Akab Island
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates |
| Coordinates | 25°32′45″N 55°35′00″E / 25.54583°N 55.58333°E |
| Highest elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
Akab Island (Arabic: جزيرة الاكعاب, romanized: jazīrat-al-aki‘āb, "Heels Island") is an island in Umm Al Quwain, an emirate of the United Arab Emirates. It is one of seven islands located in the emirate, and people visit it to engage in a variety of activities such as birdwatching, camping, diving, snorkeling and other recreational ventures.
About the island
Literally translating to, "Heels Island", Akab Island (جزيرة الاكعاب) is an island located in the capital and largest city of the small emirate of Umm Al Quwain, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. It sits near the localities Zawr (زور) and Minţaqat al ‘Ahd (منطقة العهد). The island, like the others in this emirate, is separated by a series of creeks. People visit Umm Al Quwain and its islands to engage in recreational and nature-filled activities, and as one of its seven islands, Jazīrat Al Aki‘āb is a popular spot for fishing, picnics and camping. It is surrounded by mangroves and is home to a variety of bird species, making it a popular spot for birdwatching. The water around the island is also a popular destination for diving and snorkeling, and is teeming with marine life.[1][2]
Neolithic site
The site of Akab Island provides unique insights into what are thought to have been Neolithic ritualistic practises, with a unique dugong bone mound discovered there, which not only has no direct parallel in the region but also stands as a rare (possibly unique) find dated to the 'Dark Millennium'.[3] The mound consists of structurally aligned dugong bones littered with jewellery and other artefacts and has been dated to between 3,500-3,200 BCE.[4] Although there is no direct parallel to the dugong mound, Neolithic burials with turtle remains have been noted in Oman at Ras Al Hamra (dated to 3700-3300 BCE). However, dugong bone mounds have been found in totemic sites in Australia on the coast of the Torres Strait: these, however, date to between the 14th and 20th Centuries.[3]
The wider site at Akab shows occupation throughout the fifth millennium, from 4,750-3,814 BCE, while signs of occupation in the fourth millennium, apart from the bone mound, are scant.[3] Evidence of occupation patterns at Akab point to seasonality and also the possibility of fish processing (salting or smoking). Both net weights and bone hooks were found at the site, as well as evidence of settlement and bones from a wide range of coastal and deeper water species.[5]
References
- ^ "Jazīrat al Aki'āb island, Umm al Qaywayn, United Arab Emirates". ae.geoview.info. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
- ^ "Umm Al Quwain Tourist Guide, UAE Tourist Guide, UAE Tourism". Holiday Travel India Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ a b c Méry, Sophie; Charpentier, V.; Auxiette, G.; Pelle, E. (2009-09-01). "A dugong bone mound: the Neolithic ritual site on Akab in Umm al-Quwain, United Arab Emirates". Antiquity. 83 (321): 696–708. doi:10.1017/s0003598x00098926. ISSN 0003-598X.
- ^ "Actualité | The oldest sanctuary in Arabia is discovered: a dugong bone mound on Akab Island". Inrap. 2009-09-18. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
- ^ Lidour, Kevin; Béarez, Philippe; Charpentier, Vincent; Méry, Sophie (2019-01-15). "The Prehistoric Fisheries of Akab Island (United Arab Emirates): New Insights into Coastal Subsistence during Neolithic in Eastern Arabia". The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology. 15 (1): 80–103. doi:10.1080/15564894.2018.1531330. ISSN 1556-4894.