Vol 23 no 6 June 2008

DUBAI NATURAL HISTORY GROUP PO Box 9234, ,

DNHG Membership Members’ News DNHG Membership remains a bar- Thank You! Keep in Touch! Farewell, too, to biology teacher gain at Dhs.100 for couples and Dh. Tom Horton, a regular on some of 50 for singles. You can join or re- our more out-of-the-way field trips, new at our meetings or by sending who is taking up a teaching position us your details and a cheque made in Shanghai. Tom is looking forward out to: Lloyds TSB Bank account to continuing his interest in fossils no. 60600669933501. (Please note and paleontology is areas of west- we cannot cash cheques made out ern China where landmark finds to the DNHG. Please also note our have been made in recent years. account number has changed.) Next month’s Gazelle will include Membership taken now will be good an article by Tom on fossil remains for the period through to August from the time of the Tethys Sea in 2009. Steve, Rachel, Daniel and Johanna Raynor Wadi Hitan, Egypt. DNHG membership entitles you to This month we sadly farewell Jo, Colin Paskins reports going shell- participate in field trips and helps Steve, Rachel and Daniel Raynor ing in , taking the 'old' coast pay for our lecture hall, publication who will be moving to Oman and road from Quriyat towards Sur. He and distribution of our monthly living in Madinat Al Ilam. Over the wrote, “There is a massive highway newsletter, the Gazelle, additions to years, the Raynor family have con- under construction to replace it. The our library, incidental expenses of tributed a lot to the DNHG. Jo and first town you come to is Dibab. To speakers and occasional special Rachel have been responsible for the left of this, facing the sea, is a book sales at each meeting, a great school. If you take the track to the convenience for members. They left of the school you reach a stony have presented talks and con- beach which is very rich - some- This month’s ducted many short trips looking at times - in shells. Surprisingly, they Contributors desert ecology and some long ones usually survive being washed up to such places as the elephant over the rocks.” The Editor would like to thank trackways at Mleiha, where Steve the following for their reports was instrumental in measuring and and contributions: recording the position and align- Colin Paskins ment of the tracks. They will be Anne-Marie Bui sorely missed. Carol Goodwright Cecile Javelle We will need a replacement book Valerie Chalmers sales person, so if any member Gary Feulner would like to do that, please contact Jan Fischer Valerie Chalmers, and you will be David Palmer enthusiastically welcomed!

Under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan

Trips and Reports Page 2

Summer Activities All received vouchers from Ma- grudy’s and our grateful thanks to Members’ Night has been post- Magrudy’s for sponsoring the Photo- poned and will be held in Decem- graphic Competition and to Angela ber. That gives you plenty of time to Manthorpe for organising this. think about what you might talk about. Contact Speaker Coordinator The Table Quiz was set by Simon Angela Manthorpe if you have an and Lena Linton. There was actually idea for a presentation on your spe- a tie between The Doors and The Corner but, as the Corner had an cial interest. Animals: Cecile Javelle – Family advantage with Gary being in their Shellers show and swap eve- of Dolphins in Khor ash Sham, team, it was decided that the win- ners were The Doors (Angela and ning with Carol Goodwright Musandam, Oman Stephen Manthorpe, Jenny and Thursday 3rd July at 7.30pm Colin Hill, David Palmer and Tom Horton)!! The winners each received Bring your mystery shells to identify a goodies bag from Oasis Paper or show to other enthusiasts, and Industry which was kindly organized any you have to swap. Please let by Sandhya Prakash. The runners- Carol and Sylais know if you are up – Gary Feulner, Binish, Cecile coming - light supper. Mobile 050 – Javelle, Jean-Paul Berger, Hannah 8716760 / email Carol for instruc- Geology/Landscapes: Angela Gonzales and Clare O’Hare each tions on how to get there: cgood- Manthorpe – Descent into Majilis received a DNHG Poloshirt. Many [email protected] Al Jinn thanks to Simon and Lena for set- ting what was quite a stiff quiz; it Star Gazing with Lamjed certainly got our brains working! Date TBA

This is an easy one and great fun. Lamjed has a huge telescope through which you’ll see things you’ve never seen before. Never- theless, bring your own binoculars and a mat to lie on (or your head Archaeology/Architecture: Carol falls off). Watch this spot and your Goodwright – Entrance to Tomb in email. Hili Gardens, Al Ain ‘The Doors’ End-of-Season Dinner Chalmers towels and caps provided draw prizes for 12 members.

