SAM showcases 100 artifacts depicting life thousands of years ago

October 20, 2025 / 2:51 PM

Sharjah24: Alya Al Khayyal, Curator of the Sharjah Archaeology Museum (SAM), announced the opening of the exhibition “From Stone: Tools That Shaped Ages and Made History in Qatar” on Monday. The showcase takes visitors on a journey through human life in the Gulf thousands of years ago, featuring over 100 original artifacts, including tools and burials dating back to the Stone Age and the pre-Islamic period. The exhibition will run until April 30, 2026.

Rare discoveries revealed for the first time

Al Khayyal explained that several pieces are being displayed for the first time, such as stone tools and grave goods buried alongside their owners, as well as rare cases of camel burials. The exhibition also highlights the efforts of the Danish archaeological mission, which began excavations in Qatar in 1956.

Cross-gulf cultural collaboration

The curator noted that the collaboration between the Sharjah Museums Authority and Qatar Museums sheds light on the shared lifestyles and tool-making techniques between the two regions. One of the exhibition’s key highlights is a stone axe head discovered in Jebel Faya, Sharjah, estimated to date back 125,000 years, demonstrating early human innovation in the region.

Interactive and educational experience

The exhibition includes an interactive children’s area, designed to allow young visitors to touch, test, and explore the ancient tools in an engaging and educational way. In addition, immersive visual and museum displays enhance the visitor’s connection to the historical narrative.

Preserving the region’s human heritage

The exhibition is part of the ongoing efforts by the Sharjah Museums Authority and Qatar Museums to present a clear and accessible story of human history in the region, while emphasising the importance of cultural cooperation in preserving and passing this rich heritage to future generations.