SHARJAH // Inscriptions on a tomb discovered in Sharjah prove the ancient kingdom of Oman existed in the late third century BC.
The discovery, which was revealed on Thursday by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, was lauded at Mleiha Archaeological Centre as being of major historical significance to the region.
The inscription, in Aramaic and the southern Arabic language, carries the name of Amad bin Jar bin Ali Kahin, king of the ancient kingdom of Oman, and the identity of his descendant. The inscriptions also reveal that the tomb dates from 216/ 215BC, making it the oldest discovery referring to Oman.
The find was made by a Belgian expedition from the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, in collaboration with a team from the directorate of antiquities at Sharjah Department of Culture and Information.
It features inscriptions engraved on a grave with an underground burial chamber measuring 5.2 square metres.
The find was announced by Dr Sheikh Sultan as he inaugurated the first phase of the Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project, one of the most important such projects in the UAE and the largest of its kind in the central region of Sharjah.
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