Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
E CULTURA
Património Ar queológico de
Shar jah (EAU)
IDENTITY AND
C U L T U R E Sharjah
Ar chaeological Herita ge (UAE)
IDENTITÉ ET
C U L T U R E Patrimoine
Ar chéologique de Shar jah (EAU)
A presente exposição mereceu o Alto Patrocínio de Sua Excelência O
Senhor Presidente da República Portuguesa, Professor Doutor Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa.
This exhibition was achieved under the High Patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the United Arab
Emirates Supreme Council and Emir of Sharjah.
Esta mostra é, também, complementada com uma parceria, que envolveu diversas
instituições científicas e culturais nacionais, bem como coleções privadas, e cujo con-
tributo permitiu juntar acervo expositivo com bens culturais que revelam uma perspe-
tiva da passagem portuguesa pela Península Arábica.
GRAÇA FONSECA
Ministra da Cultura de Portugal
I
This Exhibition, “Identity and Culture: Sharjah Archaeological Heritage (UAE)”, is pre-
sented within the scope of the protocol signed between the Ministry of Culture,
through the Directorate-General of Cultural Heritage, and the Archaeological Authori-
ty of Sharjah. This protocol makes it possible to present for the first time in Portugal the
valuable cultural heritage of Sharjah, a historical and archaeological testimony to the
presence of mankind over the course of millennia and the passage of diverse cultures,
including that of the Portuguese in the 16th and 17th centuries. This cross-sectional look
at history will also allow visitors to learn more about the Emirate and city of Sharjah,
Cultural Capital of the Arab World in 1998, Capital of Islamic Culture in 2014, and
World Book Capital in 2019.
This exhibition is also complemented with a partnership that involved various scien-
tific and cultural institutions, as well as private collections, whose contribution made it
possible to put together a collection that displays cultural assets offering a look into
the passage of the Portuguese through the Arabian Peninsula.
The concept and organisation of the exhibition is deeply indebted to the scientific
work of archaeologists and historians connected with the Institute of Archaeology and
Paleosciences, the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of the University Nova de
Lisboa, who carried out archaeological excavations under the auspices of the Portu-
guese Archaeological Mission, at the invitation of the Archaeological Authority of the
Government of Sharjah. This exhibition offers to Portuguese and those who visit here,
the opportunity to see the first results of the research carried out by the Portuguese
Archaeological Mission in Sharjah.
GRAÇA FONSECA
Portuguese Minister of Culture
II
U MA HE R AN ÇA GLOBAL
Descobertas recentes revelaram que a zona central de Sharjah recebeu antiga mi-
gração humana vinda do leste de África, seguindo a rota sul para a costa sudeste da
Arábia, através do estreito de Bab al-Mandab. Nas colinas de Jebel Faya onde aqueles
estacionaram, deixaram-nos artefactos de pedra de há cerca de 125000 anos atrás.
O povo de Mleiha emitiu as suas moedas localmente e usou duas línguas; aramaico e
sul-arábico. Honraram os seus mortos colocando-os em cemitérios consagrados, com
distintos túmulos, guardando elites que foram enterradas conjuntamente com os seus
muito ornamentados cavalos e camelos.
Agradecimentos e apreço são devidos aos meus amigos e colegas portugueses, Pro-
fessores Rui Carita, Rosa Varela Gomes e Mário Varela Gomes, e a outros que com
eles trabalharam, pelos seus esforços enérgicos que culminaram na abertura desta
exposição em Lisboa, no centenário Museu Nacional de Arqueologia, como símbolo
da próxima e continuada cooperação entre a NOVA - Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e
Humanas e a Autoridade Arqueológica de Sharjah.
Agradecimentos e gratidão são, acima de tudo, devidos a Sua Alteza, Xeque Doutor
Sultão bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Emir de Sharjah, por tudo o que fez para pôr Shar-
jah no mapa arqueológico global, onde agora está.
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A GLO B AL HE RITAGE
The diversity and the richness of archaeological sites in the Emirate of Sharjah have
attracted several archaeological teams from across the world to conduct excavations.
The Portuguese team from the NOVA-Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, led by
Professor Rui Carita, has recently been involved in an extensive excavation and mari-
time survey at the site of Khor Kalba and other areas along the eastern coast overlook-
ing the Sea of Oman.
