Pearls Part 3: Diving into the Past

The last post in our three part pearls series is all about Qatar’s pearling history. We dive into (and yes I have been waiting to say that for this entire series!) pearling settlements, equipment and the life onboard a pearling dhow. Come with me as we explore the pearl industry in Qatar.

Long before natural gas, oil, tourism and hosting international sporting events, there was pearl diving. Pearl diving was the main economic driver of Qatar and much of the Gulf prior to the discovery of oil in the 20th century. Settlements were built around the ports of where the fleets of ships would leave to go on their dives. Fortunes were made from these dives for the pearl merchants.

How old is the oldest discovered pearl? Was it in the 1800s? Nope. The 1700s then? No, it is older than that. The 1500s then? Still no. The oldest recorded pearl is from Neolithic period (you know making it approximately 8000 years old). It was discovered during an excavation at Marawah Island, off of the west coast of the UAE. It measured only 3mm in length and is evidence of pearl trade in the Gulf at that time. (Smithsonian Magazine)

Take a moment to think about how outstanding it is to find a pearl that is 8000 years old! We all have jewellery that has barely survived 8 years before it is is damaged, let along 8000. We also need to consider that pearls are a soft gem (only 2.5 on Moh’s Scal of Hardness) and thus are easily damaged. It is really quite remarkable that such an old pearl was found.

As I mentioned above, settlements were built where the ships would leave to go pearl fishing or pearling. One of Qatar’s oldest pearling settlement is also an archaeological site inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. Do you know the name of it? Any guesses? I will give you a hint, it is better known as a fort today. ow can you name it? If you guessed Al Zubarah, you are correct! Bravo! Al Zubarah Archeological Site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013 and is part of the Qatar Museums Authority. For more information about visiting the site click here.

The town of Zubarah was founded in the 1760s. It was one of Qatar’s first pearling settlements and was at the centre of the Qatar’s pearling industry. It was also one of the main centres for the industry in the Gulf.

The Al Zubarah Archeological Site has allowed archeologists to get a clear picture of what the pearling industry was like in the 18th and 19th century.  A few items that have been discovered are “divers’ weights, the remains of a pearl merchant’s chest, even an oyster shell complete with a pearl!” (Gulf Times) Although that pearl may not be 8000 years old, still being inside of an oyster is remarkable.

Fast-forward a few decades to the start of the 19th century, there were multiple pearling settlements appearing throughout the northern part of Qatar. They included but were not limited to Jumail, Fuwairit and Furaihah. 

Jumail or Al Jumail as it is known today is another one of those pearling settlements you can still go and visit. Al Jumail was abandoned as Qatar developed other industries, mainly oil and natural gas. You can wander through this “ghost town” and possibly find bits of pottery, beads and other remains of the past. A nice bonus, is that there is a beach near by that you can cool you off after exploring in the hot sun.

The life of a pearl diver was not an easy one, and not a safe one. Training to be a pearl diver started as young as 10 years old and took at least five years to become proficient at it. The age of divers ranged from 15 to 60 years old.

Men had to be in extremely good physical condition to be able to handle the 50-60 gruelling dives per day. I would like you to close your eyes and picture this:

It is around mid-morning and your dhow has just anchored in a good spot. You have an empty stomach so you can preserve body heat as you dive.Your equipment is a nose clip carved from horn. You may have leather hand guards to pick the oysters. You may also have a cloth suit to protect you against the jellyfish but this is not always the case. You would have two ropes and bag to collect the oysters. One rope is around your foot with a weight to pull you down to the bottom. Once you had reached the bottom, you would release the weight. The other rope is attached to you or the bag (like the picture on the left) which you pull around collecting oysters. You were under water for about a minute. Once your time is up, you come back to the surface.

Pearl divers did not dive year round. The dive season was from mid-April to the end of September. There were three different dives with the longest one being known as the Great Dive. It lasted about 110-120 days from mid-May and/or the beginning of June and go through to mid-September. The boats would return usually once to replenish supplies but divers were out at sea for a couple of months continuously. If Ramadan fell during the dive season, the dives would stop through the holy month. Even though it was not year round diving, staying on a large dhow in the 1800s for weeks at a time would be a challenge in itself. 

Needless to say, pearling has had a lasting impact on Qatar. We can still see its influence today from the giant pearl statue along the Corniche to the Pearl itself as well as the fantastic exhibit in the National Museum of Qatar. What is your favourite nod to the pearling industry in Qatar? And with that I brings us to the end of our pearl series on the blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have writing about these gems and their history in Qatar. 

Information regarding the life of a pearl diver and the dive seasons was found in Sea of Pearls, by Rovert A. Carter, 2012. You can check it out of the Qatar National Library.

Photo 1: Natural Arabian Gulf Pearls collections / QATAR by Sanjay JS

Photo 2: Al Zubarah (Az Zubara), ruined ancient Arabian town, north-western coast of the Qatar peninsula, Al Shamal. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historical port for trade, pearl and fishing in the Persian Gulf by maloff

Photo 3: An abandoned fishing village located in Al Jumail, Ruwais north of Doha, Qatar. by Fitria Ramli

Photo 4: Arabian Gulf region Pearls diver's net and shells by elena bee

Photo 5: Pearl Statue along the Corniche in Doha, Qatar by Melissa Tarabula