli, Director of the Tangible Cultural Heritage Department at the Authority, the documentary film “Al-Faya” was shown, which gave attendees the opportunity to learn about the secrets of this rich historical region.

Issa Youssef explained that talk about “Al Faya” is not limited to the mountain alone, but rather includes the entire surrounding area, pointing out that the desert area in Al Faya is considered the oldest inhabited desert in the world to date, which made it one of the main pillars in nominating “Al Faya” file for the UNESCO World Heritage List 2025.

He said that the comparison between the stone tools discovered in Al Faya and their counterparts in East Africa proved the existence of a historical connection between the two regions dating back about 125 thousand years, as the archaeological layers were dated using the “photoluminescence of sand grains” technique to determine the time of their exposure to sunlight.

He added that the excavations revealed 70,000 stone pieces from 18 archaeological layers dating back to the various Stone Ages, in addition to 25,000 pieces of ornamental tools, including perforated pearls that ancient humans used as jewelry. He indicated that the examinations conducted on the skeletons showed fractures and traces of violence that reflect the unstable nature of life in those societies.

For her part, Kholoud Al-Houli explained that the importance of “Al-Faya” goes beyond the local dimension to the global dimension because it contributes to a deeper understanding of how ancient man spread from Africa to the world, noting that work on nominating the site for World Heritage began in 2012 when it was included on the preliminary list of UNESCO. In 2020, an integrated file was prepared for the nomination, but the Sharjah Antiquities Authority postponed its submission for further scrutiny, which resulted in the introduction of new archaeological discoveries in the years 2023 and 2024. Among them is the oldest archaeological layer indicating human settlement in the region.

She stressed that the Al-Faya site has an exceptional scientific record in the history of archaeological studies, as it witnessed more than 30 years of continuous research and the issuance of more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers about it, in addition to international recognition from the UNESCO HEADS program, which establishes the status of Al-Faya as a unique site that documents the first human journey to confront the desert and adapt it to life.

The Sharjah Archeology Authority’s pavilion participating in the exhibition displays the book “Sharjah, Habitat of Early Migrations from Africa to Jebel Al Faya,” which is a special volume issued by the Authority on the occasion of the inclusion of “The Prehistoric Cultural Landscape of Al Faya” on the UNESCO World Heritage List and includes 18 articles published over the past three decades.

The pavilion provides a Geographic Information System (GIS), which is an interactive map that provides detailed information about any point in the Al Faya site, with three-dimensional views covering all directions, in addition to a group of Sharjah Antiquities periodicals and a selection of specialized antiquities publications.

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