Description : Ed-Dur or Ed-Dour (Arabic: ٱلدُّوْر, romanized: Ad-Dūr, lit. 'The Houses') is an Ancient Near Eastern City located in Umm Al Quwain, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One of the largest archaeological sites in the emirates, comprising an area of some 5 km2 (1.9 sq mi), the coastal settlement overlooks Al-Beidha Lake. One of the most important archaeological finds in the UAE, It has been dubbed 'one of the most significant lost cities of Arabia'. Ed-Dur was first discovered by an Iraqi archaeological team in 1973, and dug in 1974. Subsequent digs have unearthed evidence of human habitation spanning the Ubeid period, Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Pre-Islamic period. During the latter period, the settlement appears to have been at its most prosperous, and the hills of the area were entirely covered with dozens of buildings and thousands of stone-built tombs. Some 500 of these tombs have been excavated, with grave goods discovered including drinking sets, Roman glass, weaponry, pottery, jewelry and ivory objects. It is thought some 20,000 tombs are on the site in all. Towards the end of March 2019, 15 tombs, bronze statues, settlement remains, jewellery and pottery, dating back to the 1st century CE, were unearthed here. Of the many discoveries made at the site, the use of alabaster window panes is significant, the first recorded such use in the Arabian Peninsula. Ceramic finds at the site are mostly glazed ware, likely of Parthian origin and imported from southern Mesopotamia or south-western Iran. The more elaborate burials at Ed-Dur are similar to those found at Assur, in northern Mesopotamia - which are Parthian. Black-on-orange painted 'Namord ware' is indicative of trading links across the Strait of Hormuz to Persia and Baluchistan, while Indian red polished ware also points to links east.
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