A lost city is believed to have been unearthed during excavations by archaeologists in the UAE.
Experts believe to have found the lost city of Tu’am, the ancient regional capital of the Gulf coast famous for its pearl fishing industry and trade in precious gems.
The discovery was made on the Al Sinniyah Island in the Umm Al Quwain area, and included evidence of a larger settlement and mass graves.
Archaeologists uncovered traces of large semi-urbanised tenement buildings measuring some 322sq ft, which were lined up around narrow walkways.
The local population is believed to have gone into decline in light of regional tensions as well as a plague sweeping through the city, which was eventually abandoned.
The analysis of mass graves in the vicinity of the lost city supports the account of residents being killed by a plague, with skeletal remains not showing any evidence of trauma or violent death.
Prof Tim Power of UAE University said of the findings, as reported by Heritage Daily: “Our archaeological work has discovered the largest settlement by far ever found on the Gulf coast of the Emirates.
“And it’s exactly the right period for the city described in the early Islamic geographical sources. It’s clearly a really important place. No one has ever found it.”
Archaeologists haven’t yet found a piece of irrefutable evidence confirming the city is Tu’am, such as an inscription bearing its name.
However, Professor Power noted that as no other major settlements from this period had been discovered on the coast, it could be safe to assume the lost city has been found.
Previous excavations on the natural island off the western side of the Khor Al Bidiyah peninsula revealed the presence of a pearling village and monastery there.
This settlement’s earliest signs of occupation date back to the 4th Century.