Recent discoveries reveal that the middle area of Sharjah embraced early human mi-
gration from the eastern Africa, via the southern route to the coast of south-eastern
Arabia through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Some 125,000 years ago, they left us their
stone tools on the foothills of Jebel Faya where they stationed themselves
In the central sector of Sharjah, a chronological sequence ranging from the Neolithic
Age to the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Pre-Islamic periods is well documented at some
sites. A particular reference should be made here to the richly varied site of Mleiha,
which has yielded evidence of a diverse community indicating leadership, religious
dogma and formal systematic structures.
In Mleiha, there was a thriving community that engaged in long-distance trade with re-
gions outside of Arabia, the northern Gulf, Mesopotamia, Iran, India, Egypt, the Greek
Isles and the Roman empire. These commercial activities resulted in the creation of
wealth and prosperity, which is reflected in the presence of monumental buildings,
such as a spectacular palace and administrative building, as well as in more ordinary
residential dwellings and industrial workshops.
The people of Mleiha struck their coins locally and used two languages; Aramaic and
South Arabian. They dignified their dead by placing them in dedicated cemeteries,
with distinctive memorial tombs housing elites, who were buried together with their
fully adorned horses and camels.
Above all, I express my thanks and gratitude to His Highness, Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin
Muhammad al-Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, for everything he has done to put Sharjah
where it is now on the global archaeological map.
VI
ARQU EOLOGIA E M S HAR JAH
Idade do Bronze (3.200-1.300 AC). O mais antigo horizonte deste período é chamado
“Cultura Hafit”, seguido por “Cultura Umm an-Nar” e “Cultura Wadi Suq”. Sítios com
descobertas importantes foram escavados em Sharjah. Tais achados incluem túmulos
em forma de favos, túmulos circulares e subterrâneos. Foram encontrados exemplares
sem precedentes, como túmulo com câmaras geminadas.
Idade do Ferro (1.300-300 A.C.). Através de dois importantes contributos foi possível à
população local sobreviver e prosperar, apesar das más condições ambientais. Aque-
las novidades correspondem à domesticação do camelo, como evidencia Tell Abraq,
no fim do II milénio A.C. A segunda foi o sistema de falaj, que é o abastecimento de
água subterrâneo, através de canais feitos pelo homem, extendendo-se por vários
quilómetros através das aldeias que servia. Com a falaj, os habitantes conseguiam
irrigar as suas quintas, lançando as fundações para uma economia próspera.
VIII
Vários sítios arqueológicos pertencem a este período e foram escavados em Sharjah.
Um dos mais impressionantes é Thuqaibeh, no interior do Emirado de Sharjah, onde
foram escavadas casas bem preservadas, com paredes de adobe de dois metros de
altura. Muitos materiais foram desenterrados e foi identificada e parcialmente escava-
da uma falaj espectacular, por equipa espanhola durante a última época.
Período Helenístico. Durante o fim do século IV A.C. e início do III século A.C., a Ida-
de do Ferro chegou ao fim. Um novo e maior assentamento, baseado na agricultura,
emergiu em Mleiha, a 50 km a este de Sharjah. Julga-se que a ocupação de Mleiha
durou do século III A.C. até ao século III A.D. As escavações revelaram a presença de
grande centro urbano compreendendo casas, áreas de armazenamento, oficinas e
túmulos monumentais. Grandes edifícios de escala extraordinária foram também es-
cavados; um dos quais, descrito como “Forte”, poderia ter tido função administrativa.
Tal edifício, construído com adobes, possui planta rectangular medindo 55 m por 50
m, era provido de torres, uma em cada canto e ao centro de cada lado, possuía pátio
central rodeado por vários compartimentos.
Mleiha manteve ligações com a Grécia, como indica a presença de várias ânforas e
asas de ânforas, que mostram marcas dos seus fabricantes. Foram identificadas como
sendo produzidas na Ilha de Rodes no Mediterrâneo Oriental, no início do século II
A.C., constituindo a primeira evidência de comércio entre os Emirados Árabes Unidos
e a civilização grega.
Tiveram lugar escavações na costa oriental, junto ao Mar de Omã. As mesmas revela-
ram a presença de importantes sítios pertencentes à Idade do Bronze, Idade do Ferro,
Era Helenística e Período Islâmico.
IX
ARC HA EO LOGY IN S HAR JAH
The United Arab Emirates lies in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered
by Saudi Arabia, to the south and west and by Oman, to the east. They comprised of
seven Emirates, with a total area of about 83,000 km2 (33,000 miles2).
