Archaeologists uncover 7,700-year-old artifacts at Bahra 1 site in Northern Kuwait
The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters announced on Monday the discovery of more than 20 ovens, a half model of a winged owl, remains of local barley — providing evidence that barley was cultivated, harvested, or consumed by the people who lived there — dating back 7,500 years, broken ceramic pots, a small clay human head, miniature models, a ship model, and pottery used for food preparation at the Bahra 1 site in Al-Subbiya, northern Kuwait.
Mohammed bin Redha, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for the Antiquities and Museums Sector, described Bahra 1 as the oldest and largest known settlement in the Arabian Peninsula from the Ubaid culture period, dating back to around 5700 BC, reflecting the daily life of local communities thousands of years ago.
Polish excavations this season focused on field and laboratory analyses, including the manufacture of ornaments and ground-based radar surveys that revealed buried cultural remains for future exploration.
Dr. Hassan Ashkanani, Assistant Professor of Archaeology at Kuwait University, said the findings add to knowledge of community development in the Subiya region, complementing previous discoveries of jewelry and ornament workshops made from shells.
Dr. Agnieszka Bienkowska, Deputy Director of the Polish excavation team, noted that the results provide insights into daily practices, food preparation methods, local pottery production using clay mixed with wild plants, and the use of bitumen as fuel.
Professor Anna Smogorzewska highlighted the pottery discoveries and the local pottery workshop as among the most significant finds at the site in recent years.
