Note on snake ritual at Saruq al-Hadid

An apparent Iron Age II ritual offering deposit, comprising amongothers a triad of copper snake figurines, discovered in the Polish sectorof the excavation at the site of Saruq al-Hadid (Emirate of Dubai,UAE), is considered in light of a growing body of archaeologicalevidence for ophiolatry from southeastern Arabia. In this preliminarynote attention is drawn to parallels from the Levant, tapping intoa long-lasting tradition from the Late Bronze Age and early IronAge, suggestive of long-distance contacts between the two regions.Remarks on the interpretation of the ritual draw upon ethnographicalstudies of modern snake veneration in South India.