Abu Dhabi discovers what it's like to live 3,000 years ago

The research at Hili 2 reveals an unparalleled window into the past.

Archaeologists in Abu Dhabi have just discovered what social life was like in the region back in the Iron Age - or about 3,000 years ago.
The latest research that the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has conducted at the Hili 2 archaeological site - part of the Unesco World Heritage Site of Al Ain - provided some important insights into the daily lives of the early civilisation.
Stunning new evidence revealed how they cooked and built houses, the types of crops they farmed, and how they interacted with the community.
"The research at Hili 2 reveals an unparalleled window into the past. The archaeological results illustrate how our ancestors used available materials, in a sophisticated and optimal fashion, to build houses and buildings that would last for millennia," said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.
"The ancient people of Hili created a vibrant and successful society, using techniques, such as the falaj (an irrigation system), that remain in use until this day."
Hili 2, located in Al Ain region near Hili Archaeological Park, was originally excavated during the 1970s and 1980s. Those excavations revealed well-preserved houses that formed the centre of an ancient village.
Since 2018, the site has become the focus of new work by archaeologists and conservators of DCT Abu Dhabi, leading to new targeted investigations of each house.
Many new techniques of investigation - not available during the earlier work - were used, thus yielding new important insights.
New findings
The investigation of house construction resulted in the 'most thrilling discovery' of all for the DCT Abu Dhabi team.
They spotted fingerprints on each brick, revealing how Iron Age craftsmen used their hands to create patterns on the bricks - not for decoration purposes, but to produce hollow spaces that would hold the mortar in place and allow them to bond with the other bricks.
This process ensures the stability of the structure and it is a technique that is being used to this day. People now call these patterns 'frogs', a critical part of building a wall.
While the number of people to whom the impressions belong remains unknown, archaeologists are studying the possibility of lifting the fingerprints from the mudbricks for forensic analysis.
In several parts of the settlement, well-preserved ovens have also been discovered, built from clay and containing dozens of burnt stones. The ovens are immediately recognisable as a type of tannour used for cooking, similar to those used in the recent past. The stones would have been heated and then animal meat, likely sheep or goat, would have been slowly cooked.
The tannours are not located inside houses but, rather, at common spaces. They were likely used by groups of families - possibly for communal meals shared on special occasions.
DCT Abu Dhabi archaeologists also worked with specialists to determine what sort of plants were being used at the ancient settlement. They carefully examined tiny pieces of charcoal and burnt seeds, which they recovered by floating the excavated deposits in water. Evidence showed the presence of wheat and dates 3,000 years ago.
A wide range of artefacts were also found in the new excavations at the Hili 2 site, including numerous fragments of 3,000-year-old pottery.
Experts even found a beautiful clay stamp seal, which was uncovered near an enigmatic structure called Structure 15. The stamp seal carries an engraving of a gazelle and was likely used to stamp clay materials for decoration or for administration purposes.
IRON AGE RESIDENTS OF AL AIN
Clever builders
>Ensuring that the mud houses they were building would last for years, they designed some 'special bricks'
>Using their fingers, they created rows of hollow spaces on each pre-moulded brick
>These patterns held the mortar in place to firmly bind one brick to the others
>The method was apparently a success - as proven by the number of walls that remained standing thousands of years later
>This technique is being used to this day. People now call these patterns 'frogs', a critical part of building a wall
Artistic potters
>Determined to make beautiful clay objects, this ancient potter appeared to have used a 'stamp seal' to decorate his/her masterpiece
>The stamp that was found has an engraving of a gazelle, and it was also likely used for administration purposes
Community cooks
>The cook of a house didn't whip up meals just for the family
>Because their ovens were located at common spaces shared with other families, it looked like they loved preparing dishes that were shared by the community
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi