List of Ancient Settlements in the UAE


The territory currently known as the United Arab Emirates was formerly populated by inhabitants of a number of coastal and inland settlements, with human remains pointing to a pattern of transmigration and settlement as far back as 125,000 years. Prehistoric settlement in the UAE took place in the Neolithic, with a number of distinctive eras of ancient settlement including the Stone Age Arabian Bifacial and Ubaid cultures from 5000 to 3100 BCE; the Hafit period with its distinctive beehive shaped tombs and Jemdet Nasr pottery, from 3200 to 2600 BCE; the Umm Al-Nar period from 2600 to 2000 BCE; the Wadi Suq Culture from 2000–1300 BCE and the three Iron Ages of the UAE.
Iron Age I spanned 1200–1000 BCE; Iron Age II from 1000–600 BCE and Iron Age III from 600–300 BCE. This was followed by the Hellenistic Mleiha era, from 300 BCE onwards through to the Islamic era which commenced with the culmination of the 7th century Ridda Wars.
The remains of settlements, burials and other extensive evidence of human habitation throughout these eras is littered throughout the UAE, with many extensive finds of rich materials in the shape of pottery, jewellery, weapons and both human and animal remains providing archaeologists and researchers with an increasingly sophisticated picture of longstanding involvement in regional trade alongside nomadic cultures eking out a living from the frequently arid and inhospitable desert and mountain environment of the UAE.

Settlements

SettlementEmirate PopulatedNotes
Al-AshooshDubai2500–2000 BCEUmm Al Nar site with no burial discovered.
Al MadamSharjah1100–300 BCEIron age aflaj
Al SufouhDubai2500–2000 BCEUmm Al Nar site with tomb
Bidaa bint SaudAbu Dhabi3200–2600 BCEHafit and Iron age burials
BithnahFujairah2000–300 BCEWadi Suq burials and iron age petroglyphs
Ed-DurUmm Al Quwain5300 BCE–300 CEMajor ancient city/settlement spanning Ubeid period through Umm Al Nar, Wadi Suq to Iron Age
HiliAbu Dhabi3200–2600 BCEHafit and Umm Al Nar tombs
Jebel BuhaisSharjah5000–1300 BCENecropolis featuring Stone, Bronze, Iron and Hellenistic age burials
Jebel FayaSharjah125,000 BCENeolithic, Paleolithic, Stone, Bronze age finds
Jebel HafeetAbu Dhabi3200-2600 BCGave its name to the Hafit period, extensive beehive tombs, with some reconstructed
JumayraDubaiConnected to the historical region of Tawam.
KalbaSharjah2500–1300 BCEUmm Al Nar settlement
MasafiRas Al Khaimah1300–300 BCEIron age finds
MleihaSharjah5300–300 BCESettlement through Ubaid, Hafit, Umm Al Nar, Wadi Suq and Iron Age to Hellenistic Mleiha period.
MuweilahSharjah1100–600 BCEIron Age II settlement
Qattara OasisAbu Dhabi1800–1500 BCEBronze and Iron age settlement
RumailahAbu Dhabi2000–1000 BCEUmm Al Nar through to Iron Age II settlement
Saruq Al HadidDubai2600 BCE–1000 CEOccupation since Umm Al Nar period, major Iron Age metallurgical centre
Seih Al HarfRas Al Khaimah2000–1300 BCEExtensive Wadi Suq burial site
ShimalRas Al Khaimah2500–1300 BCEUmm Al Nar/Wadi Suq burials
Tell AbraqUmm Al Quwain/Sharjah2500–400 BCEMajor settlement, spanning Umm Al Nar, Wadi Suq and Iron Age
ThuqeibahSharjah1100–400 BCEIron age II and III settlement
Umm Al-NarAbu Dhabi2600–2000 BCEBurials and settlement defined the Umm Al Nar period