World’s Oldest 8000-Year-Old Pearl to be Displayed in Abu Dhabi

Pearls, also known as the world’s oldest gem has captivated and fascinated humans since the beginning of civilization. For those who are interested in pearls, there is a huge opportunity which they should not miss. The world’s most ancient pearl which is 8000 years old will be displayed for people to admire- in Abu Dhabi. For the first time, the pearl will be on display at an exhibition -10,000 years of luxury-which will be on 30th October at the Louvre.

The great discovery

The ancient pearl was excavated in the Marawah islands. Marawah is situated off the coast of Mirfa town, about 160 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi city. This site is not a recent place of interest. This place caused a lot of excitement during the 1930s as it was the year the Neolithic site was first discovered. As the excavations continued it became clear that the settlement was no ordinary one. The people of this settlement were advanced and sophisticated and the excavations were proof of the fact. The natural pearl dubbed as ‘The pearl of Abu Dhabi dates back to the Neolithic age and is assumed to belong to a period between 5800 to 5600 BC. The discovery of the oldest pearl in this area also proves the fact that Pearl and Oyster trade existed in the UAE during the Neolithic age.

Mohamed al-Mubarak, the chairman of Abu Dhabi’s department of culture and tourism, stated - "The Abu Dhabi Pearl is a stunning find, testimony to the ancient origins of our engagement with the sea. The discovery of the oldest pearl in the world in Abu Dhabi makes it clear that so much of our recent economic and cultural history has deep roots that stretch back to the dawn of prehistory.

Marawah Island is one of our most valuable archaeological sites, and excavations continue in the hope of discovering even more evidence of how our ancestors lived, worked and thrived."

It is believed that the people traded the pearls with the traders of Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) in exchange for goods like ceramics.

The culture department mentioned that Gasparo Balbi, “The Venetian jewel merchant who travelled to many places in this area had mentioned in one of his books that the islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi were a source of pearls in the 16th century”.

UAE is known for being the region where old natural pearls are found. The pearl that was supposed to be the oldest before the discovery of the Abu Dhabi Pearl was also from UAE. It came from the Neolithic site in Umm Al Qaiwain.