Renewed research at the Iron Age II site of Hili 2 (Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Keywords:
Iron Age, architecture, southeastern arabia, seals, radiocarbon dateAbstract
The site of Hili 2 (Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) was first excavated in 1976 and remains to this day one of the best preserved examples of Iron Age II (c. 1100-600 BCE) architecture in southeastern Arabia. The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi renewed research at this important site in 2018, combining targeted excavation and an overall re-evaluation of the standing architecture with the results of new radiocarbon dates. This paper presents the excavations of Structures 14 and 15 as well as the results of the stratigraphic investigations for Structures 2 and 13. Radiocarbon samples were analysed from each of these buildings, providing the first absolute dates for Hili 2. Our findings point to two phases of occupation that fall between 1000 BCE and 800 BCE, expanding upon what is known from Hili 2.
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