A newly detailed archaeological record from the United Arab Emirates is reshaping what researchers know about early human settlement in Arabia, showing that people returned to the region again and again over tens of thousands of years, including as far back as about 125,000 years ago.
The study, led by K. Bretzke of the University of Tübingen in Germany and published in “Nature Communications,” centers on Buhais Rockshelter in Sharjah.
Researchers found clear evidence of human occupation at roughly 125,000, 59,000, 35,000, and 16,000 years ago. The findings suggest southern Arabia was not as empty during key stretches of prehistory as many scholars had believed.
