On the afternoon of Monday 17th June 2019 we had the honour of a visit to the Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Rulers’s Representative in Al Dhafra, and his two sons, HH Sheikh Hazza bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Yas bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They were accompanied by Sultan Khalfan Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Ruler’s Court in Al Dhafra, Ahmed Matar Al Dhaheri, Director of the Ruler’s Representative Office in Dhafrah Region and HE Mohammed Ali Al Shadi Al Mansouri, Director General of the Al Dhafra Municipality.  This visit was following the completion of conservation and enhancement work carried out at the site by the Department of Culture and Tourism.

WAM Emirates News Agency – 13 June 2019

The Church and Monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island, the only early Christian site yet discovered in the UAE, has reopened its doors to visitors following the implementation of conservation measures and site enhancements by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

The inauguration ceremony for the site was conducted by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister of Tolerance. The event was attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, and Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, as well as conservators, archaeologists, heritage experts and clerics.

The Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery dates to the 7th and 8th centuries CE. It continued flourish well after Islam spread throughout the region.

The site was first discovered in 1992, during a survey undertaken with the permission of the late President Sheikh Zayed, when the remains of several buildings, along with pottery and plaster fragments, were found on the east of the island.

The next year, excavations were started by the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey, Adias, established on the instructions of Sheikh Zayed and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Excavation of the site took place over several seasons, unveiling the eastern and northern quarters used by the monks, the surrounding wall, as well as the central building, shown by the discovery of fine plaster crosses to be a church.

Several courtyard-type houses were also excavated nearby, as well as a water cistern, all part of the monastic settlement.

Artefacts found at the site show how the inhabitants of the settlement used the sea, in addition to cattle, sheep and goats, as food sources, while glass vessels and pottery indicate that they traded widely across the Arabian Gulf and beyond.

“The Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery site received special attention from the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, due to the great significance and value it holds as a historic part of the UAE’s cultural heritage,” Sheikh Nahyan said.

“The late Sheikh Zayed played a key role in supporting archaeological excavations, studies and research related to history and heritage. He welcomed archaeological expeditions in the emirate and established the Al Ain Museum to display the archaeological discoveries and artefacts from these missions and provide insight into the lifestyle of those communities residing in the region before us.”

He added: “The Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery sheds light on our cultural history, one that we can be proud of; its existence is proof of the longstanding values of tolerance and acceptance in our lands. This further emphasises the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, as the site provides evidence of the UAE’s openness to other cultures. It is perfect timing that the inauguration of this landmark comes during the Year of Tolerance, which was marked this year by the historic visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, to the UAE.”

Due to the great significance of the Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery, plans to conserve the site were carried out with care soon after the first excavation ended, and in 2010 a shelter was installed over the church, while most of the monastery was reburied. Between 2015 and 2016, DCT Abu Dhabi completed its conservation programme for the site as part of a larger plan to manage the entire island. This plan provided a chance to gather data on the site and monitor its condition, as well as set policies to regulate any future excavations and research, restoration, management and conservation activities.

In 2018, DCT Abu Dhabi began the design and implementation of a new sheltering solution that would ensure optimum protection of the site’s archaeological remains from current environmental threats, minimise visual and physical impact on the archaeological remains, and enhance the visitor experience.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “Sheltering archaeological sites is a complex undertaking that has great implications for their conservation, presentation, interpretation, and overall management. The new shelter over the Sir Bani Yas Church and Monastery is a state-of-the-art protective measure that demonstrates DCT Abu Dhabi’s expertise in the field of heritage conservation and its commitment to the long-term protection of archaeological sites.”

The shelter design is highly specialised and meant to be flexible and reversible, while effectively protecting against rain, heat, windblown sand and nesting birds. The structure integrates a water drainage system and an elevated pathway with interpretation points to enhance visitors’ appreciation and understanding of the site. The dynamic and modular shading structure was designed so that it can be expanded in the future if new discoveries are made, while minimising visual intrusion for visitors. The roofing membrane is made of PTFE, a highly durable and breathable material that provides natural lighting and air circulation. Artificial lighting was also installed to allow night tours of the site. Other site enhancements include a new access road made of environmentally-friendly stabilised soil and a new fence designed in harmony with the site’s context to prevent roaming wildlife and windblown sand.

