Archaeologists believe they may have uncovered the remains of the legendary “lost city” of Tu’am, renowned for its trade in precious gems and pearl fishing industry.
The ancient city, often cited in old Arabic manuscripts, has been a subject of fascination and speculation for centuries.
The research team, working on Siniyah Island, discovered a collection of ancient residential buildings dating back to the sixth century.
These findings are thought to be part of Tu’am, a city that played a crucial role in regional trade networks.
Professor Tim Power of United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), who is leading the research, said: “Our archaeological work has discovered by far the largest settlement ever found on the Gulf coast of the Emirates.
“And it’s exactly the right period for a city described in early Islamic geographical sources. It’s a really important place. No one has ever found it.”
During their excavation, archaeologists unearthed traces of larger settlements and mass graves dating between the fourth and sixth centuries.
These discoveries suggest a once-thriving city that experienced a dramatic decline due to regional tensions and a devastating plague that swept through the Near East, Mediterranean, and parts of Europe in the sixth century.
While definitive evidence linking the site to Tu’am remains elusive, the discovery of the buildings on Siniyah Island is a strong indicator that this could be the lost city, given the absence of other major settlements on the coast.
This latest discovery builds on previous archaeological finds in the same area of the island, where researchers had uncovered a pearling village and a Christian monastery.
Michele Degli Esposti, head of the Italian Archaeological Mission in Umm al-Quwain and a researcher with the Polish Academy of Sciences, said these findings have great significance.
She said: “It’s really exciting. This is also a site that is really, really, really promising.”
Esposti believes that these discoveries will have a significant impact on our understanding of the region’s history: “The latest findings will resound all around the region.”
The excitement surrounding the Siniyah Island discovery parallels recent archaeological finds in Spain, where a 2,600-year-old tablet inscribed with an alphabet of 21 symbols was uncovered by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at Casas del Turuñuelo.
This site is believed to have been a temple for the lost Tartessos people, often compared to mythical cities such as El Dorado and Atlantis.