Mapping histories: Recent fieldwork at Jebel Hafeet

In January 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Origins Project team undertook an extensive fieldwork programme within the western hinterland of Jebel Hafeet, an imposing eminence that forms a northern outlier from the Al-Hajar Mountain Range. The southern section of Jebel Hafeet straddles the UAE and Omani border, while immediately to its north lies the city of Al Ain. Modern development has occurred in the vicinity of the western and northern flanks of Jebel Hafeet, but both the mountain itself and its eastern flank are largely protected areas that have remained relatively unspoiled, and – from an archaeological perspective – underexplored. This provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about ancient activity at a conspicuous landscape feature, as well as within its wider hinterland. The main aim of our project was to survey the western flanks of Jebel Hafeet for prehistoric activity, including lithic scatters, settlement evidence, and rock art. Our initial results are allowing us to sketch out a story that stretches far back into prehistory.

The whereabouts

Jebel Hafeet means ‘empty mountain’ and this rock formation is, in geological terms, a limestone anticline or escarpment. It presents a major outcrop that runs for c.26km north–south by c.4-5km east–west, and rises 900m above the surrounding plain (leaving it standing 1,250m above sea level). On its western flank, the ground rises at an angle of roughly 30°, while to the east the slope is much steeper, ascending by at least 70°. Jebel Hafeet is the only mountain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi – one of seven emirates that comprise the UAE – but there are a number of escarpments and upland areas to the north and east. In 2017, the importance of Jebel Hafeet was reflected in its designation as a National Park by the UAE authorities. A year later, it was incorporated into the Sheikh Zayed Network of Protected Areas.

The origins of the rock stratigraphy at Jebel Hafeet lie in shallow marine deposits that built up during the early Eocene and Miocene epochs, between 56 and 5 million years ago. Today, the limestone geology of Jebel Hafeet is rich in fossils, including invertebrate animals, corals, and foraminifera – tiny organisms that are typically found in marine environments. The prevailing southerly winds in the region have, over the course of many millennia, done much to shape the eastern and western flanks of Jebel Hafeet. These have been carved out by severe erosion, mainly caused by a combination of storm events and the scouring action of the surrounding dune formations that lie within the hinterland on both sides of the mountain. The northern section of Jebel Hafeet, located within the oasis area of Wadi Nahyan and Green Mubazzarah Park, has also suffered from erosion. A number of hot springs rise there, but as there is no volcanic activity in the area, this water is presumably being geothermally heated. If so, the springs must extend to a depth of at least 2km underground.