A site in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates which contains evidence of the earliest humans to leave Africa, has been named a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The Faya Palaeolandscape, which is around 30 miles east of the city of Sharjah, was inscribed on the list in July, the only site in the Arab world to be added in this year’s session. This inscription recognised the site’s crucial role in shedding light on early human history, particularly in the context of early human migration and settlement across the Arabian Peninsula.
Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi led the team that secured the inscription. She says that “not many realise that Sharjah, the Arabian Peninsula, Africa and the entire world share deep human ties that are etched in landscapes and revealed in archaeology. Faya is a key link in human history. Its unique geographical conditions provided the necessary environment for early human migration as well as long-term settlement.”
Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi led the team that secured the Unesco inscription Photo: Courtesy SAA
International collaboration uncovers groundbreaking discoveries
The Faya Palaeolandscape inscription owes much to the collaborative efforts of international teams, working together with the Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) to excavate and study the site. HE Dr Sabah Abboud Jasim, advisor to the SAA, highlights the long-term interdisciplinary international cooperation in the fields of prehistory archaeology and palaeoenvironment that has shaped the research: “Excavations began in 1973, and in 1995 a multidisciplinary international scientific project was formed, including the University of Tübingen in Germany and Oxford Brookes University in the UK. This joint international cooperation has been recognised by Unesco for bringing to light the enormous potential of Faya that formed a safe haven and an alternative environment for the lives of ancient human communities.”
Their work has uncovered more than 70,000 stone tools, 550 human skeletons from the neolithic period, animal remains, and other artefacts that have revolutionised our understanding of prehistoric life in this region. The findings challenge previous understandings of human migration, placing the Arabian Peninsula as an early migration route out of Africa.
Dr Knut Bretzke, head of the German Archaeological Mission in Sharjah, says: “The Faya Palaeolandscape provides an outstanding archaeological record. The deep sequence excavated and researched over the past 30 years reveals multiple occupation phases between 200,000 and 6,000 years ago. The thousands of lithics we found, coupled with studies using the state-of-the-art technologies available today, have revealed key events in human evolution that took place right here in Faya.”
Archaeologists at work on the site Photo: Courtesy SAA
The accuracy of the archaeological findings at Faya is bolstered by a range of advanced dating techniques. Researchers used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date the sand layers around the tools, alongside U-Th dating for spring deposits and radiocarbon dating (C14) for organic materials. These technologies have allowed scientists to trace the site’s human presence from 210,000 to 6,000 years ago, confirming 18 distinct phases of human habitation and providing new clarity on the temporal continuity of the site.
These groundbreaking results have not only added unprecedented value to the academic understanding of Paleolithic discoveries globally but have also established Faya as a cornerstone in the study of early human migration across the Arabian Peninsula.
Climate shifts shaped human settlement in the desert
Climatic and environmental changes over millennia are central to understanding the settlement patterns at Faya. During “pluvial pulses”, when the climate was more humid, the area surrounding Faya transformed into fertile land, supporting a diverse range of vegetation and animal life. These shifts in the environment were key in sustaining early human populations, allowing them to thrive in what is now one of the harshest desert landscapes.
According to Professor Adrian Parker of Oxford Brookes, an expert on the Faya Palaeoenvironment: “The climate record at Faya reveals a dynamic landscape with alternations between wet and dry conditions over the last 210,000 years. During the wet periods, Faya was covered with lush vegetation, paleolakes and wadis, and this permitted people to move around the landscape. In dryer periods, Faya still shows evidence of habitation due to its unique landscape setting that ensured the availability of water, making the site perfect for long-term settlement.”
Future research promises to uncover more
Excavations at Faya are ongoing, with each new season of research yielding more insights into early human history. HE Eisa Yousif, Director General of the SAA, notes, “The technology at our disposal has allowed us to uncover clear evidence of ancient healthcare practices. One of the skeletons found in Jebel Buhais 18 shows signs of a healed fracture in the jawbone, providing evidence of early medical intervention.
”As the research continues, the site is expected to reveal more about early human life, from their social structures to their interaction with the environment,” Yousif says. “The site has yielded archived evidence that traces the evolution of societal structures, revealing a significant transition from hunter-gatherer groups to pastoral nomadic herders. This evolution, along with the discovery of funeral practices, offers new insights into how early humans adapted to their landscapes in extreme climates. Such findings not only highlight human resilience but also shed light on the complex ways in which early societies organised and sustained themselves in one of the harshest environments on Earth.”
Q&A with HE Eisa Yousif
H.E. Eisa Yousif, Director General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority Photo: Courtesy SAA
We spoke to HE Eisa Yousif, Director General of the Sharjah Archaeology Authority, to find out more about the work at the Faya Palaeolandscape
Why was it important for Unesco to recognise Faya as a World Heritage Site?
Sharjah sought a Unesco inscription for the Faya Palaeolandscape to secure international recognition of its exceptional universal value and to safeguard one of the Arabian Peninsula’s most important prehistoric sites.
How long has it taken to achieve Unesco status?
The journey to Unesco inscription for the Faya Palaeolandscape was decades in the making. More than 30 years of systematic archaeological excavations, led by the Sharjah Archaeology Authority in collaboration with leading international universities, built the scientific foundation for the nomination. Over the past decade, Sharjah intensified research, documentation and global outreach. The final push included years of cultural advocacy, positioning Faya as a site of exceptional universal value.
Will this new status mean that Sharjah encourages tourists to visit the site?
The Unesco inscription will enhance Sharjah’s cultural tourism appeal, but Faya’s protection remains the priority. Direct access to the core archaeological area will be limited to preserve its integrity, while nearby destinations such as Mleiha National Park and the Buhais Geological Park will offer immersive ways to experience the region’s history. These sites, located close to Faya, feature guided tours, museums and interactive displays that interpret its story within a broader landscape of heritage and nature. This approach allows visitors to connect with Sharjah’s deep past while ensuring that Faya remains safeguarded for ongoing research and future generations.
What does this site tell us about the development of human existence?
The site tells a story about long-term survival in a desert landscape, based on cultural adaptation, behavioural flexibility and risk minimisation strategies, such as pastoral nomadism and animal husbandry. This important achievement in human evolution is visible in the site’s record from the Neolithic period, about 6-7,000-years ago. Nomadic groups used a large territory to feed their domesticated animals but came back to Faya regularly to bury their dead for about 1,000 years. This shows the importance of the site for these groups and indicates long-lasting traditions and strong intergenerational contact, with secure transfer of ideas and customs into the next generation.
Will there be further research at the site?
Yes, the Faya Palaeolandscape is a key site for many intensively debated topics in current anthropological research. Potential questions to address include human migration in the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, contact between south-east Arabian and African Stone Age groups and settlement continuity between 16,000 and 7,000 years ago.
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