Sometimes a discovery really brings the past alive. One such is the recent discovery of 3000-year old fingerprints that have been found in the United Arab Emirates. This discovery is allowing experts to better understand the skilled workmen of the period and indicating how ancient people were able to use their construction skills to develop a remarkable civilization in an arid landscape .

The discovery was made in the UAE, in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula. It was made at a large archaeological site, Al-Ain, which is situated in the modern city of the same name. This location was once a settlement that was inhabited from the Bronze to the Iron Age.

According to UNESCO, it ‘includes various archaeological, architectural, hydraulic, urban, and landscape testimonies.’ The significance of the site means that it was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It was first excavated in 1967 and Emirati experts recommenced digging at Al-Ain in 2018.

Archaeologists found a large number of bricks with impressions of fingerprints. The fingerprints are very deep and there is typically a set of them on a brick. Ancient fingerprints have also been found in other bricks ranging from Egypt to Denmark some dating back 5,000 years.

more at ancient-origins.net