Ubaid

This paper explores connections between infant mortuary rites and strategies of wealth transmission in Mesopotamia prior to urban expansion. By considering the social roles of infants in relation to lineage and household reproduction, it challenges interpretations linking ‘rich’ infant burials to ascribed rank at birth during the Late Chalcolithic period. Drawing upon recent theoretical developments in the anthropology of childhood and models of gift exchange, the intramural burial of infants is explained as a positive measure that revived the productive capacity of households. Building on this argument, it is suggested that the ambiguous status of infants sanctioned the removal of wealth from circulation as part of mortuary rites, thereby guaranteeing its future flow within the closed context of the household group. A reappraisal of the infant burial record demonstrates how mortuary rites can form part of the cultural strategies that allow kin groups to expand their authority and capital over time.

"The origin and course of the Neolithic on the Arabian Peninsula is the subject of an ongoing academic debate. Faunal data suggest an origin for domestication of animals in the Levant and these can be found in Arabia from the sixth millennium onwards. In contrast, lithic evidence does not support the hypothesis that Neolithic herders, accompanying their herds, spread over the entire Peninsula, as they did not leave significant traces of their material culture. Although Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA)/
PPNB influences can be traced across the northern part of Arabia, it is barely possible to observe them further south. By contrast, lithic technology in this region is characterised by major indigenous developments that might originate from a Pleistocene cultural heritage. By discussing the process of Neolithisation in Arabia from different points of view we can avoid the pitfalls of simplistic or monocausal models as well as preconceptions. Furthermore, we will be able to demonstrate that the Neolithic developed differently in different regions of the Arabian Peninsula."

Ubaid pottery was famously recorded by H. R. Hall during the excavation of a tell mound at Al cUbaid, and for nearly half a century became associated with the origins of urbanisation and developments in social hierarchy in southern Mesopotamia. The discovery in 1968 of cUbaid pottery around the western Gulf littoral, some 1,000km to the south of Mesopotamia, raised questions regarding the nature of interaction between these two societies. This paper considers the origins of this interaction and the effects of geomorphology, hydrology and the palaeoenvironment on regional migration. The extent to which topography and marine transgression were a catalyst for migration is also discussed, and how, or if such factors influenced post-transgression settlement dynamics.

"This paper discusses the results and wider significance of archaeological excavations undertaken on a Neolithic settlement located on the island of Marawah, in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Survey and excavation revealed the remains of seven prehistoric mounds associated with Neolithic structures. One of the structures measured approximately 4m long and 2m in width and, built out of stone, survived to a height of approximately 70cm. Finds include pottery, lithics, shell beads and bone. The site represents a unique architectural style for the Gulf Neolithic coastal communities, that does not have any obvious parallels. Radiocarbon analysis suggests the site was occupied around 7,600 years ago."

The environmental and economic evidence from three seasons of excavation (1992-1994) at site DA11, an Ubaid-related settlement on Dalma island, United Arab Emirates is discussed. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the site was occupied during the second half of the 6th and first half of the 5th millennium. The discovery of carbonized date stones (Phoenix dactylifera) at site DA 11 has made an important contribution to the history of early date consumption in the Near East. Animal bones recovered during the excavations indicate that fishing and hunting were of great importance although sheep and goat husbandry was also practised. Gazelle, marine turtle, dugong and dolphin were also occasionally exploited. Fishing seems to have been an important activity with a wide range of species being represented, including inshore as well as pelagic species. Comparing the Dalma fish assemblage with those published in reports in the region suggests that there is some variation in the types of fishes caught in different areas. Other important marine resources utilised at Dalma included marine mollusca. In contrast to contemporary sites on the mainland, DA11 has an unusual range of exploited molluscs, dominated by a few species from exposed rocky shores, cobbles and coarse sand, along with a marked use of pearl oyster from shallow water cobbles and sea grass beds. Molluscs from sheltered lagoon environments, which are common on mid-Holocene sites on the mainland, are entirely absent. Overall this evidence highlights three important points: (1) the variation in fishes caught on broadly contemporary sites within the region which may be due to differences in available habitats between the different areas of the Gulf, (2) the overall patchiness of mollusc distribution along the shore reflects the quite subtle habitat needs of each species with the potential for them to change over time under different climates or other conditions, and (3) such factors must have had a marked effect on the human exploitation of these species.

A preliminary analysis is provided of the vertebrate faunal remains from a newly discovered ‘Ubaid settlement located on the island of Dalma in the United Arab Emirates. The site dates to the early 5th millennium BC. Fishing and hunting were of great importance although animal husbandry was also practiced, a small amount of bones of domestic sheep/goat being present at the site. Gazelle were sometimes hunted, and marine turtle, dugong and dolphin only appear to have been occasionally exploited. Other marine resources utilised included crabs and marine mollusca. Fish bones however form the most significant component of the assemblage. Ongoing analysis of the fish remains suggests that a wide range of species are present, including inshore as well as pelagic species. Major groups include the subclass Elasmobranchii (cartilaginous sharks and rays) as well as the following families amongst the Osteichthyes (bony fishes): Belonidae (needlefish), Serranidae (groupers), Sparidae (seabreams) and Scombridae (tuna/mackerel). Other fish families represented included Ariidae (marine catfish), Carangidae (jacks), Lethrinidae (emperors), Sphyraenidae (barracuda) and Scaridae (parrotfish). Initial biometric work suggests that some fishes were of a substantial size. A comparison is made with other published contemporary sites in the region.

