Ancient settlements detected at Dalma Island and Al Khan

SHARJAH // Archaeologists have discovered the buried remains of neolithic, medieval and later structures at two sites using sophisticated imaging technology.

The group from the UK's University of Southampton spent the past two weeks examining coastal sites on Dalma Island in Al Gharbia and Al Khan in Sharjah, and said neolithic man was not as different from people today as one might think.

"For thousands of years people were probably just hauling their fishing boats up with their catch and having a barbecue - right the way from the neolithic to, presumably, last week," said Kristian Strutt, a geophysics researcher on the team.

"The project is part of a larger one that is concerned with the UAE's coastal heritage," said Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, director general of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (Adach). "It is aimed mainly at developing public awareness of its conservation and preservation, characterising historic waterfronts and comparing a number of settlements of the Islamic era within the UAE."...