This year’s End-of-Season Dinner and Photographic Competition was Gary presented the Raynor family with a family rock and our grateful held at a new venue – Utsav Res- taurant at The India Club. We were thanks for all the hard work that they have put in over the years. We wish served an excellent Indian buffet which was carefully selected by them all the very best for their move to Oman. Pradeep Radhakrishna and 43 members attended the function. At the end of the evening, Gary Our thanks to Pradeep for arranging for the group to hold the function at made a presentation to Simon Lin- ton of a photograph of his late the India Club. Culture and Heritage: David mother Pam Linton, taken by Mo- In our photographic competition en- Palmer – Goats in Wadi Khabb hammed Arfan Asif at a previous tries were received for all five cate- ash Shamsi End-of-Season Function, in remem- brance of her. Pam was a DNHG gories and the winners were: member for several years and at- Best Photo Overall: Mohammed tended many lectures and events. Arfan Asif – Bee Eaters. Moham- med received the DNHG trophy. Email your field reports and news to [email protected], (Arial 10 Plants: Tom Horton – Water justified) and send your photographs Lilies in Botswana as separate jpg files, or deliver them (next column) to Anne for scanning.

Page 3 Field Clips ... A Cultural Experience water from a well, transportation by forms a large part of the rubbish with EMEG boat and camel, and opening pearl that can be found along the beach oysters after the catch. We also had and in the sea. Unfortunately, the In early March, members of DNHG the chance to have close look at weather conditions (strong wind had the privilege of being invited traditional tools utilized by pearl and cloud) did not encourage di- by Major Ali for another visit to divers and merchants. vers to go underwater as visibility Emirates Marine Environmental was much reduced. Group site at Shaikh Ash Shaib We were lucky enough to be wel- near Ghantoot. Soon after arrival, comed by national ladies under After sunset, all the little rabbits of our group of twenty adults and four their tent, where coffee and tea the camp came out of their shelter, children were shown a film of the were prepared and offered accord- scampering around the camp in recent activities of EMEG, and ing to the local customs. This was search of food. Those who had Major Ali explained the early way followed by a session of bread bak- planned to stay overnight strug- of life in the UAE before it became ing following the old method and gled a little to fix their tents se- using traditional utensils, and a dis- curely as the wind did not stop as modern as it is at present. play of some kitchenware such as blowing until late. grindstones and coffee roasters. Major Ali had mentioned that it Later, the group were given the op- was the time of year when sea portunity of planting out a mangrove turtles used to come at night to lay sapling to afforest a belt of the eggs on the beach. The next EMEG site that used to be a man- morning, while walking along the grove area. sea, we very much hoped to find traces of their visits, but alas, there was nothing in sight. The number DNHG visitors with Major Ali (centre) of turtles returning to this beach for nesting has declined year after While pursuing their work in con- year, according to EMEG’s re- servation and marine issues, cords. This is not surprising when EMEG have also initiated an edu- we see how this coastal region is cation programme that is open to bitten by development. youth of various schools in the Emirates, as well as to adults – Regrettably, EMEG camp has lost residents and visitors. Their objec- its lovely tranquillity since a rec- tive in introducing the traditions Planting mangroves reation facility opened next door, and culture of the UAE is to make invading the area with deafening the public aware of the role played Major Ali showed us the last dhubs music, especially Friday nights, by nature in providing necessary that were rescued and placed under the entire night. And opposite resources to previous generations the care of his team. EMEG camp, construction of Palm that allowed them to live and to Island is in full swing; from this survive during difficult times. side of the sea, one can hear the Nowadays, thanks to modern tech- persistent noise of the chain of nology, this close tie between men trucks, tractors and other ma- and nature has become less per- chines, even during week ends. ceptible, but not less important, since the delicate balance be- In spite of a busy schedule, Val- tween man and environment must erie Chalmers spent some time be preserved. with the group in the afternoon, took photographs and made a list of plants (available if you email her Dhubs are placid creatures for it). From the group that visited

