Iron Age in the United Arab Emirates

This article is part of a series on the
History of the United Arab Emirates
Bronze Age Magan civilization Umm Al Nar culture Archaeological sites Mleiha Al Ashoosh Al Sufouh Ed-Dur Hili Saruq Al Hadid Shimal Tell Abraq
Iron Age Wadi Suq culture Archaeological sites Al Thuqeibah Bidaa Bint Saud Ed-Dur Muweilah Seih Al Harf Qattara Oasis Rumailah Saruq Al Hadid Shimal Tell Abraq
Pre-Islamic Era Sasanian rule Archaeological sites Ed-Dur
Islamic Era Battle of Dibba
Colonial Era Portuguese Dibba Portuguese Khor Fakkan Julfar Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 Persian Gulf campaign of 1819 General Maritime Treaty of 1820 Perpetual Maritime Truce Trucial Kalba Trucial States
Modern history Buraimi Dispute Pearling industry Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates border dispute Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs First parliamentary election Yemeni Civil War Qatar blockade Socotra dispute COVID-19 pandemic
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The territory currently known as the United Arab Emirates was home to three distinct Iron Age periods. Iron Age I spanned 1,200–1,000 BCE, Iron Age II from 1,000 to 600 BCE, and Iron Age III from 600 to 300 BCE. This period of human development in the region was followed by the Mleiha or Late Pre-Islamic era, from 300 BCE onwards through to the Islamic era which commenced with the culmination of the 7th-century Ridda Wars.

To some degree the term 'Iron Age' is misapplied, as little evidence exists for any indigenous iron-work outside the finds at Muweilah, themselves thought to be imports,^[1] and even the extensive evidence of smelting throughout the Iron Age found at Saruq Al Hadid is dominated by copper and tin production.^[2]

Finds from the important site of Tell Abraq have been crucial in the division of the three Iron Age periods in the UAE.^[3]