World's oldest 'city of pearls' found in Persian Gulf

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient "pearl city" on the island of Sinia, which is part of the current United Arab Emirates. It was erected at the end of the 6th century AD - in the pre-Islamic period on the Arabian Peninsula. About it informs agency The Associated Press.

Among the preserved objects, the researchers found a scattering of pearls and equipment with which stones were mined from the seabed. That is why scientists came to the conclusion that the inhabitants were engaged in the extraction of a precious mineraloid, and gave the city the appropriate name.

Although only small fragments of a few dwellings have survived to this day, there is reason to believe that it was a large city with hundreds of houses made of coastal stone and lime mortar. Its total area was about 12 hectares.

Scientists believe that the settlement was not seasonal, but permanent - people were there throughout the year. The city was inhabited by several thousand people.