MHC unearths three archaeological settlement sites in Dhahirah
The Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MHC) has completed archaeological excavations at the Qumaira site in Dhank in cooperation with the University of Warsaw in Poland.
The three settlement sites from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages were unearthed in Dhahirah’s Ain Bani Saada area.
The first site (Qumaira 1) dates back to the third millennium BC. It contains four chambers, numerous skeletal remains and many funerary artefacts, including pottery vessels, stones, beads and arrows. The largest of the site is Qumaira 2 which belongs to the Neolithic Age. Excavations at this site revealed residential buildings that were built on stone foundations, including a circular tower. A number of local and imported pottery fragments too were found.
The third site from the Bronze Age settlement seemed to have survived through the Iron Age and the late Islamic period. These buildings were built on stone foundations with complex divisions. This settlement was connected to three stone towers; one being similar to the Rajum Tower at the site of Bat, which also features its curved ring wall.
The ministry said that Qumaira was an important set- tlement due to its location as the trade route for copper and availability of water. Settlements continued to flourish for a long time in the area from the third millennium to the first century BC and the Islamic period.