This paper summarises the preliminary results of an analysis of the mammalian, bird and fish vertebrate fauna from site H3 at Sabiyah in Kuwait. The site is a settlement located on the northern shore of Kuwait Bay. Radiocarbon dating, as well as distinctive pottery found at the site, confirms that the settlement dates to the late 6th/early 5th millennium BC. Domestic livestock exploited include sheep/goat and cattle. Hunting was carried out for gazelle, fox and marine turtle. Birds so far identified include cormorants. The numerous fish remains include requiem sharks, sawfish, sea catfish, groupers, jacks/trevallies, emperors, seabream and tuna. Most fishing was probably carried out in shallow waters adjacent to the site, although some larger jacks and groupers, and particularly the tuna, must have been caught in deeper offshore waters. A large number of sea catfish otoliths were recovered from the site. These are currently being studied by the authors in the Fish Ageing Laboratory of the Mariculture and Fisheries Department, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. Preliminary data suggest that the sea catfish were caught during both summer and winter months. Interestingly, some of their otoliths had been utilised as blanks for the manufacture of beads.

"The effects of changes in sea level over the past 100,000 years have been monumental both as a powerful catalyst for migration and for the displacement of populations. While the submergence of earlier landscapes has generally made them inaccessible to archaeologists, the potential for environmental preservation is thought to be higher than in most terrestrial areas. Despite this, these landscapes are often considered a ‘terra incognita’ to mainstream archaeology, due not only to the depth of water, but also to their burial through sedimentation. In the Arabian Gulf and elsewhere this has inevitably led to the marine areas being given less ‘archaeological credence’ than terrestrial areas.

Over recent years a multitude of extensive marine geophysical data sets have been gathered, chiefly for the purposes of oil and gas exploration. Although such geophysical surveys are primarily targeted towards the mapping of deep subsurface rock formations, the top section of the data can be processed specifically to detail the currently unknown shallow palaeo-geomorphology of the Gulf, providing information that would be impossible to collect within archaeological budgets. Using such data to document palaeolandscapes is just one element of a marine mapping program which can form the basis of a cohesive strategy for managing the archaeological resource in marine areas. Such strategies impact upon education, the accessibility of heritage information to the public, and ultimately the protection of this marine cultural landscape."

Preliminary rapport about the activities during season 2004 in 3 sites on Urfa Dam area: Körche (close to Tilbes Höyük) -The Ubaid site-, Surtepe (the EB high mudbrick platform) and Tilvez Höyük (a 3 ha. site during the EB I period). Here is shown a draught plan of one of the bipartite Ubaid buildings found at Körche, plus associated painted pottery photos.

Recent geomorphological and palaeoclimatologic research showed that irrigational agriculture was not an absolute condition for settlement of Southern Mesopotamia starting from the 11th millennium BCE. Between the 6th and the 4th millenia BCE (starting from Ubeid 0), a marine transgression took place. As a result, the entire territory from Tell Oueilli and Eridu up to Nippur became a wetland ecosystem, with Tell Oueilli, Ur and Eridu being not far from the outer delta edge. With this “Ubaidian transgression” coming to an end and reversed, accompanied by a further aridisation, the inhabitants of the Southern alluvium had to rely more on the levee agriculture, while still continuing to take advantage from the wetland resources and from the seasonal marshland pastures. In the 3rd and the 2nd millennia the “sea”, a-ab-ba of the cuneiform sources, found near Ur and Lagash, was a complex deltaic structure of freshwater and saline open stretches, intermixed with tidal flats and reed marshes. The deurbanisation at the end of the Old Babylonian period could be the end of an adaptation cycle to the changing conditions of this wetland zone. The reasons which led to the creation and collapse of social complexity, urban society and state in Southern Mesopotamia invite a study in the light of deltaic processes supported by modern ethnographic data. Returning to Iraq after a long time gap, the Russian archaeological mission will focus on a multidisciplinary study of the wetlands and their surroundings. We present a preliminary report of reconnaissance at Tell Dehaila (ES 34), one of the biggest urban centers (comparable to Ur) of the Old Babylonian period.

The results of two seasons of extensive survey by the Qatar Museums Authority and the University of Birmingham around Wadi Debayan in northern Qatar have revealed substantial differences in the density and distribution of monuments from the late Stone Age onwards, particularly a high density of pre-Islamic burial cairns. Such a high density must reflect either a sustained population over a long period or significant rise in population over a short period. Given that very minor climate fluctuation can significantly affect resources in a hyper-arid landscape, the analysis of proxy data from regionally relevant environmental sediment traps appear to be a prerequisite for further meaningful research into pre-Islamic population dynamics. However, the identification of sediment traps remains a major problems within a deflated, hyper-arid landscape.

Coring within the wadi found evidence for marine sediments during the first half of the seventh millennium BP, followed by sea-level stabilization and encroaching intertidal vegetation during the second half of the seventh millennium BP. These results emphasize the potential for the presence of organic-rich deposits within wadi sequences, particularly in intertidal zones.