Saruq Al Hadid

The site was originally discovered by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, while flying his helicopter across the desert.

[3] An abundance of pottery and metal artifacts have given rise to speculation of possibly identifying the site as a centre of snake worship.

Noticing some unusual dune formations and a large black deposit in the sands, he reported the site to Dubai Municipality.

It was conjectured the extensive slag field, measuring some 1.5 hectares, had stopped the sand shifting and blowing and so had preserved the underlying site.

[1] That first exploration yielded a horde of ceramics, beads and copper and bronze artifacts, including arrowheads, axe heads, a fish-hook, bracelets, knives and, intriguingly, models of snakes.

Five seasons of excavations led by Jordan’s department of antiquities followed, revealing “an extraordinary collection of Iron Age artefacts”.

[9] Until 2018, the Polish team, directed by Piotr Bieliński and Iwona Zych, excavated a part of the site chosen for exploration because of a large accumulation (several tons) of copper slag.

[9] The researchers found large amounts of strips of copper and gold, as well as other semi-finished products and numerous metal finds.

[9] Located some 40 km inland from the shore at Jebel Ali, the site is an enigma – the three requirements for smelting metals (water, fuel and ore) are lacking.

In smaller numbers, these have been found elsewhere in the UAE and Oman, specifically at Qusais, Rumailah, Bithnah, Masafi and Salut,[10] but Saruq Al Hadid was either the main centre for production or was of great significance to what may have been a snake cult.

A series of midden deposits containing large amounts of animal bone have supported carbon dating to the Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq periods.

While there have been finds at the site linking smelting to Wadi Suq objects, most evidence is of later origin, from the early Iron Age through to the pre-Islamic period.

[1] Rituals connected with the cult of a snake have a long tradition in the Levant, which suggests the existence of contacts between these regions in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.