More Emiratis needed to interpret archaeological data

Peter Sheehan, left, and Dr Timothy Power prepare at Qasr Al Hosn Centre yesterday. Delores Johnson / The National

Abu Dhabi// More nationals are needed to interpret data in the field of archaeology said experts at a lecture at Qasr Al Hosn Centre on Tuesday.

Dr Timothy Power, an associate professor at Zayed University, and Peter Sheehan, historic buildings manager at Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) spoke about the tools that are used by archeologists and how the science differs from palaeontology.

The public talk, How Archaeology Shapes History, was the last in a series of lectures that started in September. Emiratis, students and professionals attended the talk.

“Archaeology tells us about the past but also about the presence of people in that past. Looking at Instagram, one can see that Emiratis are interested in their past and use their phones to take pictures of old buildings and sites and share these pictures,” said Dr Power.

Mr Sheehan said: “The future of archaeology in the UAE is for local voices to take over. This is how it needs to go. It is important to answer the question: what do people do with archaeology? More Emiratis need to be involved.

“At present, not many of them think of archaeology as a career option or about studying it. Others are interpreting the data for them for but in the future they need to interpret it for themselves.

“Its all about what people want to do with the information they get about the past. Its about what people want to do with their heritage. Our goal is to maximise this potential,” said Mr Sheehan. “Landscapes are always changing,” he added.

During the talk Dr Power and Mr Sheehan explained the work of archeologists and the goals set by them.

Archeologists spend time doing desktop surveys at first and later do on-site exploration through invasive or non-invasive techniques. The speakers talked about the importance of recording data exactly. They referred to historical examples or work they have done in Al Ain and other locations in the Emirates. They also spoke about the effect of the coming of Islam in UAE and how it is reflected in the architecture. Political situation and borders are also revealed through archaeological studies.

“Areial photography has changed things for us as archeologists can use it to find patterns. Excavation methods have also helped as we can find sequences,” said Mr Sheehan.