Radar Reveals Possible Buried Treasures at Saruq Al Hadid - A New Look at Our Past, Alhamdulillah
As-salamu alaykum. Researchers in the UAE say they have used radar technology to reveal more of the nation’s history at the Saruq Al Hadid archaeological site. A team from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi has published findings that suggest there may be undiscovered underground features at the site near the Abu Dhabi border at the edge of the Rub' Al Khali (Empty Quarter).
The surveys, which combined ground-penetrating radar and magnetic measurements with earlier expedition results, point to several large subsurface structures that might be walls, hearths, or supporting pillars - though only careful excavation will confirm what they are. Dr Diana Francis, head of the Engeos lab at Khalifa University, said the study refines the timeline and extent of activity at this important place.
Saruq Al Hadid - roughly “Way of Iron” - is one of the UAE’s key archaeological locations. It was used from the Umm An Nar period (around 2600 BCE) through the Iron Age (to about 1000 BCE), when copper and bronze smelting took place, and there is evidence of later activity in the Islamic period as well.
Ground-penetrating radar sends microwave pulses and reads reflections from things beneath the ground. A magnetometer detects underground anomalies like mineral-rich hearths or metal objects. These non-invasive methods are useful for indicating where to dig later, Dr Francis said.
In the area the team studied, known as SAR53 (about 340m by 150m), they detected five main subsurface features, some extending for tens of metres, and hundreds of smaller anomalies between about 20 cm and 3 m deep. The smaller signals could be metallic items such as swords or axe heads, or possibly gold ornaments like the golden snake figures found in earlier digs at Saruq Al Hadid. Non-metal finds such as pottery or large jars are also possible. Magnetic results similarly highlighted potential copper objects and ingots.
The researchers interpret the different layers at the site as representing long phases of occupation - Umm An Nar, Wadi Suq, the Iron Age, and later periods - giving an exceptional record of the site’s stratigraphy, Dr Francis said. But she stressed that to be certain, manual excavation is still needed to expose the exact nature and importance of the structures and objects hinted at by the surveys.
Another recent paper from the same team, looking at a different part of Saruq Al Hadid, also identified likely large structures and many smaller buried items, underlining how much remains to be learned about this area. May Allah grant success to the scholars and protection to these important heritage sites.
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