The archaeological discoveries in various parts of Sharjah during the last forty years
have revealed important facts and shed new light on the ancient history of the area.
The Emirate of Sharjah has proved to have a long archaeological sequence running
from the Palaeolithic until the Islamic Period.
Palaeolithic Period. In the Mleiha area, the Palaeolithic is represented by some very old
stone tools found on the surface; the oldest finds may be as old as two million years.
Others are hand-axes which may have made about 500,000 years ago.
Middle Palaeolithic tools were recently discovered at the site of Suhailah in the middle
sector of Sharjah. The most important Palaeolithic finds, however, come from the site
FAY-NE1, a rock shelter on the eastern flank of Jebel Faya, produced stone imple-
ments dates to 130,000-125,000 years ago.
Neolithic Period. During the Neolithic period (7,000 – 4,000 B.C.), the first inhabitants
of the United Arab Emirates have presumably been hunters/gatherers depending on
plants and animals which were easily found or catching fish and collecting shellfish
along the coast for their living. Sites of this period are best represented at Jebel al-Bu-
hais, Jebel Faya, Tell Abraq, Khor Fakkan and Kalba.
The Bronze Age (3,200 – 1,300 B.C.). The oldest horizon of this period is called "Hafit
Culture" followed by "Umm an-Nar Culture" and "Wadi Suq Culture". Sites with rich
discoveries were excavated in Sharjah. Discoveries include beehive-shaped tombs,
circular tombs and subterranean ones. Unprecedented examples like a clover-shaped
tomb was also found.
A large number of artefacts have been yielded including pottery from Mesopotamia,
southwestern Iran, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Baluchistan and the Indus Valley. The Wadi
Suq period, or the late Bronze Age, lasted formed around 2,000 B.C. to 1,300 B.C.
when the Iron Age emerged in the United Arab Emirates.
Iron Age (1,300 to 300 B.C.). Two important introductions, which made it possible for
the local people to survive and to thrive despite the bad environmental conditions.
These new introductions were the domestication of the camel as shown by the ev-
idence from Tell Abraq by the end of the second millennium B.C. The second ma-
jor innovation was the falaj system, which is an underground water supply, running
through man-made channels, extending many kilometres from the village they served.
The falaj enables the inhabitants to irrigate their farms and laying a foundation for a
prosperous economy.
X
Several sites belong to this period have already been excavated in Sharjah. One of
the most impressive sites is the site of Thuqaibeh in the interior part of the Emirate of
Sharjah. Well-preserved houses with mudbrick walls standing up to two meters were
excavated. Plenty of materials have been unearthed. A spectacular falaj was identified
and partially excavated by a Spanish team during the last season.
Another important Iron Age site called Muweileh, nearer to the western coast of Shar-
jah has been excavated by an Australian team from the University of Sidney. Artefacts
were varied and numerous, most important was the discovery of a sherd of pottery
dated to the Iron Age II period, between 1,100 B.C. and 600 B.C. This artefact con-
tained three letters in an ancient southeastern alphabet. This represents an early man-
ifestation of the language outside its centre.
The Hellenistic period. By the end of the fourth century B.C. and the beginning of the
third century B.C., the Iron Age had ended. A major new settlement based upon ag-
riculture immerged at Mleiha, 50 km east of Sharjah. The occupation at Mleiha seems
to have lasted from the third century B.C. until the third century A.D. The excavations
revealed the presence of a large settlement comprising dwelling houses, workshop
areas and monumental tombs. Large buildings of extraordinary sizes were also exca-
vated; one of these is a large building described as a "Forte" which might have had an
administrative function. This building, constructed with mudbrick, had a rectangular
plan, measuring some 55 m by 50 m meters with towers, one at each of the four cor-
ners and one in the middle of each side. It comprised a central courtyard, surrounded
by several rooms at each side.
Mleiha had maintained links with Greece, as indicated by the presence of several am-
phora jars and amphora handles, still showing the marks of their producers. They have
been identified as having been made in the island of Rhodes in the eastern Mediterra-
nean at the beginning of the second century B.C., the first evidence of trade between
the United Arab Emirates and the Greek civilization.
Excavations also taken place along the eastern coast overlooking the sea of Oman,
revealing the presence of important sites belonging to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hel-
lenistic Era and the Islamic period.
