The study of a country's history is generally a painstaking and time-consuming process, as any archaeologist or historian can testify. The amassing of little scraps of data and of incomplete artefacts allows a picture to emerge that is often puzzling or open to varying interpretations. It’s a fascinating process, rather akin to the putting together of a large jigsaw or, perhaps more appropriately in this context, a mosaic.
On very rare occasions, however, stunning discoveries are made that can produce a sudden and major new insight into history, creating a great leap forward in the understanding of events or periods.
For the historian, such a discovery might be the uncovering of a collection of forgotten documents that shed new light on events, beliefs or activities, such as the 300,000 fragments of documents in the Cairo Genizah, the largest collection of ancient documents in the world, shedding light on North African history over a 1,000 year period.
Another, in Britain, is the recent identification and dating of what may well be the earliest manuscript fragment of the Quran. For the archaeologist, such a moment might be something such as the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian pharoah Tutankhamun.
We have just had such a moment in the UAE – the discovery at Mleiha, in Sharjah, of a tombstone from the third century BC with the name of an early King of Oman, Amad bin Jar bin Ali Kahin. Not surprisingly, this discovery was the highlight of the launching last week by Sharjah Ruler Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi of the Emirate's new archaeology and eco-tourism zone.
Studies of the tombstone and associated discoveries are still at a preliminary stage, with much yet to be learnt.
What we do have already, however, is confirmation of the existence of a kingdom in this area of the Arabian Peninsula over 2,200 years ago, with the name of a king, the first known leader of this region we can identify by name. Further studies and excavations may well yield more information, while it is now clear, from this and from previous finds, such as imported pottery and fine jewellery, that there was at that time a state engaged in trading with the great powers that then existed in the region. One leading archaeologist with extensive UAE experience tells me that the new discovery means that he will have to rewrite part of his history of the region.
It's not the first time that a single discovery has revolutionised understanding of the country's far-distant past.
The first excavations at Umm al Nar, over 50 years ago, discovered a previously unknown Bronze Age civilisation whose links extended as far away as Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. The uncovering of the pre-Islamic Christian monastery on Sir Bani Yas, two decades ago, gave us concrete proof, for the first time, that Christianity had reached the Emirates. Now King Amad, too, can resume his long-forgotten place in the country’s history.
The excitement among those studying the UAE’s history and archaeology is, quite naturally, palpable. It's a stunning find.
At the same time, however, it’s worth remembering that such amazing new insights into the country's past only occasionally occur completely by chance. It’s over 40 years since archaeological excavations first got under way in the Mleiha area. Over the years since then, numerous digs have taken place, covering a wide area. Many other important finds have laid the groundwork for this latest discovery.
Credit is due to all those who have worked so tenaciously in the past, adding their own pieces to the jigsaw. And credit is due, too, to Dr Sheikh Sultan.
An important historian in his own right, he has displayed a deep and abiding interest in the UAE's history and heritage for decades, supporting archaeologists, founding museums, speaking at academic conferences. He must be delighted at the latest discovery. Mabrouk!
Peter Hellyer is a consultant specialising in the UAE’s history and culture