Sharjah: 7 April 2013

Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Director of the office of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, opened today the exhibition 'Our Monuments Narrate Our History: Twenty Years of Archaeological Discoveries in Sharjah', organised by the Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) at the temporary gallery at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum.

Running from 7 April to 7 October, the exhibition has been organised in collaboration with the Antiquities Directorate in Sharjah's Department of Culture and Information, to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Sharjah Archaeology Museum and the launch of the first local archaeological excavation mission in 1993.

Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi was accompanied on his tour by HE Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Owais Chairman of the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah, HE Manal Ataya Director General of SMD, Dr Sabah Jassem, Director of the Sharjah Directorate of Antiquities, Aisha Deemas Director of Executive Affairs at SMD, Nasir Al Darmaki Curator of Sharjah Archaeology Museum.

Sheikh Salem Bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi toured the exhibition and listened to a detailed presentation on the various exhibited collections, praising the role of Emirati citizens in preserving and protecting their cultural legacy represented in its monuments that must be preserved for the coming generations. He also saluted the role of SMD, the Sharjah Archaeology Museum and the Antiquities Directorate in highlighting the importance of archaeological discoveries and their priceless historical value.

The exhibition 'Our Monuments Narrate Our History' sheds light on Sharjah's history through archaeological discoveries made at various archaeological sites across Sharjah, such as Al Faya, Wadi Al Helu, Jabal Buhais, Dibba, and Mleiha, these discoveries have had an enormous impact on humanity's knowledge of their origins and has allowed archaeologists to rewrite the Emirate's known history throughout the various ages.

Speaking about the exhibition, SMD Director General Manal Ataya said, "The inaugural exhibition for the new temporary gallery space offers researchers and the public an unparalleled opportunity to examine Sharjah's archaeological discoveries through four themed narratives that explore Sharjah's ancient settlement, beliefs around life and death, its trade history, and the struggle for survival. There are a total of 115 rare and unique items on display as well as six models through which visitors will learn about the outstanding efforts made to unearth the Emirate's rich heritage and explore its past."

Among the most recent remarkable discoveries that are on display for the first time is a bronze artefact in the shape of a horse head that was found in Mleiha, which is believed to date back to 150 AD, and a piece of imported Attic black-glazed pottery (an amphora) with a long neck and two handles dating back to 100 AD, known as the Hellenistic Age. The amphora was found in a grave in Dibba in 2004.

Also on display is an ivory comb that is believed to have originated in India, and a piece of bone in Dibba that is believed to date back to the period between the 1st BC and the 1st AD. The bone piece is engraved with abstract drawings showing what looks like a human face.

The exhibition tells us four exciting stories through the exhibited monuments, the first of which is that of ancient human existence in Sharjah evidenced by the new findings uncovered at the excavation site in Jebel Al Fayah. The new discoveries include granite materials that date back to around 120,000 years, a breakthrough that brought previous theories about the immigration of human habitants from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula into doubt and changed a lot of previous theories.

The second story sheds light on the old beliefs of Sharjah's ancient inhabitants with regards to life and death, and their belief in after-life, demonstrated by the burial of personal belongings along with their owners in the graves. The new findings included unique metal and stone pots as well as jewellery and pottery imported from other civilisations and countries

The third story tells us the history of Mleiha, which was once used as a port for trade convoys to import and export goods in the era BC, through precious pieces that were discovered in Mleiha, an important trading post in the era of gum and incense coming from Yemen. The exhibition gives a unique insight, through their monuments into some of the secrets of this flourishing period in the history of the Arabian Peninsula.

The exhibition wraps up its journey throughout ancient in Dibba Al Hisn on the east coast of Sharjah, where the fourth story tells about the struggle of Sharjah's residents in the early times told through the monuments of Dibba. The exhibition shows how they managed to establish an extensive network of ties with a wide range of countries and civilizations stretching from India in the east to the Mediterranean cities in the west.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Sharjah Archeology Museum and the first local archaeological expedition, the Sharjah Museums Department has released a book titled 'Sharjah's Monuments Narrate its History', which gives an overview of the discoveries that have been made in Sharjah over the past 40 years.

Khalid Hussein, Senior Researcher at Sharjah Archaeology Museum and the author of the book was keen to document all the efforts of excavation missions in the Emirate, whose discoveries have shed tremendous new light on Sharjah's rich history, which had remained buried in the sand for thousands of years.

-Ends-

About the Sharjah Museums Department:
The Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) was established in 2006 by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. SMD manages more than 16 sites in the Emirate, covering most types of art, Islamic culture, archaeology, heritage, sciences, aquaculture and the history of the emirate of Sharjah and the region.

SMD aims to provide the highest standards of museum services through its museums, galleries, educational and research programmes, social communication programmes for Sharjah 's residents and visitors from the region. The vision of the department is to improve understanding, appreciation and respect for Sharjah's identity and the value of its cultural and natural heritage locally and internationally. 

For more information please visit the website: www.sharjahmuseums.ae

For more information, please contact:
Aliaa Al Ori
SAHARA Communications
Tel: +971 4 3298996
Mob; 00971 558472270
Email: aliao@saharagcc.com
Web Site: www.saharagcc.com

Budour Al Muhairi
Public Relations Coordinator
Sharjah Museums Department
Tel: 971 + 6 5197234
Email: balmuhairi@sharjahmuseums.ae
Website: www.sharjahmuseums.ae

 

© Press Release 2013