Tell Abraq

Tell Abraq
Tell Abraq is located in United Arab Emirates
Tell Abraq
Shown within United Arab Emirates
Coordinates25°29′00″N 55°33′00″E / 25.48333°N 55.55000°E / 25.48333; 55.55000
Typesettlement
History
Founded2nd millennium BC
PeriodsBronze Age, Iron Age
CulturesUmm Al Nar culture
Site notes
Excavation dates1989-1998, 2007-present
ArchaeologistsDaniel Potts, Peter Magee, M. Degli Esposti
ConditionRuined
OwnershipPublic
Public accessYes

Tell Abraq (Til Abrook) was an ancient Near Eastern city. Located on the border between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates about 50 kilometers north-east of Dubai, the city was originally on the coastline of the Persian Gulf but changing sea levels have placed the remains of the city inland. It is located on the main road from Umm Al Quwain to Falaj Al Mualla.

The mound containing the ruins of Tell Abraq was originally excavated by a team from the University of Copenhagen working on the extensive remains of the city of Ed-Dur, a few kilometres to the north. Their original intention was to confirm the time sequence prior to Ed-Dur's primacy, around 1,000 BC. However, they were surprised to find extensive indications of much earlier settlement, dating back to the Umm Al Nar period, including a 3rd millennium monumental fortification.

Tell Abraq has been cited as being the "best preserved and largest prehistoric settlement in the Lower Gulf" [1] and is thought to be one of the key locations of the area the Sumerians knew as 'Magan'.[2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Potts1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Barker, Diane. "Bronze Age Pottery from Tell Abraq, United Arab Emirates" (PDF). NEAF Grant in Aid Report – via Near Eastern Archaeology Department, Sydney University Australia.