Archaeology of Qatar

File:AlRuwaydahArchaeologicalSite.jpg]]

Along with Bahrain, Qatar was excavated 1878 by British officer, Captain Edward Law Durand. It was the first archaeological research mission to take place in the country.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/TheNameGame2007/Abdi2007TheNameGameThePersianGulfArchaeologistsAndThePoliticsOfArab-iranianRelations_djvu.txt|title=The Name Game; The Persian Gulf, Archaeologists, and the Politics of Arab-Iranian Relations|publisher=Chicago Scholarship Online|author=Kamyar Abdi|year=2007|access-date=3 December 2015}}

Beginning in 1956, large-scale archaeological excavation programs were launched by the government in various parts of the country. That year, Geoffrey Bibby and Peter Glob embarked on an expedition in Qatar where they discovered two Paleolithic sites in Ras Uwainat Ali (about 10 km north of Dukhan).Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 33. In 1957, a Danish team organized a comprehensive survey on the peninsula which uncovered 11 sites, most of which were situated along the coast. They recovered flint from the newly discovered sites, in addition to collecting artifacts from the sites discovered a year prior by Bibby and Glob.

The excavations continued in the proceeding years, unearthing additional Paleolithic sites and Neolithic occupational sites. In 1960, under the supervision of Holger Kapel and Hans Jørgen Madsen, the Danes excavated the most significant yet-discovered archaeological site in the peninsula, located approximately 5 km south of Dukhan. The site contained a large concentration of flint tools, which included arrowheads, knives and scrapers.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 34.{{cite journal|last=Madsen|first=H.J.|title=En flintplads i Qatar|journal=Kuml|year=1961|volume=11 |issue=11 |page=185|doi=10.7146/kuml.v11i11.103351 |s2cid=187766109 |doi-access=free}} The Danish expedition ended in 1964.{{cite web|url=http://www.world-archaeology.com/previous-posts/richard-hodges-travels-to-doha-and-al-zubarah.htm|title=Richard Hodges travels to Doha and Al Zubarah|publisher=World Archaeology|author=Richard Hodges|date=26 June 2015|access-date=3 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208042818/http://www.world-archaeology.com/previous-posts/richard-hodges-travels-to-doha-and-al-zubarah.htm|archive-date=8 December 2015}}

A British team led by Beatrice de Cardi undertook expeditions from November 1973 to January 1974 to collect artifacts for the establishment of a national museum. Their most significant find was the site of Al Da'asa, which contained numerous Ubaid potsherds.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 36.

The Mission Archéologique Français à Qatar, a French team led by Jacques Tixier, surveyed and excavated several sites in Qatar beginning in 1976.{{cite web|url=http://www.mae.u-paris10.fr/site-expo/images/images-posters/posters-archives%20PDF/qatar.pdf|title=Prospections et fouilles au Qatar|publisher=Maison Archéologie & Ethnologie, René-Ginouvès|access-date=28 May 2015}} The French excavations ended by 1982. They published their findings in two volumes. The first volume was written by Jacques Tixier in 1980, with the other being published by Marie-Louise Inizan in 1988.

From 1988 to 1991, the Japanese Archaeological Mission to the Persian Gulf surveyed the area. The mission comprised Masatoshi A Konishi, Takeshi Gotoh and Yoshihiko Akashi. They made major contributions towards the study of the Umm Al Maa site.{{cite book|last=Abdul Nayeem|first=Muhammad|title=Qatar Prehistory and Protohistory from the Most Ancient Times (Ca. 1,000,000 to End of B.C. Era)|publisher=Hyderabad Publishers|year=1998|page=155|isbn=978-81-85492-04-9}}

File:Excavations in Doha.jpg.]]

A five-year collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the Qatar Museums Authority began in 2008. The project was named 'The Qatar National Historic Environment Record'. It researched and documented terrestrial and marine areas in Qatar.{{cite journal |author=R. Cuttler |author2=T. Tonner |author3=F. Al-Naimi |author4=L. Dingwall |author5=N. Al-Hemaidi|url=http://www.isprs-ann-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/II-5-W1/85/2013/isprsannals-II-5-W1-85-2013.pdf|title=The Qatar National Historic Environment Record: A platform for the development of a fully-integrated cultural heritage management application|journal=ISPRS Annals of Photogrammetry |date=September 2013|volume=II5 |page=85 |doi=10.5194/isprsannals-II-5-W1-85-2013 |bibcode=2013ISPAn.II5a..85C |access-date=6 June 2015 |doi-access=free }}

