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For hundreds of years, the Rub' al-Khali has remained. desert near Saudi Arabia and Dubai — referred to as the Empty Quarter — was once considered an arid ocean of sand devoid of life.
But now, it's revealing an astonishing secret.
In 2002, during a flight over the desert, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who leads Dubai, noticed peculiar sand patterns and a substantial dark patch below.
This resulted in the uncovering of Saruq Al-Hadid, an archaeological site abundant with traces of copper and iron processing activities. It is currently thought to be part of a 5,000-year-old civilization hidden under the sand dunes.
Scientists have recently discovered remnants of this old civilization about 10 feet below the desert ground, concealed in plain view and frequently disregarded because of the severe conditions and moving sand dunes of the Empty Quarter.
Spanning over 250,000 square miles, the Rub' al-Khali is the globe’s biggest uninterrupted sandy area.
This discovery brings fresh life to the legend of a mythical city, believed to have been swallowed by the desert as punishment from the gods.
Furthermore, it was thought that the Empty Quarter desert hid a lost city called Ubar .
As the tale goes, Ubar sank into the sands following its destruction – whether due to a calamity of nature or, according to certain legends, because a deity punished its sinful inhabitants.
T.E. Lawrence, the renowned British soldier and author known for his involvement in the Arab Revolt of World War I, referred to Ubar as the 'Atlantis of the Sands.' He depicted it as a city with 'limitless riches,' which was obliterated by divine wrath due to its pride and has since vanished into the dunes of the Rub'al Khali desert.
Currently, advanced scientific knowledge might be starting to align with age-old legends.
Scientists from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi utilized Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology to see through the desert's surface, enabling them to examine what lies below the sand dunes without causing disruption.
SAR functions by emitting bursts of energy and determining how much returns after bouncing off objects.
Here, archaeologists merged Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data with detailed satellite imagery from WorldView-3 to explore what lies under the sand dunes at Saruq Al-Hadid.
The radar picked up buried structures and showed distinct evidence of metalworking, artifacts, and layers of animal remains within what experts refer to as midden deposits.
Through the examination of radar data using sophisticated machine learning techniques, scientists were able to detect patterns and forms indicative of past human presence. This approach enabled them to reveal sections of the concealed city.
The results indicate a sophisticated, interlinked community that flourished in the area many millennia past.
Scientists discovered formerly unrecognized villages and pathways, suggesting substantial settlement and structured society over time.
The layers at the location reveal bedrock, sand dunes, and areas rich in gypsum deposits. Throughout these strata, numerous artifacts, remnants of ancient metallic debris, and animal bones have been discovered.
SAR technology — when combined with AI — is increasingly becoming a game-changer for archaeological surveys, especially in environments where traditional excavation is nearly impossible.
'The case study of the Saruq Al-Hadid site illustrates the potential of these technologies to enhance archaeological surveys and contribute to heritage conservation efforts,' according to the research published in the journal.
To validate the remote sensing data, researchers compared it with existing archaeological records and conducted field checks.
The results were precise enough to encourage intervention from Dubai Culture, the governmental entity responsible for the site. Excavation work has now been authorized in the recently pinpointed regions.
"These areas are still mostly untouched, but we understand that they contain cultural heritage," Francis stated.
Although we have limited knowledge about the inhabitants from 5,000 years past, this finding is already reshaping our comprehension of ancient societies within the Arabian Peninsula.
The Arabian Desert has seen human habitation from as far back as the early Pleistocene era, evidenced by Neolithic and Paleolithic artifacts discovered in the southwestern part known as Rub' al-Khali. Nomadic tribes called Bedouins thrived under these harsh conditions by mastering camel husbandry, cultivating dates, and passing down stories through oral traditions—cultural activities that mirror the enduring spirit of past desert communities.
Even though the area currently has an extremely dry climate, it went through phases of higher moisture levels from around 6,000 to 5,000 years back, leading to the formation of small lakes because of substantial rain showers. These water bodies fostered various ecological systems such as vegetation, wildlife, plant species, and microorganisms—critical pieces for constructing a more comprehensive view of existence in what used to be considered unlivable terrain.
With every sweep of the radar and layer of sand uncovered through scientific exploration, the Empty Quarter is showing that it was never actually deserted.
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