Ras Al Khaimah: Archaeologists in Ras Al Khaimah have teamed up with two American universities to study 4,000-year-old human remains in order to determine how a major climate event at that time could potentially impact human biology in the future.
A professor and student team of bio-anthropologists from Quinnipiac University, Connecticut, U.S., led by Professor Mr. Jaime Ullinger, recently visited archaeologists at Ras Al Khaimah Department of Antiquities & Museums to study human skeletons from the 2nd millennium BC to analyze their potential in bio-archaeological studies, with the goal being to research the effects of climate change on human biology between the Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq periods in Ras Al Khaimah. The human remains are from a time of severe climate change characterized by drought.
The visit is part of an ongoing collaboration, named The Bio-Archaeology of Bronze Age Social Systems, between Ras Al Khaimah Department of Antiquities & Museums, Quinnipiac and the University of South Alabama, with professors and students from both universities expected to return to Ras Al Khaimah before the end of the year.
During a previous visit to Ras Al Khaimah in 2017, university teams worked on human remains to study the diet, health and behavior of the Umm Al Nar people and their funeral practices. The human bones studied were found in Ras Al Khaimah’s Shimal – a prominent archaeological site dating back to the Umm Al Nar culture (2,600 to 2,000BC) – where archaeologists previously discovered evidence for prehistoric tombs, settlements and a medieval fortress.
The recent visit to Ras Al Khaimah was a preliminary trip to assess the human remains and there is scope for the remains to be taken to the United States for further analysis, and for informative workshops to be conducted with the community in Ras Al Khaimah.
Mr. Ahmed Obaid Al Teneiji, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Department of Antiquities and Museums, stated that, “This partnership with Quinnipiac University and the University of South Alabama ties with the strategic vision of Ras Al Khaimah Government to highlight the long and rich history of the Emirate and the UAE to our people and the world at large.