In 2009, the Qatar Museums Authority initiated the Qatar Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Project (QIAH) in tandem with the University of Copenhagen. The main focus of the project was the historic town of Zubarah and nearby settlements.{{cite journal|title='There is no heritage in Qatar': Orientalism, colonialism and other problematic histories|journal=World Archaeology|volume=45|issue=4|year=2013|doi=10.1080/00438243.2013.852069|pages=670–685|last1=Exell|first1=Karen|last2=Rico|first2=Trinidad|s2cid=17836359|url=http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1400161/1/00438243%252E2013%252E852069.pdf|access-date=29 September 2019|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922152507/http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1400161/1/00438243%252E2013%252E852069.pdf|url-status=dead}} Zubarah was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002278/227867e.pdf|title=World Heritage No. 72|publisher=World Heritage Committee|access-date=7 June 2015}}

The Wales Qatar Archaeological Project was launched in 2010 as a collaboration between the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, QIAH and the Qatar Museums Authority. The project's main focus was coastal sites in northern Qatar, including Ruwayda and Rubayqa.{{cite web|url=http://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/research/environment-archaeology-history-and-anthropology/wales-qatar-archaeological-project/|title=Wales Qatar Archaeological Project|publisher=University of Wales Trinity Saint David|access-date=7 June 2015}}

In 2010, the University College London opened a campus in Doha following an agreement with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museums Authority. As part of the agreement, UCL will provide training for the Qatar Museums Authority and conduct joint excavations.{{cite web|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1010/10102803|title=UCL to support heritage in the Gulf with Qatari campus|publisher=UCL|date=28 October 2010|access-date=6 June 2015}} UCL announced its 'Origins of Doha' project in 2012 which aims to investigate the archaeological record of Qatar's capital city.{{cite web|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/qatar/qatar-news/2012-06-14-qnrf2012|title=UCL Qatar wins Prestigious Grants from Qatar National Research Fund|publisher=UCL|date=14 June 2012|access-date=6 June 2015}}

The German Archaeological Institute and Qatar Museums Authority reached an agreement in 2012. As part of the agreement, the German Archaeological Institute conducted surveys and excavations in the southern portion of Qatar. Joint training of Qatari and German archaeologists was also included in the agreement.

Plans for a national museum were drawn up in the 1970s. It was inaugurated in Doha in 1975, shortly after the excavations led by de Cardi. The antiquities department had an active role in surveys and excavations thereafter. They excavated the sites of Al Wusail and Zubarah.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 39. In 2005, the Qatar Museums Authority was established.{{cite web|url=http://behereonline.com/cms/upload/file/14BhereQatar2012(CULTURE).pdf|title=The Emerging Cultural Center of the Arab World|publisher=B'here|page=293|year=2012|access-date=7 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125445/http://behereonline.com/cms/upload/file/14BhereQatar2012(CULTURE).pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016}}

Prehistoric settlers often selected sites based on water availability. Areas marked by large depressions or with substantial groundwater tend to yield the highest propensity of archaeological findings. In Qatar, the northern sector contains a higher-quality groundwater supply than does the south, thus, historically, more permanent settlements were founded in the north, particularly near the coast. Conversely, the south section is typified by temporary nomadic outposts which were most likely constructed during periods of favorable weather that would enable access to surface or groundwater. In some cases, areas with no potable water would still be regularly visited by nomadic herdsman as the water would be safe to drink for their camels.{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/31756738 |title=An examination of the impact of environmental disparity on the occupation of Qatar |author=Phillip G Macumber |website=Academia |access-date=5 July 2018}}

Southern archaeological sites such as Shagra and Asaila, which are also two of the oldest Neolithic sites in the peninsula, are exceptions to the poor water supply in this region as they are located next to depressions.{{cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/31756738 |title=An examination of the impact of environmental disparity on the occupation of Qatar |author=Phillip G Macumber |website=Academia |access-date=5 July 2018}}

The Danish team uncovered a temporary encampment at Al Wusail in 1957. They posited it to be a late Paleolithic site used by hunters, as supported by the numerous flint tools found on site. It was again excavated in 1989 and 1991 by a Qatari team.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 136.

