A pearl dating back 8,000 years has been found at Marawah Island near the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. According to Diamond World, excavations on the island revealed “the earliest architecture found in the country”.
The archaeologists working on the site confirmed that the pearl is the oldest found in the world. In a statement, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism said that “the layers from which the pearl came have been carbon dated to 5800-5600 BC, during the Neolithic period”. Excavations have also uncovered ceramics, beads made from shell and stone, and flint arrowheads.
The rare pearl, believed to be traded with Mesopotamia in exchange for ceramics and other goods, was dubbed the “Abu Dhabi Pearl”, and will be shown for the first time in the exhibition “10,000 years of Luxury” opening on October 30 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
