The Implementation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to the Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Prehistoric Al Qusais Necropolis (Dubai, U.A.E.)

The Al Qusais prehistoric necropolis (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), dated between 1,600 and 800 BCE) is one of the most important archaeological sites in the Arabian Peninsula, given its high number of individual and collective burials, and the unique grave goods recently found. In the vicinity of Al-Qusais, a sedentary population settlement was probably established and could sustain itself through the collection of mollusks, to fishing and hunting, thanks to the location’s natural resources. As of today, Al Qusais lies within a typical dune system environment, almost nine kilometers away from the coast. This research is part of a project developed by Sanisera Archaeology Institute in collaboration with Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, with the aim of reconstructing the past natural environment, in accordance with archaeological evidence discovered and recorded in the Al Qusais necropolis. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applied to Al-Qusais combined various sources of information with the intention of generating analytical studies, in order to understand the strategic physical location of the necropolis. Reconstructions show that, during prehistoric times, the necropolis was located just 700 meters away from an ecosystem comprising mangroves and shallow coastal waters with intermittent episodes of marine flooding.