Lesson 2: The Bronze Age and Umm An-Nar

Lesson 2: The Bronze Age and Umm An-Nar

• Around 5000 BCE, people in the region had a generally healthy diet.
• By 4000 BCE, the climate became drier, leading to less rainfall and harder living conditions. Evidence from skeletons shows this.
• The Indian Ocean Monsoon shifted southward, reducing rainfall in the area, similar to today's UAE climate.
• People still grew crops; evidence suggests they cultivated various crops, with dates a significant part of their diet and material use.
• Around 3000 BCE, people in the area needed fresh water more, and they began digging wells to bring water to their fields. They devised systems for moving and using water.
• By 3000 BCE, people were also hunting animals like gazelles, wild camels, and oryx.
• Pastoral nomads herded sheep, goats, and other livestock, trading with nearby settlements like Hili.
• Donkeys were used to carry goods along the coast and mountain edges.

Umm An-Nar and the Bronze Age

• The Umm An-Nar culture emerged around 2500 BCE, known for equality within their society.
• It was located near Abu Dhabi.
• The Bronze Age lasted from 3000 to 1200 BCE and involved mixing copper with other metals to create bronze.
• The region's mountains had plenty of copper ore.
• Mesopotamians (the strongest empire at the time) traded copper with the Umm An-Nar region.
• This culture was unique in its societal structure.

Lesson 3: Impact of the Falaj during the Iron Age

• Around 4000 BCE, the UAE received less rainfall, causing water levels to decrease underground.

• Fresh water became hard to find.

• People in the Umm An-Nar region developed methods for accessing groundwater.

• They created simple pulley-based systems to get water from wells.

• New types of wells provided access to water sources lying above salty water.

• By 1000 BCE, water became hard to access, leading people to establish settlements inland, near springs.

• The falaj system played a critical role in making water accessible to people.

• The falaj, an underground channel, carried water from mountains and springs to villages and towns.

• The Falaj allowed for communities to easily access water, which supported the growth of settlements in the inland areas around the Al-Hajar Mountains.

• The Iron Age began around 1200 BCE.

• Iron replaced bronze in tools and weapons.

• Iron from the UAE was traded with other civilizations.

• People continued to eat the same domesticated animal meats; sheep, goats, and cattle were common.

• People cultivated crops like sesame, basil, and other plants within their settlements.