Oldest buildings in UAE discovered, dating back 8,500 years

CNN — Archaeologists in the United Arab Emirates have uncovered the country’s oldest known buildings, dating back at least 8,500 years. The team said in the statement that the structures were “likely houses for a small community who may have lived on the island year-round.” The structures uncovered by archaeologists in Abu Dhabi. Hundreds of artifacts were also uncovered, among them “finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting,” and the team said it was “likely that the community would also have used the rich resources of the sea.” Although the archaeologists are still unsure when the settlement was in use until, a body was discovered buried in the structures and dating back around 5,000 years – and it is one of the few known burials from this time on the Abu Dhabi islands. The previous record for oldest known buildings in the UAE was held by discoveries on the island of Marawah, also off the coast of Abu Dhabi, where the world’s oldest pearl was found in 2017.