UAE's coastal treasure: paper

(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) A UAE paper has said that the country's coastal areas conceal much more than they reveal. Consider Dalma Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, which has a fascinating history spanning thousands of years.

"The 7,000-year-old site has yielded evidence that the tradition of pearl diving in this region is much older than we thought," said The National, the Abu Dhabi-based English language daily, in an editorial on Tuesday.

The island also holds some of the region's earliest evidence of Mesopotamian pottery and stone tools, which indicates the presence of a thriving maritime trade along its shores. What heritage experts have so far revealed is a snapshot of what life was like then, what their research may yet bring is a definitive answer to what happened to this settlement.

The daily concluded by saying, "Exploring our coastal region and learning more about our forefathers will contribute to a better understanding of our heritage."