Poles found a mysterious figurine. This is a trace of an ancient civilization
A small, precisely made head made of a clay figurine – Polish archaeologists from the Center of Mediterranean Archeology at the University of Warsaw boasted about such a trifle discovered in Kuwait. This is a trace of an ancient civilization from several thousand years ago.
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An unnaturally elongated skull, slanted eyes and a flat nose – these are typical features of figurines from the ancient Ubaid culture. They were often found in the Mesopotamian region, both in graves and settlements. Kuwait, however, is outside this area, making this discovery the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf region. As researchers dealing with this case point out, the presence of this figurine raises intriguing questions about its purpose and symbolic, and perhaps ritual, meaning.
The oldest position
This is another season of research at the Bahra 1 site in the Al-Subiyah Desert in northern Kuwait carried out by the Kuwaiti-Polish Archaeological Mission. This is one place associated with one of the oldest and largest settlements on the Arabian Peninsula. The site is dated to around 5500 BC Research carried out in this place as part of the Kuwaiti-Polish expedition has been ongoing there since 2009. The Polish part of the expedition is led by prof. Piotr Bieliński, and this year’s season took place under the supervision of Dr. Agnieszka Pieńkowska (both from CAŚ UW).
The excavations at Bahra 1 provide key information for the study of cultural exchanges between the Neolithic communities of Arabia and the Ubaid culture, which originated in Mesopotamia and spread over a wide area from Anatolia to the Arabian Peninsula. The latest research results have provided new, unique information on this subject. The most interesting thing is, of course, the mentioned figurine, but that’s not all that was discovered this time.
A key clue in the pottery case
Another important discovery is the confirmation of local pottery production. Since the beginning of research, two types of vessels have been discovered at the Bahra 1 site: imported pottery related to the Ubaid culture and completely different pottery, the so-called Coarse Red Ware (CRW), also known from other, contemporary sites on the Arabian Peninsula. CRW pottery has therefore long been considered a local product, but until now there has been no evidence as to specific places of its production. The key discovery was the finding of an unfired clay vessel, which, together with the results of analyzes conducted under the supervision of Dr. Hab. Anna Smogorzewska (WA UW) confirmed that Bahra 1 is the oldest known ceramics production site in the Gulf region.
Confirmation of the local production of ceramics, in turn, opened the possibility of conducting research on the natural environment in the vicinity of the settlement during its operation. In the process of making vessels, small plant fragments, such as chaff, were often added to the clay. Organic remains were found in both Ubaid and CRW pottery. This season, Dr. Hab. prof. UW Aldona Mueller-Bieniek (WA UW) and Dr. Roman Hovsepyan, specialists in the field of archaeobotany, analyzed fragments of pottery for traces of plants.
Preliminary results indicate the presence of wild plants, especially reeds, in locally produced pottery. However, remains of cultivated plants such as barley and wheat were identified in imported ceramics
– explains Dr. Hovsepyan.
The research results were presented to representatives of the Kuwaiti National Council of Culture, Art and Literature.
