干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The location of the legendary city of Ubar, a desert caravansary which supported the ancient and lucrative frankincense trade, has likely been found at the edge of the Arabian Peninsula's Empty Quarter in modem day Oman. Legend was that Ubar perished in a sandstorm as divine punishment for wicked living. Actually, much of the fortress collapsed into a sinkhole, perhaps undermined by extensive ground water withdrawal used to irrigate the surrounding oasis. The archaeological site was located by an unusual combination of historical research and the application of space technology in support of traditional archaeology.