'Land Does Not Lie': Sharjah Ruler Cites 200,000-Year-Old Tools As Faya Joins Unesco List

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery at Faya that reshaped global understanding of early human migration was highlighted by the Ruler of Sharjah on Monday, as the site was officially inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi said excavations at Faya overturned long-held scientific assumptions, revealing finely crafted stone tools more than 200,000 years old and providing evidence that modern humans lived in the region far earlier than previously believed.

“Among the discoveries at Faya is a groundbreaking finding that changed the world's understanding of human history,” he said.“When modern excavations began, researchers did not expect Faya to challenge one of the oldest scientific assumptions about human migration. But the land spoke, and the land does not lie when it speaks through science. Finely crafted stone tools were uncovered...At that moment, scientists realised they were facing historical evidence indicating that modern humans were here, on this land, long before previously believed.”

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The Sharjah Ruler was speaking during the official ceremony marking the inscription of Faya on the Unesco World Heritage List, held at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre. The event formally recognised Faya's universal value as a site that documents continuous human presence and adaptation in arid environments over hundreds of thousands of years.

As part of the ceremony, Sheikh Dr Sultan inaugurated a commemorative monument marking the inscription of Faya on the Unesco World Heritage List, activating the icon designated for the announcement. He also received the official inscription certificate from Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the Unesco World Heritage Centre, highlighting Faya's global significance and reinforcing the United Arab Emirates' role in preserving humanity's heritage and protecting sites of outstanding value.

He said the inscription was not merely recognition of regional history, but a contribution to global understanding of humanity's journey.“Faya has provided a new and well-documented map of human migration and its routes, proving that the Arabian Peninsula was not merely a crossing point but an early homeland in humanity's journey from Africa to the world, a place for settlement and life,” he said.

“Therefore, Faya is no longer just a local site in the memory of the land, but a central station in the memory of humanity,” he added, stressing that the inscription should be seen as“a new gift that this region offers to humanity.”

Reflecting on the deeper meaning of heritage, the Ruler of Sharjah described Faya as a living record of humanity's earliest experiences.“Here we stand before living pages of the book of humanity. A book that tells us how humans lived, how they faced their environment, how they transformed challenges into knowledge, patience, construction, and wisdom, how they made experience a way of life, and how they turned that experience into accumulated awareness, generation after generation,” he said.

He emphasised that the true value of heritage sites extends beyond physical remains.“It goes without saying that the true value of historical sites is not material, but primarily cultural and human-a value that gives people the ability to understand their long journey on this earth, connecting the present with its earliest roots, so that the future is not separated from its memory or origins,” he said, adding that“every heritage site is an open school for generations”.

The Ruler of Sharjah also stressed the importance of protecting and studying historical sites, saying preservation safeguards identity as much as it preserves the past.“When we give these historical sites the study and protection they deserve, we are not merely preserving stones or relics, but accumulated knowledge and extended human experience,” he said.“We help future generations to have a deeper understanding of their identity and their role in the present and future, for what we preserve today safeguards our identity tomorrow.”

Highlighting Sharjah's cultural vision, he said heritage occupies a central position in the emirate's cultural project, providing the roots through which societies in the region are understood. He noted that historical research at Faya reveals how early human communities learned cooperation, organised work and distributed resources, forming the foundations of social structures that extended into later ages.

Addressing the human dimension of the site, the Ruler of Sharjah said the lessons of Faya remain relevant today.“Through studying these evidences, it becomes clear that knowledge is not merely of the past, but is relevant for all eras,” he said, noting that humans continue to face challenges related to adaptation, sustainable resource use and sound management.

“Civilisations do not develop in isolation, but are shaped through communication and through extensive networks that build their civilisational path with justice and equality,” he added.

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