Unveiling hidden history: GPR survey reveals buried water well in Liluiyah, Khorfakkan's historic district

The Sharjah Institute of Heritage collaborated with the University of Sharjah's Petroleum Geoscience and Remote Sensing Program to locate a buried well at a historic heritage site in Liluiyyah, Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates. The well was an important source of water for the community, and its location was unknown as it had become buried beneath layers of sand and debris. The GPR survey was conducted over almost 600 m2 and more than 375 GPR profiles were obtained. The processed data produced multiple anomalies that were marked and recorded in a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. A group of GPR anomalies was identified in the northern section of the plot, indicating the presence of stones comprising the well mouth. However, after conducting an excavation at the proposed site, the water well was not found. The research team re-evaluated the GPR sections and slices, concentrating on anomalies deeper than 1 m depth and identified a circular shape anomaly at a depth of 15 ns and deeper in the northwestern part of Grid A. A trial pit was executed at the proposed location, revealing the anticipated water well at a depth of 1.2m from the existing ground level.