The discovery of an "archaeological treasure" in the Emirates dating back to the period of the Abbasid Caliphate

 The local mission of the Sharjah Antiquities Authority in the Emirates announced, on Tuesday, the discovery of a "group of ancient Islamic coins", in the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah, which are "rare silver dirhams, dating back to the Abbasid Caliphate period, in addition to a copper penny."

These coins are considered one of the first issues, and they bear the icons of that period, represented by five of the successors of that era, according to the Emirates News Agency "WAM".

Commenting on the archaeological treasure, which was discovered during the survey and excavation process in the central region this September, Sabah Aboud Jassim, Director General of the Sharjah Antiquities Authority, said that "the new components of the discovery represent clear evidence of the early Abbasid presence in the region."

Jassim explained that "a part of these dirhams was found inside a glazed pottery jar of the Abbasid style, and this jar dates back to the ninth or tenth century AD."

This group of discovered coins represents "a great geographical framework, due to the places of their minting, which extend from Africa in the west, to the Transoxiana region in the east", according to the administrative division during the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate.

This group also represents, in particular, the first Abbasid era, and the discovered coins belong to “a number of the main geographical and administrative regions, namely: Morocco / Abbasid, Persia / Koura Mahdia, Ray and Mountains / Muhammadiyah City, Khorasan / Balkh City, and Armenia / Metal Bagnes, and the Transoxiana/Mineral Gauze region, and the city of Samarkand.

The silver dirhams in this pottery jar were accompanied by small copper weights, with regular shapes, and different weights, ranging from 5.5 grams to 13.80 grams. Archaeological survey work in the same area revealed a group of pottery fragments of the Abbasid style.

The researchers confirmed that this new archaeological discovery dates back to an important period of time in the history of the Emirate of Sharjah in particular, and the UAE in general, and refers to the commercial activity played by the coasts of the Emirates and the central region of the Emirate of Sharjah in international trade.