A Kuwaiti-Polish archaeological mission working at Bahra 1, a pre-historic site in the Al-Subhiyah desert, Northern Kuwait has revealed a unique Ubaid figurine, and evidence of shell crafting and local pottery production from 7,700 years ago. The figurine is made of clay, finely crafted, tiny in size, and features an elongated skull, slanting eyes, and a flat nose.
These features are characteristic of figurines from the Ubaid culture (5500-3700 BC in prehistoric Mesopotamia), found in both grave and domestic contexts.. The discovery at Bahra 1 marks the first of its kind in the Gulf region.
Bahra 1: Oldest and Largest Known Settlement in the Gulf
“Its presence raises intriguing questions about its purpose and the symbolic, or possibly ritualistic, value it held for the people of this ancient community,” says Prof. Piotr Bieliński who studied the piece, in a press release . Prof. Bieliński is the head of the Polish side of the Kuwaiti-Polish Archaeological Mission (KPAM), who’ve finished this season’s work at the site dating back to the 6th millennium BC (between 6000 and 5001 BC).
Bahra 1 is one of the oldest and largest known settlements in the Arabian Peninsula and has been under investigation since 2009. The site spans an area of at least 180 meters by 50 meters (590 x 164 ft), over ten multi-roomed buildings at the base of a small, rocky hill.
Alongside the Ubaid figurine, local red pottery known as Arabian Coarse Red Ware was found. ( Adam Oleksiak/Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology ).
The work has been a collaboration between Kuwait’s National Council of Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL) and the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW). They’ve studied, in-depth, how Arabian Neolithic societies culturally interacted with the Ubaid culture, from Anatolia to Arabia.
Mohammed bin Reda, Assistant Secretary-General for the Antiquities and Museums Sector at the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL), described these findings as a testament to the settlement’s role in early cultural and industrial development, as per Archaeology Mag .
Ubaid Pottery and Coarse Red Ware: A Tangential Narrative
The site, now recognized officially as the oldest pottery production site in the Gulf, has yielded two types of pottery – Ubaid, imported from Mesopotamia, and an entirely different kind called Coarse Red Ware (CRW), known from sites in the Arabian Peninsula.
CRW had long been thought to have been locally produced in the Gulf, with actual production sites remaining unknown. The Bahra 1 site provides concrete evidence in the form of several items, including an unfired clay vessel. Further scientific analysis for corroboration was conducted under the tutelage of Prof. Anna Smogorzewska.
Ubaid, renowned for its distinctive pottery, emerged around 6200 BC from the flat alluvial plains of south Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq), gradually spreading north through Mesopotamia to replace the Halaf culture. The pottery style was found further south as well, along the west coast of the Gulf, possibly arriving there through fishing expeditions, reports Arkeonews. There were baked clay figurines, mostly women, decorated with painted or appliqué ornament and lizard-like heads, found across several Ubaid sites.
Imported Ubaid ware. ( Adam Oleksiak/Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology ).
Archaeobotanical Analyses: What the Plants Will Tell Us
The team plans to conduct archaeobotanical analyses on small fragments of plants, such as chaff, which are often added to the clay, during production. These organic remains were embedded in both the Ubaid ware and CRW pottery and will hopefully help trace plants that identify local flora during the mid-6th millennium BC.
The archaeobotanical specialists in the team include Dr. Roman Hovsepyan and Prof. Aldona Mueller-Bieniek. “Early analyses have revealed traces of wild plants, particularly reed, within the locally produced pottery, while cultivated plant remains, including cereals, such as barley and wheat, have been found in the imported Ubaid ware,” explains Dr. Hovsepyan.
The results of the work were shared with representatives of the NCCAL, including Dr. Mohammad Al-Jassar, Secretary General of the NSSAL and Dr. Hassan Ashkanani, Advisor to the S.G. of the NCCAL. The KPAM team offered training in categorization and fieldwork techniques to the employees of the museum through the season.
“The ongoing excavations at Bahra 1 promise further insights into the interactions between Arabian Neolithic and Mesopotamian Ubaid cultures. They also continue to foster collaboration between Polish and Kuwaiti heritage experts, strengthening cultural ties and advancing archaeological research in the region,” conclude the archaeologists.