Sadly, EMEG will no longer be able the EMEG camp, many thanks to to collect these creatures and other Major Ali for his hospitality and reptiles from the various construc- generosity as usual, and for offer- tion sites, because they are facing ing us a full day of interesting cul- difficulties in finding suitable habi- tural experiences! Also thanks to tats to which they can release them, MaryAnn Pardoe for co-ordinating every plot of land now being the visit (and for preparing the camp fire). Thanks to Anne-Marie claimed for development. Learning how to open oysters Bui for text and to Carol Good-

Our group was able to experience As planned, some people of our wright and Cecile Javelle for pho- various tasks that were part of group took time to do beach clean- tographs.

daily activities, such as drawing ing. We noticed that plastic jetsam

Field Clips... Page 4 Sundarbans Forest Trip were not a significant problem; esti- mates ran from a few to none.

A measure of the success of this trip to West Bengal is that all of Some of the the participants wished they had Sunderbans team booked additional time in this fas- in Kolkata cinating part of the world.

It was a year ago that Dr. Reza Khan lectured on the Sundarbans region of India and Bangladesh, an inter-tidal forest occupying the more people and detail in view at vast and many-channeled mouth The expedition team any given time than the mind can of the Ganges-Brahmaputra wa- absorb. Once outside the city, the tershed – the largest and most In most of the Sundarbans, it is not drive across the countryside to diverse mangrove forest in the permitted for visitors to enter the Sundarbans revealed a world of world, with more than 30 man- mangroves on foot or even in canals, mud brick berms, family grove plant species (more than smaller boats – not least because plots with small ponds, rice fields, half the world total) and a cast of the Royal Bengal tiger has earned fish farming, tanneries and smoking larger animals including croco- a reputation as a man-eater and will heaps of scrap leather, and the tall diles, monkeys, wild boar, spotted not hesitate to attack in those situa- chimneys of brick kilns, punctuated deer, monitor lizards, Olive Ridley tions. Moreover, the Sundarbans is by village markets with flocks of turtles and the Royal Bengal tiger. a World Heritage Site and within bicycle porters – all this unfolding to The Sundarbans tiger population India it has a core zone that is off- the raucous accompaniment of our is the largest in the world, cur- limits even to local people, without bus horn as the driver hurtled rently estimated at more than 550. a permit. From our boat we were through. The ecological importance of man- nevertheless able to closely inspect grove forests (inter-tidal coastal or several sets of recent tiger tracks in Perhaps most memorable of all, we estuarine forests) globally is in- shoreline mud, as well as an estua- were in the Sundarbans for Bengali rine crocodile, mud skippers, and New Year, and were able to wit- creasingly well-known. more than 3 dozen bird species ness the late afternoon celebrations (plus another dozen or so in and in two villages near our accommo- around inhabited village areas on dation. Colorful ceremonies in- the fringe of the reserve). From pro- volved drums, tambourines, in- tected concrete watchtowers and cense, flowers, offerings, blessings elevated walkways on land we were and elaborately costumed charac- able to observe spotted deer, moni- ters, followed by a show of faith tor lizards, monkeys, various rap- (auguring luck for the coming year) tors and the large lesser adjutant in the form of a succession of stork. young men who jumped from a bamboo scaffold onto an out- Mid-sized channel in the mangroves stretched net poised over a set of knife blades (only semi-symbolic). Among other things, the trip was intended to be a more concrete introduction to the mangrove envi- ronment in general and the Sun- derbans forest in particular. Travel within the forest was by 60-foot boat, reserved for our group, with an expert local guide (a former Guide points to tiger tracks honey gatherer and poacher) and regular tea service. Accommoda- Notwithstanding the unique charac- tion within Sundarbans was at the ter of the Sundarbans environment, Bengali New Year celebrations Sundarbans Tiger Lodge, the most there was enthusiastic agreement upscale of a small number of tour- that cultural aspects deserved For some of us, this was followed ist camps, a charming place with equal mention as highlights of this by a cheerful introduction to the A/C cabins, landscaped grounds short excursion. Kolkata (Calcutta) details of life in a scrupulously and good food. Contrary to some must surely rank as one of the most clean mud brick home. advance concerns, mosquitoes ‘colorful' cities of the world, with

