Overview

• The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi announced the find during this year’s excavations, recovering the plaque from the courtyard of a house within the monastic complex on Sir Bani Yas Island.
• The cross measures about 27 cm by 17 cm and roughly 2 cm thick, with a stepped pyramid evoking Golgotha and leaves at the base that researchers describe as distinct regional motifs.
• Comparisons with pieces from Iraq and Kuwait indicate ties to the Church of the East, placing the Gulf site within a wider early Christian network.
• Researchers plan radiocarbon dating and expanded excavation of nearby courtyard houses to refine the site’s chronology and use, with a visitor route considered as a future possibility.
• UAE officials highlighted the discovery as evidence of long-standing religious diversity, as the current season also documented pottery and glass finds around the monastery.