Direction
Daniel Étienne (Éveha International)
How Eveha Participates
Scientific direction
Archaeological excavations
Location
United Arab Emirates
Presentation
Éveha International’s archaeological intervention in 2020 consisted of opening a large trench 3 m wide and 50 m long in the middle of a large square that already appeared as an empty space on a 1822 map drawn up by the British. The purpose of this trench was to understand the reasons for the non-urbanization of this area within a densely built-up space.
Western half
In its western half, the trench first revealed organic layers comprising significant amounts of ashy or charred waste mixed with sand and a large quantity of various artifacts. According to oral accounts, a large mound of waste occupied the eastern part of the current square, and these organic layers are probably the result of the leveling of this landfill, whether intentional or natural. Among the material found in these layers, in addition to abundant glass cartridges and fragments of bracelets, the presence of incense burners and small Japanese tea cups dating from the first half of the 20th century supports the hypothesis that the village community gathered in the square, as suggested by a few surveys conducted among former residents.
Beneath these layers of refuse and a few thin layers of sand, the trench revealed the presence of a cemetery to the west, whose graves were dug into the natural level, consisting of a thick layer of very hardened sand. Although not yet dated, this phase of funerary occupation is the first in the area and could be contemporary with the founding of the village. The presence of this cemetery seems to be the most logical explanation for the non-urbanization of this part of the village. Although the cemetery subsequently disappeared from the landscape, its memory must have remained, explaining why this space was not built on, even during the 20th century.
Around twenty graves were found to the west, featuring the two traditional Islamic types of burial: either a pit with a side niche facing Mecca to accommodate the deceased (the lahd type), or with a smaller niche in the center of the pit (the saqq type). In both cases, the niche housing the deceased was closed with flat stones, mainly mountain limestone and some beachrock elements, so that the earth would not soil the body of the faithful. The lahd-type tombs had no visual markers at ground level, while some of the saqq-type tombs had small flat stones erected at the head or feet. Although the burial pits were emptied in order to examine their architecture, it is clear that no niches were opened and no bodies were unearthed, out of respect for local religious traditions.
Eastern half
In its eastern part, the trench revealed the presence, directly below the current ground level, of an unknown building that had been almost completely dismantled. The trench was then gradually enlarged to better determine its extent. The construction method of this building differs significantly from that of the others visible in the village today, as the preserved foundations of the walls are made of large, roughly hewn limestone blocks from the mountains, whereas coral and beachrock blocks are usually the preferred materials. The wall foundations frame a large quadrangular space with a plaster floor; the presence of two tandoors and the absence of roof supports suggest that this space was open to the sky, which is again unusual.
Where the plaster floor has not been preserved, deeper excavation has revealed the presence of a second, older building. Four small adjoining niches, finely constructed and plastered, whose function has not yet been identified, were uncovered.
To the west of this building complex, a circular structure roughly constructed with blocks of various stones, whose precise function has not yet been determined, is the oldest built structure in the area. Probably dating from the early phases of occupation of the village, this type of construction had never before been observed at Jazirat Al Hamra.
Finally, several post holes dug into the natural sand level, concentrated in the center of the trench, should be regarded as traces of light arish-type constructions, possibly contemporary with the first occupation of the site, when it was only seasonal.
Although significantly shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the archaeological fieldwork conducted from January to March 2020 nevertheless yielded highly valuable insights into the urban evolution of Jazirat Al Hamra. Key findings include the presence of a cemetery, several building complexes that had been almost entirely dismantled, and some of the site’s earliest traces of occupation.
