Fossils - The Hamra sites

Hamra sites

Adapted from 1:100,000 Sheet NG-39-167, 1988, United Arab Emirates

These sites can easily be seen from the main Abu Dhabi to As Sila road.

Site H1 (N 23 06' 50.6" E 52 31' 31.0")

the northern area of an east facing cliff, part of which is a disused (except in 2001) firing range, where Pachyportax latidens was found (Gentry, 1999b). From the area comprising the flat top of this cliff, German archaeologists (Vogt et al., 1989) collaborating on a survey with the Al Ain Museum in 1983, found

"...the largest collection of fossil material. One should mention that an almost complete Hippopotamian mandible was found as well as a nearly complete bird's nest of eggs, a mastodon vertebra, and a large piece of a mastodon tusk".

This material is in the Al Ain Museum and Gentry, 1999a, has described the "Hippopotamian" mandible found - Hexaprotodon aff. sahabiensis.


The Hamra firing range H1. From here Vogt et al. collected "hippo and mastodon in 1983.		Part of H1 where Pachportaax latidens was discovered.

Site H2 (N 23 06' 06.9" E 52 31' 42.5")

is the southern part of the escarpment.


H2 is about 1k from the main Abu Dhabi-As Sila road.		Baynunah Formation at H2

Site H3 (N 23 04' 28.7" E 52 31' 37.3")

a badly weathered proboscidean skull was found here but not collected.


The skull as found		Andrew Hill excavating		Is it really worth it?

Site H4 (no GPS)

the site no longer exists as it is now a military area. Here, Plesiogulo praecocidens (Barry, 1999) was discovered in 1989.


Plesiogulo praecocidens (Barry, 1999)		Andrew Hill photographs the Plesiogulo jaw

Site H5 (N 23 06' 04.7" E 52 31' 38.5")

is a palaeomagnetic sampling site (Hailwood and Whybrow, 1999) and a palaeosol carbonate nodules collecting site (Kingston, 1999).


South facing slope of Hamra 5		Hamra 5 where John Kingston collected palaeosol samples

Site H6 (N 23 06' 43.7" E 52 31' 28.2")

lies near to the top of the jebel.

Another Plesiogulo jaw fragment. Barry 1999.

Site H7 (N 23 06' 00.0" E 52 31' 55.9")

the area around a UAE Trignometrical Survey point (now demolished) on the northern Hamra jebel

Site H8 (N 23 04' 24.4" E 52 31' 45.6", TC 85 survey point; UK Ministry of Defence Survey Map, 1:100,000, NG-39-167, 1988).

Jebel Al Hamra Trignometrical Survey point

Site H9 (N 23 06' 08.2" E 52 31' 28.2")

a place with many pieces of heat shattered flint once thought by palaeontologists to have been man-made (McBrearty, 1999)

[ Fossil index - ADIAS home ]