Umm an Nar tombs in Wadi Qor

When the Al Ain chapter heads out for a daylong field trip in the Huwaylat area of Ras al Khaimah near Hatta, a drive down Wadi Qor towards the Gulf is often a part of the program.

One of the highlights down this magnificent wadi is an Umm an Nar period tomb excavated by officials from the Ras al Khaimah museum. It is one of the more spectacular Umm an Nar period tombs available to see in the country.

The site includes three tombs, one a pit grave, the other a circular tomb complex that appears to be two tombs constructed in at least two stages. The first tomb appears to be a typical Umm an Nar tomb constructed in a circular pattern with a center island of stone, the stone work on the island and the exterior circular wall constructed with corbelling stonework, evidence that the tomb chamber was covered.

The remains of a doorway/passage way leading to the burial chamber area is still in evidence.

This original tomb is surrounded on about one half to two-thirds of the circumference by a second tomb chamber, again featuring corbelling that allowed capstones to be placed over the burial chamber. Capstones covering some of this crescent-shaped tomb remain in place.

Photographs of the site appear below.

The three tombs are located about a kilometer from a hilltop settlement to the west.

Archaeologists working the site have stockpiled the capstones that once covered the burial chambers.

View of the area where the three tombs are located from bottom of the slope	Compound tomb in foreground, solitary pit tomb in background	Access to the crescent-shaped tomb circling the original tomb	Capstones in place (left) covering some of the crescent-shaped tomb.
General view of site with crescent-shaped tomb in foreground, around the circular tomb, with pit tomb in distance.	General view with circular tomb in foreground and crescent-shaped tomb behind.	One capstone remains in situ covering a section of the circular tomb.	Placed stones encircle the pit tomb, capstones stockpiled along the fence in the background.
Opposite view of the pit tomb with stones that may have covered tombs in the background.