The Abiel Coin is one of the oldest discovered in the UAE, but age isn’t its most remarkable aspect.
Crafted from a silver alloy and probably minted in Sharjah’s Mleiha area, it dates from 300 BC to 100 AD and is a stunning example of the cross-cultural exchange between ancient Arabian and Hellenistic traditions.
The coin is part of the collection at Zayed National Museum, which is due to open on December 3. It is a highlight piece of Through Our Connections, a gallery tracing the region’s developments from the Iron Age to the spread of Islam.
The Abiel Coin plainly depicts its dual influences. Its imagery, although reminiscent of Greek designs, has been uniquely adapted for a local context.
“Alexander the Great did not pass through this region, he passed above the Gulf, but his influence trickled down,” says Ammar Al Banna, an associate curator at the museum. “The Abiel Coin is based off coins of Alexander the Great. They follow the same template, but there are changes.”
Whereas the coins of Alexander the Great depicted the Macedonian king wearing a lion’s pelt, alluding to the symbolism associated with the Greek hero Herakles, the coin at Zayed National Museum shows an unknown person of power, also wearing a similar headdress.
Its inscription of the Aramaic word “abiel” – a royal title – is in lieu of Alexander’s name. Some interpretations suggest that “abiel” was a female ruler, or a line of rulers of the same name.
The back of the coin features similarly fascinating differences. The figure of the god Zeus was depicted on Alexander’s coins, alongside an eagle. The Abiel Coin, however, shows the sun deity, Shams, as well as a horse – further examples of how Hellenistic iconography was replaced with local alternatives.
“They are expressing their identity through this coin,” Al Banna says.
While the Abiel Coin was unearthed in Umm Al Quwain, moulds found in Mleiha suggest that the coin was minted locally. “It might have been a hub for minting coins during that time period,” Al Banna says. “The coin is very interesting and through it, we explain and break down how this region is interacting with the wider scope.”
Each of the objects within Through Our Connections elucidates this point, highlighting a diversity of connections and histories.
A small ceramic cup, unearthed in Hili in Al Ain, shows how the 3,000 year-old falaj irrigation system – still found across the country – was significant to the ancient communities of the region.
The cup, dating from between 1000 and 600 BCE, is one of the oldest artefacts in the gallery. It features five engraved symbols, believed to be a representation of the falaj. Another etching seems to represent a sundial, which was used to track time and regulate water distribution.
“For the falaj to be depicted on a normal ceramic cup shows how it was used day-to-day,” Al Banna says. “It was not made out of gold or preserved in a temple. It's something that that's very utilised.
“These depictions, we believe, signify a complete falaj system covering a sundial, the channels that are plotted, and the stoppers to channel and manage water.”
A 15th century copy of Pliny's Naturalis Historia is another highlight of Through Our Connections.
Written 2,000 years by Gaius Plinius Secundus, a Roman author who is known as Pliny the Elder, the Naturalis Historia is regionally significant as it contains, within its account of the natural world, details of the ports, landscapes and people of the Arabian Gulf. Pliny describes the region as “inferior to no country throughout the whole world” and “equally fertile to the countries of Italy”.
“It's a book from the 15th century that covers the work of Pliny that was done in the first century, but he’s talking about Arabia in general even before his time,” Al Banna says. “He talks about how in Arabia you can find frankincense, and how it played a huge role in these trade routes that were coming through from Yemen to our region and throughout the Arabian Peninsula as well.”
Through Our Connections comes to a close with the founding of Islam in the 7th century, showing how the faith profoundly impacted life and culture in the region and beyond. One work within the gallery that exemplifies this influence is the bifolio from the Blue Quran.
Dating from the 9th century and distinguished by its indigo-dyed parchment and gold Kufic script, the Blue Quran’s origins have been hotly debated, but it is generally thought that the 600-folio work was produced in Al Andalus, Spain.
The Blue Quran has long inspired awe for its craftsmanship, as well as intrigue. Recent research by the Zayed National Museum uncovered text from beneath its gold-leaf inscriptions.
“Through one of the researches, we uncovered that there is an actual text behind the text that is seen,” Al Banna says. “We understood that it initially started as something else, as other verses, which were then, for some reason, changed and covered into a new folio of verses.
“This is another route we try to shed light on,” he adds. “We do cover the historical context, the archeological context, but the Blue Quran also hints at the more scientific aspects of what we do behind the scenes.”
