Abu Dhabi: A statue of a mythical creature dating back to the first century (AD) has been discovered in Sharjah’s Mleiha, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) said the bronze artefact, which has the face of a lion, the wings of an eagle, the chest of a man and a bird’s foot with claws, is from the time of the Roman Empire in the first century AD.
Dr Sabah Jassim, director general at the authority, said the shape of the mythical creature was depicted in many Roman artworks, including in architecture, decorations, wall panels, furniture and jewellery.
The statue was one of three that were of similar shapes and distributed in a symmetrical circular shape, topped by a large and luxurious bowl used for burning incense, he said.
It is one of several Roman artefacts recently found in Mleiha. Other finds include an iron key and 1,000-year-old Islamic coins.
These discoveries also highlight the important activities carried out by the SAA, and strengthen Sharjah’s position on the world’s archaeological map.