Looking for Tawam Through the Sand: Geophysical Investigations at Oud Al Toba, Al-Ain, UAE

Since they have been developed in the last few decades geophysical techniques have rarely been applied on archaeology in the United Arab Emirates. This article presents a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of an Early Islamic site in Al Ain (8-10th centuries AD), which has been tentatively identified as ancient ‘Tawam’, the old name of Al Ain. The previous archaeological investigations at the site (1999-2000), without applying geophysical surveys at the site, will be briefed whilst the results of the GPR surveys (2011-2013) and sub-sequent test-excavations are provided. Ariel photos of 1968 shows the area of the site covered with sand dunes which seems to have been bulldozed and leveled off shortly afterwards.