Page 5 Field Clips & Reviews We owe special thanks to Pradeep wards people swam or sunbathed in and Anindita Radhakrishna for fol- the afternoon sun. We returned to Dubai Natural lowing through with the idea of a Dibba Oman in the late afternoon. History Group Sundarbans trip, despite the effort As we came into the harbour, we and the obstacles; and to their noticed that the fishermen had just Recorders friend Joydeep Ghosal of Kolkata, landed their catch. who organized and led our itinerary, Reptiles - Dr Reza Khan an elegant and sophisticated ad- res 344 8283 venturer who in "real life" leads out- off 344 0462 door educational expeditions for the fax (off) 349 9437 Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. Report by Gary Feulner, Archaeology - David Palmer photographs by Gary and Joydeep 050-7387703 Ghosal office direct line: 04-2072636 [email protected] Dhow Birds - David Bradford trip from Dibba. Fisherman sort their very varied catch [email protected] The dhow trip which took place on A crowd had gathered on the quay Astronomy - Lamjed El-Kefi Saturday 31st May, got off to a dis- side and we soon joined them and res: 06-5247 958 appointing start. The already de- admired the variety of fish that had off: 06-5583 003 pleted group assembled on the been brought in – tuna, parrot fish, email: [email protected] quay side at the appointed depar- squid and shark among them. ture time, only to be told by the lo- Marine Life - Lamjed El-Kefi cal organisers that the excursion was now to be a half-day and Geology - Gary Feulner wouldn’t leave until 11.00! We re- res 306 5570 treated to a nearby hotel for coffee fax 330 3550 and took a walk along the beach until the appointed departure time. Insects – Gary Feulner Once aboard the beautiful, air- Fossils - Valerie Chalmers conditioned dhow, our disappoint- res 349 4816, ments were set aside as we left fax 340 0990 Dibba harbour and sailed up the email: [email protected] coast for about 45 minutes before Sharks

anchoring in a safe inlet, where we Report & photographs by Carol Plants – Valerie Chalmers could swim or snorkel. Goodwright

Mammals & Seashells - Recorders needed! Book Review:

The recorders are not necessarily Snakes of Arabia: A Field guide to scientific experts in their designated the Snakes of the Arabian Penin- fields. In fact, most are not. However, sula and its Shores by Damien they are interested and knowledgeable Egan. amateurs - please contact them if you have any interesting reports or queries. It's easy to recommend this field guide, which is comprehensive, The intention is that information will be The Musamdam coast is a series of clearly written and well illustrated channelled through to the Gazelle editor, lovely bays with photographs and drawings, so new information can be shared with even though many readers may be all our readers. The water was very warm and invit- reluctant to get close enough to ing, though not particularly refresh- snakes in the field to check some of ing from the intense heat of the day. the finer points. It also seems to The dhow’s motor launch was at reflect the enthusiasm of the author our disposal and it ferried people to for his scaly subjects. (Many DNHG the beach to look for shells and members will remember Damien later up the coast a little further to a Egan as a knowledgeable and en- nearby fishing village. The on-board gaging speaker on Arabian snakes.) lunch was very good and after-

