'Oldest pearling town' from 6th century discovered in Persian Gulf
The oldest pearl town has been discovered in the United Arab Emirates. This is the first time archaeologists have physically discovered an older pearling village in the Persian Gulf region, Khaleeji, from the 6th century. The village covers around 12 hectares and is located just south of the island's curving fingers, with residences made of beach rock and lime mortar, from small dwellings to larger homes with courtyards. This suggests a social hierarchy and year-round occupancy.
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The Persian Gulf countries have had older pearling villages recorded in historical literature, but this is the first time archaeologists claim to have physically discovered one from that period.
“This is the oldest example of that kind of very specifically Khaleeji pearling town. It’s the spiritual ancestor of towns like Dubai,” said Timothy Power, an associate professor of archaeology at the United Arab Emirates University.
The village covers around 12 hectares and is located just south of that monastery on one of the island's curving fingers (143,500 square yards). There, archaeologists discovered a range of residences made of beach rock and lime mortar, from small dwellings to larger homes with courtyards, Power suggested.
This suggests a social hierarchy. In contrast to other pearling operations in the area that are conducted in seasonal locations, the site also shows traces of year-round occupancy.
“The houses are crammed in there, cheek by jowl,” he added. “The key thing there is permanence. People are living there all year around.”