Discovering many 8,500-year-old houses in the UAE

Archaeologists from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have discovered many houses believed to be the oldest ever in the country. Many of these are at least 8,500 years old.

Discovered during an archaeological program launched by the UAE Department of Culture and Tourism, the buildings are located on Ghagha Island, west of Abu Dhabi. The structure of the houses is very simple with only rooms designed in a circular shape. Over time, the houses have been more or less damaged, but there are still many stone walls nearly 1 meter high.

Where many old houses were discovered in the UAE.

'Most likely these were the homes of a small community of people who lived for many years on the island,' the team said in a statement.

The team added that the discovery suggested the existence of a Neolithic settlement before maritime trade routes developed.

In addition to the houses, hundreds of artifacts have also been discovered. Among them, there is a finely crafted stone arrowhead used for hunting. Most likely, the community of people who once lived here used tools to take advantage of the rich resources from the sea.

Archaeologists are still uncertain about when the settlement was used. However, the team found a body in the settlement. Through the autopsy, this person's remains were determined to be about 5,000 years old.

Mohamed Al Mubarak, Director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism emphasized: 'The new discoveries on Ghagha Island show the innovation and sustainability that the human community has been here for thousands of years'.

This is not the first time the UAE has discovered 'super old' houses. The previous record was held by homes located on the island of Marawah, off the coast of Abu Dhabi. They are 8,000 years old. With new archaeological findings, experts say that Abu Dhabi does not seem to be as 'arid and harsh' as ​​people think.