In 1961, the Danish archaeological team excavated approximately 30,000 stone implements from 122 paleolithic sites. Most of the sites were situated along the coastline. Macrolithic tools such as scrapers, arrowheads and hand axes dating to the Lower and Middle Paleolithic periods were among the discoveries.{{cite journal|title=Book reviews|journal=American Anthropologist|volume=72|issue=3|date=28 October 2009|doi=10.1525/aa.1970.72.3.02a00790|pages=700–701|last1 = Smith|first1 = Philip E. L.|doi-access=free}}

Holger Kapel classified 68 Paleolithic sites into four cultural groups based on flint typology, designating letter terms to each group, in 1964.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 43. In 1967, he revised the nomenclature of the four groups. Group A was deemed to be the oldest culture, with Group C following behind, leaving Groups B and D as the most recent culture groups.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 44. Tools from Group A were found at elevations {{Convert|250–300|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} above sea level, Group C tools were found at elevations {{Convert|25–40|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}, and Group D tools occurred roughly a few feet above sea level.{{cite web|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0000/000087/008715EB.pdf|title=Report on the protection of cultural heritage and development of a museum|publisher=UNESCO|author=A. Ghosh|year=1968|page=3|access-date=28 July 2015}}

In 1964, the Danish group discovered a tool making site at Umm Taqa. Lead archaeologist Holger Kapel claimed that there was no site like it elsewhere in the peninsula.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 35.{{cite book|last=Kapel|first=Holger|title=Atlas of the stone-age cultures of Qatar|year=1967|page=30}} Archaeologist G.H. Smith, who partook in the later British expedition, suggested that Umm Taqa belonged to a distinct culture.De Cardi (1978), p. 36.

A survey conducted in 2013–14 designates the tool making industry as the 'Taqan industry' and dates it to the Upper Paleolithic. Lithic assemblages at the site consisted of 359 pieces. A variance of the Taqan industry from the other groups classified by Kapel was the method used to prepare blade cores.{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/13908807|title=Found: the Palaeolithic of Qatar|journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies|volume=45|year=2015|pages=329–336|author1=Julie E. Scott-Jackson |author2=Jeffrey I. Rose |author3=William Scott-Jackson |author4=Faisal Al-Naimi }}

File:Qatar, Zekreet (Bir Zekrit)(6), ruined fortress.JPG.]]

Ubaid pottery originating from Mesopotamia was discovered in five primary sites in Qatar: Al Da'asa, Ras Abrouq (Bir Zekrit), Al Jubeigib and Al Khor Island.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 179. The two most extensive Ubaid sites in the peninsula are found in Al Da'asa and Ras Abrouq.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 182. Comparative analysis revealed that at least half of the excavated pottery originated from southern Mesopotamia, mainly from the sites of Eridu, Ur and Tell al-'Ubaid.

The Ubaid period transpired from {{Circa|6500 BC}} to 3800 BC. The pottery in Ras Abrouq consists of fragments of rims of painted jars and bowls and is dated to the late fourth millennium.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 190. The majority of pottery recovered in Al Da'asa dates to the early Ubaid period.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 181De Cardi (1978), p. 44.

One of the oldest yet-discovered settlements was found in 2009 on the northwest coast in Wadi Debayan.{{cite web|url=http://www.qma.org.qa/arc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=2|title=Wadi Debayan; An important early Holocene Neolithic multi-occupational site in Western Qatar|publisher=Qatar Museums Authority|access-date=25 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022050423/http://www.qma.org.qa/arc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=2|archive-date=22 October 2011}} Carbon dating of organic remains revealed human habitation dating back 7500 years. It is thought to have been occupied over a stretch of 5000 years before being abandoned sometime in the Bronze Age.{{cite web|url=http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/004595.html|title=Qatar's earliest human settlement found|publisher=Stone Pages|date=11 November 2011|access-date=21 May 2015}} Remnants of marine life, plant material and structural components were among the artifacts found on site. Fragments of pottery originating from the early Ubaid period were also recovered.{{cite news|url=http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/358995/a-peek-into-neolithic-activity|title=A peek into Neolithic activity|author=Bonnie James|newspaper=Gulf Times|date=10 July 2013|access-date=21 May 2015}}

Ras Abrouq, on the western shoreline, contained a ring-like structure, hearths, Ubaid pottery, cairns, and stone tools. In addition, many fish bones and snail shells were recovered.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 118. G.H. Smith, an excavator of the site, suggested that it was a seasonal encampment and that its inhabitants had trade relations with nearby civilizations.De Cardi (1978), p. 80.

