Wadi Safarfir (Copper Valley) |
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In 1984, Wadi Safarfir was surveyed by archaeologists who discovered the remains of an old settlement and a graveyard. They also came across a far more fascinating find, an early Islamic copper mine shaft. In near vicinity to the mine, they found roasting pits, furnaces and slag fields, which further proved that this place was a site of an extensive copper mining industry.
Already during the Bronze Age (second millennium BC), the Arabic Peninsula was well known as a copper supplier and some old Sumerian scripts refer to this area as Land of Magan. It is known that copper mined in the Hajar Mountains was exported to Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Once the trade in the Indus region declined, Land of Magan lost its importance and copper was imported from other lands. The revival of the industry was witnessed in the early Islamic Period (around 9th-11th centuries), with the ruling of Abbasids in the region. The Arabic Peninsula was once again a part of a larger trading route, and at that time of development the demand for copper, necessary to produce weapons and household items, was high.
About 1000 years ago, in Wadi Safarfir and other locations in the Arabic Peninsula, copper ore was mined and smelted into ingots. Those copper ingots were probably transported to the Eastern Coast of the Peninsula, and from there distributed along the trade routes to production areas in the Abbasid Empire.
The production of copper ingots must have been a tremendous effort. Firstly, the mined ore was crushed and roasted in shallow pits to burn off sulphur. Then it was placed in furnaces, which were heated up to temperatures of 1200oC, required for the copper to melt. About 300kg of charcoal was needed to produce 1kg of copper by smelting 30kg of sulphide ore; thus, this area must have been overgrown with trees. Additionally goatskin bellows were used to pump air into the fire. Once copper was in a liquid form called copper matte, it was tapped out of the furnace and copper ingots were obtained.
On the south bank on the wadi, less than 3km from the main tarmac road, you can still find the above mentioned mine shaft from the 10th century, surrounded by the remains of the mine buildings. This shaft now looks like a large ditch around 3m in diameter and 5m deep, with no obvious means of access. The area is covered with spoil and broken ore, which created a group of mounds so high that the mine must have been larger than what we can see today. It probably had other horizontal shafts that are covered today. On the soil around the shaft you can see many small copper nuggets, the pieces that remained from the copper production. Although copper is initially reddish, it turns green when it oxidizes, and thus, pieces of the greenish ore can be seen about everywhere.
In the area nearby the shaft, you can find the remains of the dwellings or mine buildings. On the slope, there is a line of steps that led up from the wadi bed to the mine. Less than one kilometre before, and also further down the wadi, there are slag fields, waste from the copper processing. In this area you will come across large and deep circles of stones, which were probably used to store the raw material for roasting. Although the remains of the roasting pits and furnaces were initially discovered by the archaeologists, they are now largely gone. Along the wadi, you can also find the remains of old stone built houses and an old graveyard.
Nowadays, this place seems to be forgotten and hardly anyone visits this valley. What is more, not many people know where Wadi Safarfir is, or that the area was a site of the extensive early Islam copper mining industry. The inhabitants of Wadi Al Qawr and other surrounding wadis are completely unaware of the rich past of this area. Wadi Safarfir is a rather wide valley and a tributary to Wadi Al Qawr, by which name it is often referred to. Near the entrance to the wadi, a number of farms were established and recently some new houses were constructed changing the appearance of this place . The majority of finds discovered in the 1980s are not there to be seen anymore, probably covered by the rocks and also by the new farms. Nevertheless, the signs of the copper mining are still evident and they can be seen by visitors.
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LOCATION: southern part of Ras Al Khaimah, it is a tributary of Wadi Al Qawr. Start your journey from the roundabout at Huwaylat (directions above, in the Wadi Al Qawr section). From the Huwaylat R/A, head south in the direction of Hatta, it is a first exit at the roundabout if you arrive from Munay’i. After 2.3km driving on the winding road, the road bends sharply to the left. The entrance to Wadi Safarfir is directly in front of you as you approach that curve. There is a dirt track leading down on a gentle slope into the wadi. Bear left and head towards the farms visible in the distance. After about 1km, on the left side there is an open field where copper slag can be seen near the foot of the mountains. 1km further from there, up on the hill on the south (left) side of the wadi, a copper mine shaft is located. If you progress further down the wadi, you can see the remains of old houses, a graveyard and more slag fields. GPS: Copper mine shaft–N24o52’ 59.02“ E56o08.04.20“ PERIOD: around 10th century AD
NOTE: the name of Safarfir is not used anymore by the villagers in the area, thus they may be unfamiliar with its location. Locally, Wadi Safarfir is considered to be Wadi Al Qawr, although in truth, it is only a tributary to this larger wadi. 4WD is necessary to pass through the wadi.
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