XI
Í ND I C E l IN DE X l IN DE X
Primórdios dos Tempos l The Earliest Times l Les Débuts des Temps p. 229
Na costa sudeste da baía de Corfacão, a Ilha dos Tubarões dada a limpidez das suas
águas, é considerada zona propícia para a observação de distintas espécies de fauna
aquática.
Prospecção arqueológica ali efectuada permitiu constatar que não só pôde consti-
tuir posto de controlo do acesso ao importante porto de Corfacão, como são visíveis
testemunhos de várias construções, nomeadamente, uma situada a meia encosta e
outra junto ao mar, mas também possíveis sepulturas, identificando-se fragmentos de
cerâmicas da Idade Moderna, importadas do Irão e da China, além de exemplares de
produção local ou regional.
Vista da Ilha dos Tubarões. l View of Shark Island. l Vue de l'île des Requins [Alexandre Monteiro].
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SH ARK IS LAN D
Located on the southeast coast of the Khor Fakkan bay, the Shark Island is considered
a privileged area for watching several species of marine wildlife, due to its clear waters.
Archaeological surveys conducted in the area revealed not only what may be the re-
mains of a control post for the important Khor Fakkan harbour, but also several other
visible structures, specifically one located halfway up the hill and another one by the
sea, as well as possible graves. Pottery sherds from the Early Modern Age, imported
from Iran and China, were identified, in addition to locally or regionally made speci-
mens.
The architectural remains found on the island may indicate a religious function of the
site, perhaps even a sanctuary, sufficiently isolated so as to be conducive to meditation
and prayer [RVG].
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Î L E D ES REQUIN S
Du fait de la clarté de ses eaux, l'Île des Requins, située sur la côte sud-est de la baie
de Khor Fakkan, est considérée comme une zone propice à l'observation de diverses
espèces de faune aquatique.
Les témoignages architecturaux qui existent ici peuvent refléter une fonction à carac-
tère religieux attaché à l'endroit, peut-être comme sanctuaire, son isolement étant
propice à la méditation et à la prière [RVG].
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Vista da Ilha dos Tubarões. l View of Shark Island. l Vue de l'île des Requins [Alexandre Monteiro].
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HERANÇA SUBAQUÁTICA
Com o nascimento do Islão, a região tornou-se ainda num centro da rota marítima da
seda, ligando o Extremo Oriente com os mercados da Europa medieval. Apenas no
século XVI - quando um relativamente pequeno número de portugueses estabeleceu
diversas fortalezas na região - aquele status quo mudou, com as tribos marítimas mo-
tivadas em participar na grande idade da globalização.
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No Corfacão, a maioria dos reconhecimentos foram conduzidos usando o LXT2, para
aumentar a resolução e segurança. Mais de 4,5 km2 foram cobertos em quatro dias de
operações, com dois naufrágios actuais detectados.
Um dia de operações foi dedicado a Dibba al-Hisn. A área total coberta foi de
1.993.805 m2. Um alvo - de um speedboat afundado a 25 m - foi descoberto.
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U ND ERWAT E R HE RITAGE
The seafaring history of the Arabian Peninsula, perched between the Arabian and
the Oman Gulfs, goes back more than 4,000 years, carried out with a wide range of
goods being brought from Hindustan, Mesopotamia and the Greco-Roman world in
exchange for copper, frankincense, pearls and perhaps, dried fish and dates (Carter,
2002; Boivin and Fuller, 2009; Seland, 2014).
With the birth of Islam, the region became an even greater hub on the Maritime Silk
Route, connecting the Far East with the markets of Medieval Europe. Only in the 16th
century - when a relatively small number of Portuguese established several fortresses
in the region – did that status quo change, with the maritime tribes motivated to partic-
ipate, in the great age of globalisation.
All this maritime trade and naval confrontations between the transnational and region-
al players have left their marks on the sea floor of this part of the Indian Ocean. The
great majority of this underwater cultural heritage (UCH) remains to be discovered
and researched.
The LAUVs used were the Noptilus-1 (LNP1), carrying both one multi-beam and one
Imagenex 872 Yellow Fin Side Scan Sonar, and the Xtreme-2 (LXT2), which carried a
Klein 3500 Dual Frequency Side Scan Sonar, a video camera and an Ocean Floor Geo-
physics self-compensating magnetometer. All LAUV operations were conducted from
a boat provided by the SAA, in collaboration with the Sharjah Police Rescue Team.
