Archaeological Excavation at Tell Abraq in the UAE Unearths Possible Religious Site, 1,800 Year-Old Roman Coins, and Other Artifacts

Tell Abraq (Til Abrook) was an ancient city in the Near East located in the modern-day United Arab Emirates. Today, it is a multi-period archaeological site which dates to around 2500 BCE and is thought to have been inhabited until around 300 AD.

The initial excavation of the Tell Abraq mound was carried out by a team from the University of Copenhagen between 1989 and 1998. The dig concentrated on the extensive remains of the nearby city of Ed-Dur. However, during the excavations, they made an unexpected discovery—extensive evidence of much earlier settlements, dating back to the Umm Al Nar period (a Bronze Age culture existing around 2600-2000 BCE).

Although the team's initial goal was to verify the chronological order prior to Ed-Dur's rise to prominence in the year 1000 BCE, they discovered proof of a rich past that went well beyond what they had anticipated.

In 2023-2024, a team of archaeologists resumed excavations at Tell Abraq. This team, led by Daniel Potts, Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology at New York University, continued to explore the sprawling, multi-period site. The season’s work, which concluded in December 2024, was undertaken in conjunction with the Italian Mission in Umm Al Quwain.

During this season’s dig, the team made a series of fascinating finds, including what is believed to be a possible pre-Islamic shrine, and open-air altar, and a stone block with an inscription in Aramaic. However, according to Dr. Michele Degli Esposti, the excavation’s co-director, the “most astonishing discovery of the season” was a pottery jar within the ruins of this building. It contained “imitation” Roman coins, locally minted bronze coins, and a bronze bracelet—possibly a religious offering. Previous discoveries at the site included stone statues and bronze and clay figurines, which may have been used as offerings. Also found were incense burners which, Dr Degli Esposti says, lend support to the shrine theory. The discovery reflected the “religious, economic, and commercial significance of the site.”

While Roman imperial and provincial coins were issued at dozens of mints throughout the Roman Empire, the gold Aureus coins were generally minted at the mint of Lugdunum (Lyon) in modern day France, which became the chief mint for Imperial gold and silver beginning in about 15 BCE. They were widely circulated for a long time in several cities and countries, such as India, which was part of the extensive Roman trade network.

Copies were often made of these coins. Those found at Tell Abraq feature the image of the Roman emperor, Tiberius (14-37 AD). However, the rendering of the emperor and the script is quite poor. Because of the language barrier, the shape of the letters barely imitates the originals. Coin weight is also inconsistent and varies piece to piece. Researchers don’t yet know if the coins were minted locally, within the region, or if they came from India. What they do know is that these coins point to the fact that a significant phase of globalization occurred during a marked increase in interconnected trade across the Indian Ocean.

According to Rania Hussein Kannouma, the acting director of archaeology and heritage at the UAQ Department of Tourism and Archaeology, “The coins are among the most important archaeological discoveries of the season. They are tangible material evidence of the qualitative economic leaps achieved by the Tell Abraq archaeological site.”

Researchers are now studying the artifacts found at the site and further archaeological excavations are expected in the future.