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The Archaeology of Kuwait

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The Archaeology of Kuwait School of History and Archaeology The Archaeology of Kuwait By Majed Almutairi A thesis submitted in fulfilment of requirements for a Ph.D. in Archaeology Supervisor: Professor Denys Pringle i Summary This thesis addresses the archaeology of Kuwait from 13000BC to the 18th century AD, to further understand its significances within the Arabian Gulf and wider world. Kuwait has witness many diverse cultures By comparing for the first time the archaeology, geography, and historical sources, I illustrate that this region has been continual inhabited and used as an important hub of social networks since its beginnings. By introducing the Ubaid civilization and their relations with other regions, we witness the first exchange and trade strategies in Kuwait. By looking at the burial mound phenomenon in Kuwait we witness a hiatus of permanent settlements and a time when people were more nomadic. The impact of these mounds resonated into later periods. Petroleum based substances play a key role in modern Kuwait; the Ubaid and the Dilmun first developed the usage of bitumen, and here we see how that created links with others in the world. Ideas move as well as people, and I demonstrate the proto-Hellenistic and Hellenistic periods in Kuwait to illustrate influences from the Mediterranean. Modern Kuwait is Islamic, and here we will investigate how and why and the speeds at which Christianity gave way to Islam, and the impacts of a different religion on the region. In highlighting Kuwait’s past, I show how the state became one of the most democratic and diverse places in the Arabian Gulf. ii Form: PGR_Submission_2011 NOTICE OF SUBMISSION OF THESIS FORM: POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH APPENDIX 1: Specimen layout for Thesis Summary and Declaration/Statements page to be included in a Thesis DECLARATION This work has not been submitted in substance for any other degree or award at this or any other university or place of learning, nor is being submitted concurrently in candidature for any degree or other award. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 1 This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of …………………………(insert MCh, MD, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. The views expressed are my own. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter- library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Academic Standards & Quality Committee. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ………………………… iii Summary ………………………………………………………………………….…... i Declaration and statements …………………………..………………………....………….……ii List of figures …………………………………………………………………………….…..…vi Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………………….…...xii Table of contents Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Publications on Kuwaiti archaeology ........................................................................................... 2 1.1.1. Publications that focus on the chronology of the Arabian Gulf ....................................... 3 1.2 Archaeological expeditions in Kuwait.................................................................................... 9 1.3. Research hypothesis ................................................................................................................... 19 1.3.1. Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 19 1.4. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 20 1.5. Summary ............................................................................................................................. 21 Chapter 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 22 2.1 Importance of the Arabian Gulf .......................................................................................... 22 2.2 Geography of the Arabian Gulf............................................................................................ 23 2.2.1 Climate ............................................................................................................................ 24 2.2.2 Wind systems in the Arabian Gulf .................................................................................. 24 2.3 History ................................................................................................................................. 25 2.4 The geography of Kuwait ..................................................................................................... 28 2.4.1 The geography of Failaka Island ..................................................................................... 28 2.4.2 Kuwait hills:..................................................................................................................... 35 2.4.3 Lowlands ......................................................................................................................... 36 2.4.4 Valleys ............................................................................................................................. 37 2.4.5 Wadi Al Batin: ................................................................................................................. 37 2.4.6 Plains:.............................................................................................................................. 37 2.4.7 Sabbiyah region .............................................................................................................. 38 2.4.8 Kuwait Bay ...................................................................................................................... 38 2.5 Kuwait in the historical references ...................................................................................... 39 2.5.1 Islamic references ........................................................................................................... 39 2.5.2. European references ...................................................................................................... 39 2.6. Kuwait brief history ............................................................................................................. 42 2.6.1. Kuwait during the British presence ................................................................................ 45 2.6.2. Iraq invasion ................................................................................................................... 46 2.7. Summary ............................................................................................................................. 54 Chapter 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 55 3.1 The prehistory of Kuwait ..................................................................................................... 55 iv 3.1.1 Mesolithic: 13000 - 8000BC ............................................................................................ 56 3.1.2 Neolithic (8000 - 5500BC) ............................................................................................... 58 3.1.3 Mesopotamia .................................................................................................................. 63 3.1.4 Kuwaiti Ubaid sites ......................................................................................................... 71 3.1.5 Other Ubaid distributions ............................................................................................... 86 3.1.6 Ubaid sites in the Eastern Arabian Peninsula ................................................................. 90 3.2 Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 95 3.3 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 104 3.4 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 107 Chapter 4 ....................................................................................................................................... 108 4.1 The burial mound phenomenon........................................................................................ 108 4.2 Al-Radha area .................................................................................................................... 113 4.3 Al-Nahdain area: ................................................................................................................ 118 4.4 Bahra area ........................................................................................................................
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