Bahra 1

Archaeological discoveries

Stone foundations of walls predominate among the remains of several different kinds of structures that were discovered on the site. A few building phases were distinguished, which proves the settlement was permanent. The research in Bahra 1 contributed new data on the Neolithic in the Persian Gulf and the interaction of this region with Mesopotamia in the Ubaid period. It is the oldest permanent settlement directly south of Mesopotamia. The material culture of the settlement is strongly connected with the Mesopotamian Ubaid Culture. About half of the pottery fragments found at the site is of the Ubaid Ware variety that was imported from Mesopotamia. This assemblage comprises both richly-decorated luxury vessels and plain utilitarian ware. Also an array of ceramic small objects from the site, some of them perhaps personal adornments, such as flanged discs and ceramic studs, as well as cupped cones, are typical for that period in Mesopotamia and are considered to be objects of a symbolic meaning for the Ubaid culture. The other half of the pottery assemblage from Bahra 1 belonged to the Coarse Red, a pottery type associated with the Arabian Neolithic. A unique find was a fragment of a copper object, which could point to contacts with the Oman Peninsula where sources of this metal were located.

In 2018, an architectural complex different from the others known from this site was studied. It seems it might have had a cultic character, uniting local tradition with concepts derived from the Ubaid culture, which would make it the oldest cult building not only in Kuwait but in the whole Persian Gulf region.