Reviews & Reports Page 6

Apart from identification, I found a visiting, to find out what the others about 28,000 years before pre- wealth of new information in the are doing, and to discuss the sent, while material in the vicinity guide about the habits and habitats emerging big picture. of layers C and D produced a date of various snakes, including species of about 85,000 years ago. It’s that I see regularly. For example, Palaeolithic possible that further excavations the guide tells us that the normal will yield even older evidence. prey of wadi racers "succumbs to There were lots of interesting up- toxic saliva after being "chewed" dates on on-going excavations. With this one result, the pre-history upon for several seconds", but the Probably the most newsworthy was of the UAE has been extended by snakes are "harmless to the very first one presented on the ten times. It is an important finding and bites result in itching for a short Thursday evening by Hans-Peter also with regard to the routes that time." (One wonders how this Uerpmann in characteristic low-key beings took out of , knowledge was gained.) Similarly, I manner. Uerpmann reported on and Uerpmann’s team has tried to learned that the local carpet viper results from two seasons of digging compare the Sharjah stone-tool (now distinguished as the Oman in front of a rock shelter on the west findings with those of similar age carpet viper, Echis omanensis), side of Jebel Faya by the Tubingen- from Africa, but so far there don’t which I have always commended as Sharjah team. appear to be similarities. This may an even-tempered, rather phleg- indicate that the palaeolithic resi- matic viper, is "highly aggressive" Jebel Faya is between dents of the UAE developed their by night and "will not hesitate to and Mleiha, just along the road to- own culture, and were not just bite." wards Dhaid from Jebel Buheis, passing through on their way from where the same team excavated a Africa to Asia. This volume is the first serious field large necropolis for several guide published by Motivate since years. Uerpmann talked to the Copper smelting in Wadi Hilo some of the early volumes of its DNHG a few years ago about the Arabian Heritage Series, released in spectacular Buheis findings, some Another interesting report by Uerp- the late 1980s (The Living Desert, of which are now on display in the mann was from the copper mining Mammals of the Southern Gulf, The Sharjah Archaeological Museum. and smelting site in Wadi Hilo, Living Seas) – most now out-of-print also in Sharjah emirate. The site and off the shelves. It is branded as Until now the oldest securely dat- lies between the modern town of an "Arabian Heritage Guide" so per- able traces of human occupation in Wadi Al Hilo and the tunnel on the haps in time we can look forward to the UAE have been neolithic, dating new road from Sharjah to Kalba. It a few more. back less than ten thousand years, has been excavated over the last

such as those found on Marawah two years by a German team led The book is available at local book- Island in Abu Dhabi, which have by Johannes Kutterer. The site stores including Magrudy's, Bor- been the subject of talks to the was visited several years ago on a ders, etc., as well as from Moti- DNHG by Mark Beech. Uerpmann, DNHG field trip led by Gary Feul- vate's own retail shop in Garhoud, like others, has been convinced for ner. near Compu-Me, just next to Chil- some time that there is evidence of ies' restaurant and around the cor- palaeolithic occupation in the UAE, A vein of copper ore which runs ner from Irish Village. Review by especially along the western edge across this wadi was exploited in Gary Feulner th of the Hajar mountains, and this the early Um al Nar period (4 mil- year for the first time he has pro- lennium BC). Excavations have duced datable finds. revealed the foundations of stone Archeology Symposium held in Al Ain buildings which were probably Pushing back the history of the workshops, and the base of an

UAE ancient watchtower (thought at Part 1 of David Palmer’s Report: first to be a circular tomb) next to Under the Iron Age and neolithic the restored modern one. A cast- Several DNHG members attended layers at Jebel Faya, Uerpmann’s this year’s symposium on recent ing pit and some huge copper in- team found four - or possibly five - gots were found. As the DNHG archaeological discoveries in the deeper layers containing evidence UAE, held in the hotel field trippers observed long before of the working of stone tools (cores, the excavation, many pieces of on a Thursday evening and Friday scrapers, flakes etc.), which they morning in early April. This was the stone at the site bear circular in- labeled (from top to bottom) A dentations caused by the crushing fifth such event in a series which through E. Some of the inorganic started in 2003 (no conference was of copper ore on them using material in these layers was dated smaller stones. From the amount held last year). The annual event, using the Optical Solar Lumines- which is organized by the Zayed of slag that still litters the ground cence method, which is able to de- the excavators estimate that 20 to Center for Heritage and History, is a termine when it was last exposed to chance for archaeologists working 40 tons of copper were produced the sun. The most recent palaeo- at the site. in the UAE, both permanent and lithic layer (A) produced a date of

