The walls are made from stone and measure one metre in height.
It is believed that the earliest known buildings in the UAE have been discovered on the island of Ghagha, west of Abu Dhabi city.
According to archaeologists from the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the stone structures are believed to more than 8,500 years old.
The most extraordinary discovery was revealed by carbon-14 analysis of charcoal fragments, which indicates the structures are at least 8,500 years old – breaking the previous record for the earliest known structures built in the UAE, which were discovered on Marawah Island.
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The structures that have been uncovered are simple round rooms, the walls of which are made from stone and preserved to nearly one metre in height.
Experts say the rooms were likely houses for a small community who may have lived on the island year-round.
Hundreds of artefacts were found in the rooms, including finely worked stone arrowheads that would have been used for hunting.
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HE Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “These archaeological finds have shown that people were settling and building homes here 8,500 years ago.
“The discoveries on Ghagha island highlight that the characteristics of innovation, sustainability and resilience have been part of the DNA of the inhabitants of this region for thousands of years.
“The finds reinforce an appreciation of history, as well as the deep cultural connections between the people of the UAE and the sea.
“We are also reminded that there is still much to discover across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and that it is vitally important we continue working to discover, preserve and protect our invaluable heritage for current and future generations to learn more about our ancestral past.”
The discoveries on Ghagha Island come as part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s emirate-wide archaeological programme, in line with the organisation’s mandate to preserve, protect and promote the ancient history and cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi.
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