- Does the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) still exist?
NO - it ceased to exist on 1 June 2006 when it became incorporated into the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). In February 2007 the former Department of Antiquities and Tourism in Al Ain also became incorporated into the same organisation. ADACH existed from 2006 until 2012 when it subsequently merged with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to create the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (known as TCA Abu Dhabi). TCA Abu Dhabi existed from 2012 until 2018, when it then became the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi).
Do the archives of the work carried out by ADIAS still exist?
YES - all the former archives were transferred to the relevant Abu Dhabi government department and are maintained in the Historic Environment Department at the Department of Culture and Tourism main HQ office in Abu Dhabi. For further information please contact Dr Richard Cuttler, Head of Archaeology and Palaeontology, Historic Environment Department, Department of Culture and Tourism, Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE - email: rcuttler@dctabudhabi.ae - Are any part of the archives of the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) maintained elsewhere?
YES - The late Peter A. Hellyer (former Executive Director of ADIAS) donated a lot of his personal papers (Call Number AD.MC.068) to the library at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). These have been catalogued by Brad Bauer, Head of Archives and Special Collections.
Reports, correspondence, publications, news clippings, and audiovisual materials, chiefly related to the activities of British-born journalist, writer, archaeologist, and environmentalist Peter A. Hellyer in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates from the 1980s onward. Included are materials from the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey, the Emirates Natural History Group, and other similar organizations in which Hellyer played a leading role in developing policies and programs related to the environment, wildlife, and cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates. Also includes material related to Hellyer's tenure as managing editor of the daily newspaper, The Emirates News.
The collection is open by request for use in the Reading Room of the Archives and Special Collections department of the NYU Abu Dhabi Library. To access the Peter A. Hellyer papers please contact: Brad Bauer, Email: brad.bauer@nyu.edu
Phone: +971-2-628-7335.
Are any of the team from the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS) team still actively working in the UAE or Gulf region?
YES - Several of the original ADIAS team are still active in the region:
Dr Mark Jonathan Beech is now Scientific Research Lead at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.
He has his own personal website at markbeech.com. Email: mbeech@nhmad.ae
Dr Richard Cuttler is now Head of Archaeology and Palaeontology in the Historic Environment Department at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi.
Email: rcuttler@dctabudhabi.ae
Dr Robert Carter is Senior Archaeology Academic and Fieldwork Development Specialist at the Qatar Museums Authority. Visit their website by clicking here. Email: rcarter@qm.org.qa
Professor Cristina Tonghini works in the Department of Humanities at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy. Visit her website profile.
Email: tonghini@unive.it
Here is a list of all the people who participated in work with the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey over the years. Please notify us if your name is missing from the list if you participated in one of the field seasons.
Sadly a number of key people in the original ADIAS team have now passed away. May they Rest in Peace. They include:
Beatrice de Cardi OBE (Archaeologist)
(5 June 1914 - 5 July 2016)
Prof. Graham Evans (Geoarchaeologist)
(1934 - 5 February 2021)
Angus Stephenson (Archaeologist)
(Died March 2023)
Peter Hellyer (Executive Director - ADIAS)
(9 November 1947 - 2 July 2023)
Dr Geoffrey R.D. King (Academic Director - ADIAS)
(10 December 1947 - 1 March 2025)
Dave Dunlop (Surveyor)
(Died)
Last updated: 25 September 2025