Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inspects finds at Saruq al-Hadid, the ancient trove he sighted from the air in 2002. WAM
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inspects finds at Saruq al-Hadid, the ancient trove he sighted from the air in 2002. WAM
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inspects finds at Saruq al-Hadid, the ancient trove he sighted from the air in 2002. WAM
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, inspects finds at Saruq al-Hadid, the ancient trove he sighted from the air in 2002. WAM

Brushing off sands of time at the archaeological site of Saruq al-Hadid


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Since its first chance sighting from the air in 2002, the archaeological site of Saruq al-Hadid, lost for thousands of years in the desert dunes about 60 kilometres south of the Burj Khalifa, has yielded a treasure trove of 12,000 finds, 3,000 of which were unearthed in the past year.

But despite this wealth of evidence, one word dominated proceedings as archaeologists gathered in London at the weekend to present their latest findings from Saruq al-Hadid at the annual seminar organised by the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia: mystery.

What is known is that from about 5,000 year ago, peaking during the Iron Age about 3,000 years ago but active all the way through to almost the early Islamic period, this remote desert site was an important centre of metalworking activity, where skilled craftsmen produced objects in bronze, iron and gold in such numbers that it can only have been for trade with the wider region.

It was the tell-tale ore, scattered around on the dunes and staining the sands, that first drew the attention of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai, as he flew over the site in a helicopter 14 years ago. Many of the objects subsequently found at Saruq Al-Hadid can be found in the dedicated museum in Dubai’s historic Shindagha district. One, an elaborate gold ring, has inspired the design of the symbol for Dubai’s Expo 2020.

“There is no doubt that it is a really important site,” said Derek Kennet, senior lecturer in Durham University’s department of archaeology.

But what we still don’t know is why it was situated where it was. About 40 kilometres inland from the present day port of Jebel Ali, it was hardly conveniently placed for the export of goods by sea, or for access to the precious copper ore in the distant mountains of Oman.

“There’s no immediately obvious reason why you would have a lot of human activity in a location like that,” said Dr Kennet, chairman of the seminar’s organising committee. “But there was clearly a lot of metalworking out there, mainly copper, but also gold.”

To smelt metal you need three ingredients: fuel, ore and water, and none is available at Saruq al-Hadid. Archaeologists believe there may have been a water supply during the site’s heyday – a lake, or seasonal surface water – while hardy ghaf trees, perhaps once abundant there, could have provided the fuel. The heavy ore, though, would have to have been carried from the distant mountains for many days on the backs of pack animals.

Long-forgotten politics could explain the remoteness of the site, which is unusual in that it was occupied for a very long period of time. “It may have been located out there to avoid controls by the powers-that-be in the more populated areas,” said Dr Kennet. Alternatively, the location – and indeed, the many finds of apparently ritualistic metal snakes – may have been linked to superstitions or religious beliefs.

The bronze snakes found at the site, also thought to have been made there, are one of the many mysteries of Saruq al-Hadid. In smaller numbers, these have been found elsewhere in the UAE and Oman, but Saruq al-Hadid was either the main centre for production or, perhaps in addition, had some significance to what archaeologists believe may have been a snake cult in the region.

Likewise, small metal human figurines have been found – toys, or charms, perhaps – alongside everyday but nonetheless spectacular finds such as swords, daggers, metal bowls and thousands of bronze arrow heads. Another mystery is a single anklet found at the site, possibly fashioned to fit a camel but possibly forged to hold a human leg.

One of the challenges of the site, which has drawn the attention of archaeologists from around the world, is that almost every find poses more questions than it answers. But, thanks to the unique properties of the site, which because of its remoteness has been protected from interference for centuries, archaeologists are amassing “an archaeological record which tells us a lot about the development of human civilisation more generally”, said Dr Kennet.

Ironically, it is the current state of human civilisation in the wider Middle East that has led to what he says is the current “golden age” for archaeology in Oman and the UAE, an age in which Saruq Al-Hadid is emerging as one of the jewels in the crown.

In all, says Dr Kennet, there are now “something in the order of 25 foreign teams working in Oman and the UAE every year now, a massive increase over what they had a few years ago”. The reason, he says, is the instability in traditional archaeological destinations such as Iraq, Syria and Iran, combined with the openness of Oman and the UAE to foreign collaboration. As a result, archaeologically “we are beginning to realise there was much more going on across this region than had been realised”.

Many of yesterday’s sessions at the two-day seminar, held in the British Museum, were dedicated to discussions and presentations about finds in the region, from Saruq al-Hadid to the discovery of a new Iron Age ritual complex in Central Oman and the latest findings from Tell Abraq, the ancient city on the border between present-day Sharjah and Umm Al-Qaiwan. There, evidence has been found of imports from Mesopotamia of bitumen, used more than 2,000 years ago to waterproof the hulls of ships trading up and down the Gulf.

There was, said Dr Kennet, much more to be learnt about the past in the region and its contribution to the development of civilisation in Mesopotamia, but he sounded a warning.

For one thing, rapid economic development, especially in the UAE, meant time was running out for the past: “We are seeing the archaeological landscape being steadily transformed by development, and in 20 or 30 years it will be much more difficult for archaeologists to work in the area.”

It was, he said, also now “vital that Oman and the UAE now do more to develop their own archaeological expertise. Most of the archaeology in the region to date has been done by westerners, especially in the UAE.

“But as global financial circumstances in the world change, western missions may not find it so easy to come and work in the region and increasingly the locals are going to have to deal with their own archaeological heritage themselves.”

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

The specs

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T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Results

5.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Al Battar, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer).

6.05pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Good Fighter, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

6.40pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

7.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Immortalised, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

7.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Franz Kafka, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.

8.25pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Mayadeen, Connor Beasley, Doug Watson.

9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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Rocketman

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars 

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

'Saand Ki Aankh'

Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Francesco Totti's bio

Born September 27, 1976

Position Attacking midifelder

Clubs played for (1) - Roma

Total seasons 24

First season 1992/93

Last season 2016/17

Appearances 786

Goals 307

Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2

The biog

Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi

Favourite TV show: That 70s Show

Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving

Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can

Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home

Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big

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The past winners

2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)

2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)

2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)

2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets