World's oldest pearl, nearly 8,000-years-old, found in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, Oct 20: An 8,000-year-old pearl that archaeologists say is the world's oldest will be displayed in Abu Dhabi, according to authorities who said Sunday it is proof the objects have been traded since Neolithic times.
The natural pearl was found in the floor of a room discovered during excavations at Marawah Island, off the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which revealed the earliest architecture found in the country.
The oldest natural pearl in the world is less than a centimetre long. Courtesy Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi
"The layers from which the pearl came have been carbon dated to 5800-5600 BC, during the Neolithic period," Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism said.
"The discovery of the oldest pearl in the world in Abu Dhabi makes it clear that so much of our recent economic and cultural history has deep roots that stretch back to the dawn of prehistory," said its chairman Mohamed Al-Muabarak.
The excavation of the Marawah site, which is made up of numerous collapsed Neolithic stone structures, has also yielded ceramics, beads made from shell and stone, and flint arrowheads.
The "Abu Dhabi Pearl" will be shown for the first time in the exhibition "10,000 years of Luxury" which is opening on October 30 at the Louvre Abu Dhabi -- the outpost of the famous Paris museum.
Emirati experts believe that the pearls were traded with Mesopotamia -- ancient Iraq -- in exchange for ceramics and other goods. They were also likely worn as jewellery.
"The Venetian jewel merchant Gasparo Balbi, who travelled through the region, mentions the islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi as a source of pearls in the 16th century," the culture department said.
The pearl industry once underpinned the economy of the United Arab Emirates, but the trade collapsed in the 1930s with the advent of Japanese cultured pearls, and as conflicts rocked global economies.
Instead, the Gulf nations turned to the oil industry which dominates their economies to this day.
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Govt trying to procure gas, crude oil from all possible sources: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the government is trying to procure gas and crude oil from all available sources, and efforts will continue in the coming days as the war in West Asia has created a serious energy crisis globally.
In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the war in West Asia is a cause of concern, and India wants peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy.
India's aim is de-escalation of the war and opening of Strait of Hormuz, he said, adding the country's attempt is to encourage all sections to peacefully resolve all issues.
If the West Asia crisis persists for a longer period, serious consequences are imminent, the prime minister said.
Commenting on India's efforts for energy security, he said in the past 11 years, 53 lakh MT strategic oil reserves have been created; work on 65 lakh MT additional capacity is on.
Besides, the government has started a Rs 70,000-crore project to manufacture ships, he added.