Most of the fourth millennium BC and parts of the third millennium BC have been dubbed the 'Dark Millennium'. Coinciding with the decline of the Ubaid period cultures, this period is characterized by a scarcity of archaeological remnants. Archaeologists have attributed this lapse to a lowering of lake levels and increasing desertification around this time, both of which impacted the peninsula's arability and discouraged sedentary lifestyles.{{cite journal|author1=Áurea Izquierdo Zamora |author2=Richard Thorburn H. Cuttler |author3=Faisal Abdulla Al-Naimi |author4=Lawrence S. Owens |title=Between rocks and a hard place: prehistoric funerary practices at Wādī Ḍebayʿān, northern Qatar|journal=Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy|volume = 26|pages=1–11|doi=10.1111/aae.12048|date=16 April 2015}}

File:National Museum of Qatar 11.jpg]]

Excavations in Ras Abrouq and Al Khor Island yielded Barbar ceramics originating from the Dilmun civilization dating to the third millennium BC.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 197 A 1977 expedition discovered non-Barbar pottery in Al Khor Island, also dating to the third millennium BC, with geometrical patterns similar to the pottery of the Umm an-Nar culture in the present-day United Arab Emirates.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 207. The ceramics documented in Al Khor Island consist of medium-sized jars and cooking pots.{{cite book|last1=Carter|first1=Robert Jr.|last2=Killick|first2=Robert|title=Al-Khor Island: Investigating Coastal Exploitation in Bronze Age Qatar|url=http://tekhelet.com/pdf/Carter-Al-Khor-2010.pdf|publisher=Moonrise Press Ltd|year=2014|page=40|isbn=978-1-910169-00-1}}

Three fragments of red pottery, thought to originate from the Arabian coast, were discovered in excavations conducted in Al Da'asa in 1973.{{cite book|last=Masry|first=Abdullah|title=Prehistory in Northeastern Arabia: The Problem of Interregional Interaction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0VCPBAAAQBAJ|publisher=Routledge|year=1997|page=94|isbn=978-0-7103-0536-7}}{{cite book|ref=Casey & Vine|last1=Casey|first1=Paula|last2=Vine|first2=Peter|title=The heritage of Qatar|publisher=Immel Publishing|year=1991|edition=print|page=[https://archive.org/details/heritageofqatar00vinerich/page/12 12]|isbn=978-0-907151-50-0|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/heritageofqatar00vinerich/page/12}}

Excavations of chambered cairns in Ras Abrouq revealed 108 beads made of stone and shell.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 211.De Cardi (1978), p. 121. A bead made of carnelian, which is foreign to Qatar, was found in a hearth in Al Da'asa.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 212. A plethora of jewelry made with beads dating to the mid-Bronze Age were uncovered by a French expedition in Al Khor in 1976. The beads were of different sizes and were made from materials such as obsidian, carnelian and bone.

A single bronze arrowhead was found on the east coast of Qatar in Al Wusail.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 218.

File:Excavated site on Al Khor Island.jpg

A settlement in Al Wusail was carbon dated to 2000 BC by a Japanese team who carried out excavations in 1995. It is purported to be a fishing settlement due to the large number of fish bones and sea shells at the site.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 142.

The Kassites operated a purple dye industry on Al Khor Island from {{Circa|1400 BC}} to {{Circa|1100 BC}}.{{cite book|last1=Khalifa|first1=Haya|last2=Rice|first2=Michael|title=Bahrain Through the Ages: The Archaeology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2hmbc9evgB0C|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-7103-0112-3|year=1986|page=203}} Between 1980 and 1982, the French expedition found 3,000,000 crushed snail shells and Kassite potsherds on the islands.{{cite web|url=http://www.qatarembassy.or.th/download/Complete_History_of_Qatar.pdf|title=History of Qatar|website=www.qatarembassy.or.th|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Qatar. London: Stacey International, 2000|access-date=9 January 2015}}

A burial site containing 50 cairns, found in northwest Qatar in Umm Al Maa and Lisha, dates back to the Iron Age. It was first discovered and excavated by the Danish archaeological team in 1957. The Danes measured the cairns to be {{Convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off}} in diameter and roughly a meter (3 feet) in height. The Japanese Archaeological Mission later excavated the site from 1988 to 1991. In the later period of excavations, they discovered two burial complexes containing a chain of burial mounds.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 158.

