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Ubar

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Summary of Article
Ubar was once an ancient city of tremendous wealth and commerce located on the Arabian peninsula in what is now Oman. Legend says that Allah became displeased with the wickedness of its citizens and buried the city under a wave of sand. Ubar remained lost for thousands of years until the coordinated efforts of archaeologist Nicholas Clapp, NASA scientist Dr. Ronald Blom, and a team of explorers discovered the mysterious city almost a decade ago. This article explains how these discoverers combined the science of archaeology with the technology of remote sensing to uncover the remains of Ubar.

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Suggested Age/Grade Levels
Age Level: 13 - 18
Grade Level: 7th grade - 12th grade
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Related Topics
Earth Science
Students can investigate how modern remote sensing technology is applied to traditional sciences like archaeology. Students can also discuss how limestone beneath the city might have led to the collapse of Ubar. Space Science
Students can learn how satellite remote sensing is used in modern scientific research. Social Studies
Students can investigate the Arabian Peninsula and learn about the countries, cultures, landscapes, and bordering oceans.
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Objectives
After studying the article, students should be able to:

Find the ancient city of Ubar (Oman) on a globe.
Identify the export that made Ubar such a rich city.
Describe the environment of the Arabian Peninsula and determine why Ubar was such a challenge to find.
Explain how Ubar was finally discovered.
Describe how Ubar collapsed.
List new discoveries from the lost city.

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Classroom Activities
To learn more about how remote sensing is used to observe and locate things on Earth, check out Eyes in the Sky. This article gives a hands-on approach to learning how remote sensing can help in assessing the damage caused by natural disasters. Two activities are featured. These include activities on the flood of the Mississippi River and the wildfires of Yellowstone National Park.
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Questions for Discussion
Q: Why was Ubar such a wealthy city?
A: Ubar produced and exported frankincense, a sweet-smelling incense as valuable as gold. Frankincense was used as a fragrance, for medicinal purposes, and for embalming. It was in high demand and was exported to Alexandria, Jerusalem, Damascus, and beyond to the western Mediterranean.

Q: If Ubar was so famous, why was it not found for thousands of years?
A: Ubar was thought to be located in or near the Rub' al Khali (Empty Quarter), a great sand sea in the southern Arabian Peninsula. This area is as big as Texas with sand dunes over 600 feet high. Searching this large an area would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Q: How did NASA help in the discovery of the lost city?
A: Scientists were able to find distinct tracks through the desert using images from remote sensing satellites. These tracks were thought to be ancient caravan tracks, and they all converged at one location. It was in this location that the investigating team found the lost city of Ubar.

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Quiz
Click here for an Ubar quiz.
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Just the Facts
Ubar was a wealthy exporting city buried for thousands of years in the Arabian Peninsula.

Ubar was discovered through the collaborative efforts of archaeology and modern technology.

The technology used in the search for Ubar included radar imaging from the space shuttle, Landsat imagery, high-resolution data from a French satellite, and sophisticated image processing techniques.

The demise of Ubar may have come when the lost city collapsed into a limestone cavern beneath its foundation.

Investigations at the Ubar archaeological site are still being conducted.

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Links to Relevant Web Sites and Additional Resources

http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/ubar/ubar_7.html

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Vocabulary
frankincense: a sweet-smelling incense used as a fragrance, for medicinal purposes, and for embalming; the major export of Ubar.
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For Fun
Just for fun, play our Ubar Wordsearch game.
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