Coordinates | 25°29′00″N 55°33′00″E / 25.48333°N 55.55000°E |
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Type | settlement |
History | |
Founded | 2nd millennium BC |
Periods | Bronze Age, Iron Age |
Cultures | Umm Al Nar culture |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1989-1998, 2007-present |
Archaeologists | Daniel Potts, Peter Magee, M. Degli Esposti |
Condition | Ruined |
Ownership | Public |
Public access | Yes |
This article is part of a series on the |
History of the United Arab Emirates |
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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]
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