First, the LAUVs travelled close to the surface and used acoustic ranging sensors to
measure the distance to the sea bottom. After validating the depth and ruggedness
of the area, the vehicles were then tasked with bottom-following surveys, with both
magnetometer and side scan sonars being used to map the sea bottom.
The dive team carried out visual checks of the anomalies detected by the survey, de-
termining which targets would merit further archaeological intervention and which
were to be discarded, when revealed to be mere geological irregularities or actual
cultural targets.
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In Khor Fakkan, most of the surveys were conducted using the LXT2, for increased
resolution and safety. More than 4.5 km2 were covered in four days of operation, with
two actual wrecks having been detected.
The Quelba/Khor Kalba area survey (580,870 m2) was a bit more problematic, due to
strong currents in the area, intense ship traffic, shallow waters and, being an estuary,
variations in salinity. No anomalies were found there. One day of operations was ded-
icated to Dibba al-Hisn. The total area covered was 1,993,805 m2. One target – that of
a sunken speedboat at 25 meters – was discovered.
The discovery of Dibba’s and Khor Fakkan's ship-to-shore remains demonstrated that
shipwreck sites, no matter how small they are, can be found, explored and researched
[AM].
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HÉRI TAG E SUBAQUATIQUE
L'histoire maritime de la Péninsule d'Arabie qui concerne les deux golfes d'Arabie et
d'Oman remonte à plus de 4.000 ans, avec une vaste gamme de marchandises appor-
tées d'Hindoustan, de Mésopotamie ou du monde Gréco-Romain; ces marchandises
étaient échangées contre du cuivre, de l'encens, des perles et, peut-être, du poisson
séché et des dates (Carter, 2002; Boivin et Fuller, 2009; Seland, 2014).
Avec l'essor de l'Islam, la région devint un noeud encore plus vaste de la Route Mari-
time de la Soie qui reliait l'Extrême-Orient aux marchés d'Europe Médiévale. Ce ne fut
qu'au XVIe siècle - quand un nombre faible de Portugais aventuriers établit plusieurs
forteresses dans la région- que ce status quo changea, les tribus maritimes étant, dans
un premier temps, contraintes de se retirer puis induites à participer, à la grande ère
de la globalisation.
Les robots sous-marins autonomes légers (LAUV) utilisés furent le Noptilus-1 (LNP1)
équipé d'un sonar multifaisceaux et d'un sonar de balayage latéral, et le Xtreme-2
(LXT2) équipé d'un sonar de balayage latéral à double fréquence Klein 3500, d'une
caméra vidéo et d'un magnétomètre auto-compensé Ocean Floor Geophysics. Toutes
les opérations avec ces robots autonomes (LAUV) furent conduites à partir du bateau
fourni par le SAA en collaboration avec l'Équipe de Sauvetage de la Police de Sharjah.
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L'équipe de plongeurs effectua sur le champ des vérifications visuelles des anomalies
détectées lors de la prospection instrumentale, l'objectif étant de déterminer lors de
ces vérifications sur place quelles cibles pouvaient mériter une intervention archéolo-
gique ultérieure, et quelles autres pouvaient être laissées de côté, pouvant s'agir -dans
ce cas- de simples irrégularités d'ordre géologique ou de vestiges associés à l'activité
humaine mais dépourvus de valeur archéologique.
À Khor Fakkan, la plupart des prospections furent réalisées par le LXT2 dans le but
d'améliorer la résolution ainsi que la sécurité. Plus de 4,5 km2 furent couverts en quatre
jours d'opérations, conduisant à la découverte de deux épaves et trois fausses anoma-
lies. Toutes les cibles détectées furent inspectées par les plongeurs.
La zone de prospection de Quelba/Khor Kalba (580.870 m2) était un peu plus problé-
matique du fait des forts courants règnant dans la zone, du trafic intense de navires ainsi
que des variations de salinité dues au fait qu'il s'agissait d'un estuaire. Un jour d'opéra-
tions fut consacré à Dibba al-Hisn. La surface totale couverte fut de 1.993.805 m2.
La découverte des vestiges des épaves littorales de Dibba et Khor Fakkan a montré
que les sites archéologiques sous-marins peuvent être localisés, explorés en plongée
et étudiés [AM].
Imagem a partir de Veículo Autónomo Subaquático. l Image from the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. l Image à partir de
le Véhicule Sous-marins Autonomes [Laboratório de Sistemas do Porto, Universidade do Porto].
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