Page 7 dnhg committee 2008

name tel home tel office fax Chairman Gary Feulner 306 5570 330 3600 330 3550 messages: 306 5300 Vice Chairman Valerie Chalmers 349 4816 no calls pls 340 0990 email: [email protected] Treasurer Lena Linton 050-474 3595 email: [email protected] Membership Secretary Anindita Radhakrishna 282 3952 050-656 9165 email: [email protected] Speaker Co-ordinator Angela Manthorpe 288 6232 050-645 1743 email: [email protected] Fieldtrip Co-ordinator Pradeep Radhakrishna 282 3952 050-450 8496 email: [email protected] Fieldtrip Co-ordinator Jenny Hill 050 8861508 email: [email protected] Fieldtrip Co-ordinator Sandhya Prakash 050-5512481 348 2868 email:[email protected] Special Projects Beryl Comar 344 2243 344 2243 email: [email protected] Newsletter Editor Anne Millen 394 7076 no calls please 394 7075 email: [email protected] Publisher Peter van Amsterdam 394 7076 335 5495 394 7075 email: [email protected] Librarian Librarian needed!

Book Sales Book sales person needed!

Postmaster Sandi Ellis 050-644 2682 email:[email protected] Chief Engineer Jesse Ellis 050-8993413 email:[email protected]

Re-excavating a pit-grave at Hili burned on top of the tomb. In eight those found at Ras Al Hadd (of seasons of investigation the turtles fame), also excavated by Sophie Mery from the French Ar- French team has found 2200 the French, indicating a common chaeological Mission to the UAE items in the tomb, including 900 culture with sites in Oman at this reported on their excavations at Hili pottery vessels. period. Thanks to David Palmer near Al Ain. They have determined who continues with part 2 of his that there were four phases of con- A fishing camp in UAQ report in the July-August issue of struction of the monumental tombs Gazelle there between 2700 and 2000 BC. Sophie Mery also reported on the In particular, the team has been re- results of four seasons of work on excavating Tomb N, which is inside Akab Island, directly across the the walled area of the Hili archaeo- water from the old town of Um Al logical park and was previously ex- Quwain. The settlement there, cavated in the 1980s. which is nearly 7000 years old and was occupied for hundreds of Tomb N is a long pit-grave, unlike years, was discovered in 1989. More Members’ News the circular above-ground ones The inhabitants built a succession more common at Hili, and dates of light circular structures, leaving In late May, Judith Stafford was from the end of the Um al Nar pe- large numbers of post holes for surprised to be told that there was riod, just before the cultural shift archaeologists to find. They ex- an owl walking around in the car- that introduced the Wadi Suq pe- ploited the resources of the la- park near her building in Karama. riod. There were at least 600 burials goon, kept sheep, cows and dogs, On investigation, she did indeed in the tomb during the one to two and had the technological re- find a very large owl but in such a hundred years that it was in use. sources to fish in the open sea for dark corner that she could not There is evidence of a high inci- tuna. The findings at Akab Island really say what colour it was or dence of young deaths, presumably include a large number of craft describe it. She wonders if owls from infectious diseases. When objects such as beads, with many are common in Dubai, and if so, more space was required in the parallels to finds in Oman, such as what species? tomb, old bones were removed and

Dubai Natural History Group Programme

Lectures at Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, 7.30 for 8.00pm

Sep 14 The Rodents and Small Mammals of the Arabian Peninsular – Bjorn Jordan

Field Trips (Members only, please. Details inside.)

Jul 3 Shell enthusiasts’ show & swap evening with Carol Goodwright

Additional trips, details and changes may be announced by e-mail circular.

From: DNHG, PO Box 9234, Dubai, UAE