Discovery of Saih al Deer in Dibba makes it a potential archaeological attraction for Musandam

The archaeological ‘Saih al Deer’ is located in the Wilayat of Dibba in Musandam Governorate. It is an archaeological cemetery dating back to the Iron Age (300-1300 BC) and was rediscovered during the construction of facilities for the Dibba Sports Club.

The site includes several tombs. The biggest one is a rectangular tomb with oval corners. It is 14.75 metres long and 3.5 metres wide, with a total area of 49 metres. This tomb was built with stones brought from the surrounding mountains and the nearby wadis.

The style of building these ancient tombs is inspired by the well-known designs of Umm al Nar era (2400- 2700) BC, and inside the tomb were found human remains of (188) skeletons and nearly 2,000 artefacts of bronze and soapstone such as daggers, axes, bracelets, arrowheads and medals.

Among the most prominent archaeological discoveries that were found: a necklace made of stone inscribed with cuneiform writing, which is the first writing found in the Arabian Peninsula. This stone was shaped like (the eye) and the word (D. Go. La) was engraved, which is the name of the God of healing in Mesopotamia.

The archaeological site of “Saih al Deer” is one of the most important modern archaeological discoveries in the Sultanate. The archaeological discoveries that were found at this site indicate the extent of the richness and depth of civilisation of Oman during the end of the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, as well as an indication of the continuity of communication with neighbouring civilisations.

This discovery also indicates the role played by the Majan civilisation in the commercial aspect of Mesopotamia. This cultural communication played a role in that era, as the eye stone indicates that the inhabitants of the land of Majan shared religious symbols with the inhabitants of Mesopotamia.

The Department of Heritage and Tourism in the Governorate of Musandam stated that the visitor centre project will be established at the archaeological site of “Saih al Deer” in the Wilayat of Dibba to preserve the archaeological artefacts and tools that were found in some of the archaeological tombs, which are more than 2,111 artefacts.

The Office of the Minister of State and Governor of Musandam and OQ, the world’s leading company in the field of energy and petrochemicals, has signed a memorandum of cooperation to finance the establishment of a group of social investment projects in Musandam Governorate.

The site will be operated for tourism, as it contains a museum for visitors and includes some of the archaeological holdings and discoveries of the archaeological site and some supporting facilities.