Two of the burial mounds contained skeletons with iron arrowheads and an iron sword by their side.{{cite web|url=http://medinapublishing.com/hiddeninthesands/chapters/the-mounds-of-the-dead/|title=The Mounds of the Dead|publisher=Hidden In The Sands|access-date=6 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607174159/http://medinapublishing.com/hiddeninthesands/chapters/the-mounds-of-the-dead/|archive-date=7 June 2015}} Further discovered burial sites contained grave goods such as potsherds, jewelry, and metal fragments. Most of the burial sites were plundered by grave robbers. The site falls in a period between 300 BC and 300 AD. An excavation team in 2008–09 noted that the mounds may have been built by local nomads.{{cite web |author=Juergen Schreiber |author2=Tibor-Tamás Daroczi |author3=Barbara Muhle |author4=Joerg Ewersen|url=https://www.academia.edu/411104|title=Excavations at Umm al-Ma', Qatar. Preliminary report on the second season 2008/2009|website=Academia.edu|page=33|access-date=7 June 2015}}

To date, no archaeological evidence of Iron Age settlements have been discovered in the peninsula.Casey, Vine (1991), p. 16. This is likely due to adverse climatic changes rendering Qatar less inhabitable during this period.{{cite journal|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002278/227867e.pdf|journal=World Heritage|volume=72|date=June 2014|title=Archaeological heritage of pre-Islamic Qatar|author1=Sultan Muhesen |author2=Faisal Al Naimi |page=50|access-date=14 February 2016}}

{{See also|Christianity in Eastern Arabia}}

A site on the south-east coast of Qatar, near Al Wakrah, revealed the remnants of a structure purported to be a church. It was built directly on limestone bedrock and a hearth was found inside the ruins. Radiocarbon dating indicates the site was occupied in the early 7th century AD, and potsherds recovered from the surrounding area evidences continued occupation until the mid to late 8th century. The ceramics are consistent with those found in other Nestorian sites in the Eastern Arabia and the structure bears resemblance to the excavated church in Jubail.{{cite book|last1=Kozah|first1=Mario|last2=Abu-Husayn|first2=Abdulrahim|last3=Al-Murikhi|first3=Saif Shaheen|last4=Al-Thani|first4=Haya|title=The Syriac Writers of Qatar in the Seventh Century|publisher=Gorgias Press LLC|year=2014|pages=30–31|edition=print|isbn=978-1-4632-0355-9}}

An excavation carried out in 2013 uncovered a Nestorian cross in Umm Al Maradim, a site in central Qatar. The cross is made of hard stone and measures between {{Convert|3 and 4|cm|in|abbr=on}}. A number of hearths and potsherds were found at the site, though no structures were discovered.Kozah, Abu-Husayn, Abdulrahim, Al-Thani. pp. 29–30.

Settlements dating to the Abbasid-period (750–1253) were mostly intended to be permanent sites of occupation. A cluster of Abbasid archaeological sites are found near the north-west coast and include Ar Rakiyat, Umm Al Kilab, Ghaf Makin, Mussaykah, Murwab, and Al-Haddiyah. Structures that were excavated at these sites were roughly aligned with Mecca. All of the sites are situated next to rawdas (depressions), ensuring a reliable water supply.{{cite conference|author=Phillip G. Macumber|url=https://www.icomos.org/images/DOCUMENTS/World_Heritage/CH%20of%20water_201507_opt.pdf|title=Water Heritage in Qatar|book-title=Cultural Heritages of Water: Thematic Study on The Cultural Heritages of Water in the Middle East and Maghreb|conference=UNESCO World Heritage Convention|publisher=UNESCO|page=226|year=2015|access-date=5 July 2018}}

From around the 10th century to 16th century, there was a trend in adoption of a nomadic Bedouin lifestyle, causing a decline in settlements. However, around the 16th and 17th centuries, towns such as Al Huwaila and Zubarah were founded.{{cite web|url=https://ossl.alecso.org/WebMaster/Main_Module/img/resources/THE%20ARCHAEOLOGICAL%20LANDSCAPE%20OF%20QATAR.pdf|title=The Archaeological Landscape of Qatar|website=ossl.alecso.org |author=Sultan Muhesen |author2=Peter Spencer |author3=Faisal A. Al Naimi |author4=Richard Cuttler|access-date=1 July 2023}}

File:Dot carvings at Jebel Jassassiyeh.jpg.]]

File:Jebel_Jassassiyeh_rock_carvings.jpg

Ancient rock carvings have been discovered in eight separate locations: Jebel Jassassiyeh, Jebel Fuwayrit, Freiha, Al Ghariyah, Al Jumail, Simaisma, Al Wakrah and Al Qassar. Most of these sites were discovered by Danish archaeological teams in the 1950s and 1960s.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 220. The rock carvings are classified in a number of categories, including human and animal representation, boat representation, cup-marks, large cavities, geometric designs, tribal marks, and hand and footprints.

