Grave goods found at Shimal have included large finds of pottery as well as beads and objects providing a link to the Harappan Indus Valley Civilisation.

The Wadi Sur town wall, running some 7km from the lagoon to the south of present-day Ras Al Khaimah to the mountains, was a 4–5m high defensive structure with watchtowers placed every 150 metres.

The fort consists of a long rectangular structure located on a plateau overlooking the plain and settlement of Kush and, latterly, Julfar.

It has been dated to the 11th century, contemporaneous with the construction of the wall and the growth of Julfar as an important port, with Kush as its administrative centre.

In the 13th century, Kush was abandoned as the coastal area of Al Mataf flowered when Julfar became a tributary of the Kingdom of Hormuz.