Jebel Hafit dominates Al Ain and Buraimi oases and straddles the border between UAE and Oman. The mountain rises to over 1,200 metres above sea level and its exposed geology makes it a feature of considerable interest.
Marine fossils dating back 70 million years to the time when the jebel (Arabic for ‘mountain’) was uplifted from the ocean can be found on the summit and slopes. However, the mountain is more famous for its ancient remains and archaeology. Approximately 5,000 years ago, early inhabitants of the area chose the northern escarpment and eastern slopes of this mountain as burial grounds for their dead and over 500 tombs have been found in these two areas. Although most of the graves on the northern side have now been lost to development, those on the eastern side are protected and regularly monitored.
Hafit graves, also called Mezyad graves (after the village located near the eastern group), are well known to archaeologists. They gave their name to the period known as the ‘Hafit Period’ or ‘Hafit Cultural Horizon’, which dates from 3,200 to 2,700 BC, and represents an early period in the history of the UAE. Scores of these graves have been excavated over more than four decades and have proved to share many similarities.
Few skeletal remains have been discovered, however it is thought that up to ten bodies were often buried together in family groups, as they were in other parts of the Middle East and Europe. Some of the graves yielded bronze objects and soapstone vessels as well as beads of a much later date, indicating that the graves continued to be used or were reused in later periods, particularly during the Iron Age.
While the majority of tombs remain unexcavated, a restored group shows the various stages of building, culminating in the completed bee-hive cairn design that seems typical of the area.
The south-eastern area can only be reached in a 4X4 vehicle but a modern highway leads to the summit of Jebel Hafit.