UNIT -3 - Lesson -5

Shipbuilding and Trade: Ed-Dur and the Arabian Gulf

Notes:
Answer the following questions

1. What kind of area was Ed-Dur?

Ans: The ancient settlement of Ed-Dur was in what is now Umm Al-Quwain.
One of the largest archaeological sites in the emirates.Ed-Dur was near a large
lagoon that opened to the Arabian Gulf. In the past, this lagoon was open to the
sea and provided a natural harbor for ships.Ed-Dur was an important center of
trade.

2. How did trade affect the population of Ed-Dur economically?

Ans: The people at Ed-Dur became wealthy from trade across the Indian Ocean
and Arabian Gulf.Ships from Yemen and India provided spices which are
unavailable in the UAE. Traders from Persia and Mesopotamia brought highly
decorated pottery and metal goods.Sailors and merchants would have made a good
profit. As a result, the inhabitants of Ed-Dur had access to bronze and ceramic
goods from the very heart of the Roman Empire.

3. Why do archeologists think that Dibba was a trade centre for at least 2000 years?
Ans: Dibba, which is now in Fujairah, was famous as a hub for international
trade.Recent excavations by the archaeology authority revealed new evidence that
Dibba’s importance as a trading centre stretches back at least 2,000 years. The
archaeologists excavated a large tomb containing decorated ceramics from Persia
and Mesopotamia and glass vessels from Rome.

4. What did researchers learn by studying skeletons in tombs in Dibba? Ans: The
 skeletons in this tomb provide a great deal of information on the life and
deaths of the people of Dibba. Careful analysis of the bones from Dibba indicates
that very serious diseases affected some of the people buried in the tomb.

5. List out three main export and import goods of the UAE.
Ans: Three main export goods of the UAE includes crude oil, natural gas and
dates and main import goods are machinery,transport equipment and
chemicals,

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