{{Main|Jebel Jassassiyeh}}

A large number of rock carvings were discovered by the Danish team in Jebel Jassassiyeh, in northeast Qatar, in 1961. Variations in motifs and technique indicates that the carvings were made through various historical periods.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 221.

Cup-marks are the most common forms of art among the nearly 900 carvings. Other carvings include ships, animals, foot-prints and tribal marks (known as wasum).{{cite journal|last=Bibby|first=Geoffrey|title=Arabian Gulf archaeology|journal=Kuml|year=1965|page=104}} Different animals are depicted, such as ostriches, turtles and fish. A large number carvings illustrate boats. The boats are of different sizes and types, and some contain oars while others do not.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 233.

Jebel Jassassiyeh is the only rock art site in Qatar where boat depictions have been recorded.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 234. The dating of the boat carvings is inconclusive,Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 243.{{cite journal|last=Arryan|first=Hans Kapel|title=Rock carvings at Jabel Jusasiyah, Qatar|journal=Qatar National Museum Journal|year=1983}} though archaeologist Muhammad Abdul Nayeem tentatively dated them to the third century BC.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 244. However, a study conducted in 2012 which tested nine samples of carvings, including boat carvings, concluded that the oldest of the samples had a minimum age of less than 300 years. The study found no evidence to support the view of the carvings dating back millenniums.{{cite journal|title=Determining the age of Qatari Jabal Jassasiyah Petroglyphs|journal=QScience Connect|volume=4|issue = 2012 |author=Raid Hassiba |author2=Gerald Benjamin Cieslinski |author3=Brandon Chance |author4=Faisal Abdulla Al-Naimi |author5=Michael Pilant |author6=Marvin W. Rowe|year=2012|doi=10.5339/connect.2012.4|page=4|doi-access=free}}

In later carvings, the boats appeared with sails. In some of the rock carvings, sails appear without boats. Some of the ancient carvings were modified at later periods, with devices such as ropes and anchors being added.De Cardi (1978), p. 190.

{{Main|Freiha}}

In 1956, Geoffrey Bibby and Peter Glob discovered several hundred cup-marks carved in rock in Freiha. Their sizes range from  cm{{Convert|5 to 23|cm|in|abbr=on}} and have depths of {{Convert|1 to 10|cm|in|abbr=on}}, with most being {{Convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter and having a depth of {{Convert|1 to 3|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Bibby and Glob noted that the cup-marks are similar to those found in Bahrain dating to the Dilmun period. Several hand and footprints were also documented in Freiha.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 258.

Geometrical designs were recorded at Freiha in four places. They measure {{Convert|11 to 15|cm|in|abbr=on}} in width and {{Convert|11 to 12|cm|in|abbr=on}} in height. Peter Glob believed that they were carved by an ancient fertility cult.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 256.{{cite journal|last=Glob|first=Peter|title=Prehistoric discoveries in Qatar|journal=Kuml|year=1957|page=176}} This theory was disputed by Muhammad Abdul Nayeem, who believes that they are simply abstract symbols or tribal marks.

{{Main|Al Qassar}}

Al Qassar, a site {{Convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of Doha, was found to have rock carvings of human and animals by an excavation team in 1979. Most of them have been eroded beyond recognition. Stone blocks containing still-recognizable carvings were cut off and transported to the Qatar National Museum for preservation.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 222.

One petroglyph, which contains two different panels carved by more than one individual, depicts two horse riders and a camel. The riders, one behind the other, are holding lances in their upraised hands. The second rider appears to be chasing the first, as his lance is pointed towards the other rider's back.Abdul Nayeem, p. 231. The figure of the second rider is leaning in a forward position, with the lance projecting from his upper body. In front of the riders is a camel with incomplete body features. Muhammad Abdul Nayeem dates the carving to the second millennium BC.Abdul Nayeem (1998), p. 232.

{{reflist|2}}

• {{cite book|last=Abdul Nayeem|first=Muhammad|title=Qatar Prehistory and Protohistory from the Most Ancient Times (Ca. 1,000,000 to End of B.C. Era)|publisher=Hyderabad Publishers|year=1998|isbn=978-81-85492-04-9}}
• {{cite book|last=De Cardi|first=Beatrice|title=Qatar Archaeological Report. Excavations 1973|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-920078-8|year=1978}}

{{Asia topic|Archaeology of}}

{{Qatar topics}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Archaeology Of Qatar}}