Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Marine fossils, sea shellfishes unearthed in Jaalan

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Marine fossils and sea shellfishes as well as old sites have been discovered in the Wilayat of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali by a group of young Omani men.


Haitham bin Salim bin Nasser al Auraimi, an enthusiast of archeological discoveries and who was part of the group, said: “We headed towards the valleys located north-east of the Wilayat of Jaalan Bani Bu Ali. Our aim was to explore one of the highest mountains containing much of the geological history of Oman and uncover marine fossils dating back millions of years.”


The hill is located in the north-east of the wilayat near Wadi Al Tarfa, 50 km from the wilayat’s centre and 15 km from the sea. It is 600-800 metres above the sea level. The hill contains shellfishes and fossil coral reefs dating back to Permian era (200 years BC), which indicates it was under sea long ago. Dr Mohammed al Kindi, a lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University, said the sea urchin fossil dates back more than 66 million years. “This discovery gives a clear idea of how the geography of Oman was like long time ago; it was under water,” he added.


Salih al Ghanboosi


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