With the inauguration of this new shelter, sections of the monastery never seen before will now be visible to the public. These remains, mostly of the northern dormitory, provide an understanding of daily life in the monastery. All the exposed archaeological remains were stabilised, repaired, and consolidated and an ongoing programme of monitoring has been initiated.

WAM Emirates News Agency – 13 June 2019

Archaeozoology of Southwest Asia and Adjacent Areas (ASWA) – Barcelona, Spain – 3-7 June 2019.

The Archaeozoology of Southwest Asia and Adjacent Areas (ASWA[AA]) Working Group was formed during the 1990 ICAZ International Conference in Washington D.C. Its purpose is to promote communication between individuals working on faunal remains from sites in western Asia and adjacent areas (e.g., northeast Africa, eastern Europe, central Asia, and south Asia). It carries out its mandate by sponsoring biennial international conferences.

The 14th ASWA Working Group meeting will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 3-7 June 2019. I will be co-authoring and presenting the following paper

Fishing strategies and adaptation to maritime environments during the Neolithic on Marawah Island, United Arab Emirates.

Kevin Lidour & Mark Jonathan Beech

Recent excavations conducted on Marawah Island (Abu Dhabi Emirate, UAE) have revealed a unique stone-built architectural complex (site MR11) which has been radiocarbon dated to between the early 6^th millennium to mid-5^th millennium BC. A preliminary study of the faunal assemblage has outlined an economy principally focused toward the exploitation of marine life, including the food consumption of seashells, fish, marine turtles and marine mammals such as dugongs and dolphins. The recent discovery of stone sinkers confirms the use of fishing nets by the ancient inhabitants of the site. The assemblage consists mostly of small coastal fish such as grunts (Haemulidae), seabreams (Sparidae), emperors (Lethrinidae), silversides (Atherinidae), anchovies (Engraulidae), as well as small sharks. These are all commonly associated with shallow seagrass bed environments which are suitable for the use of non-selective fishing techniques and small-mesh devices like barrier traps and beach seines. This paper discusses the fishing strategies and techniques during the Neolithic within the Arabian Gulf, both from an archaeo-ichthyological perspective, as well as the study of fishing equipment from sites located between Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Keywords:
Arabian Gulf, Neolithic Archaeology, Maritime economy, Ancient Fisheries, Fishing strategies

I have just co-authored a new publication on the Neolithic fisheries of Delma Island. Please go ahead and read:

Lidour, K. and M.J. Beech. 2019. ‘The numerous islands of the Ichthyophagi’: Neolithic fisheries of Delma Island, Abu Dhabi Emirate (UAE). Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 49: 207-222.

Summary

[you may order a copy of this particular issue of the journal by clicking here]

BBC World Service Radio, 4 April 2019
Listen to this interview with Peter Magee (Head of Archaeology, Historic Environment Department, Department of Culture and Tourism) discussing the results of our recent archaeological excavations on Marawah Island.

Today the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) issued a press release about the latest results from our excavations at the MR11 site on Marawah Island in Abu Dhabi emirate. Here are links to the original press releases in both arabic and english language:

WAM Emirates News Agency, 2 April 2019
Marawah Island uncovers Abu Dhabi history with new findings

WAM Emirates News Agency, 2 April 2019 (in arabic)
“السياحة والثقافة” تعثر على أدلة أثرية جديدة لأقدم مستوطنة في أبوظبي

A number of UAE newspapers then featured the news including Al Bayan, Al Ittihad, Al Khaleej, Emirat Al Youm, Gulf News, Gulf Today, Khaleej Times and The National, who included a gallery of related photographs:

The National, 2 April 2019
New archaeological discoveries at Abu Dhabi’s earliest village

Here are the eight photographs which were also issued along with the press release:

Aerial view of the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

From left to right: Peter Magee, HE Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Noura Al Hameli and Mark Jonathan Beech, examining Room 8 at the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

HE Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak and Mark Jonathan Beech, examining Room 6 at the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

Tariq Al Hammadi excavating on the southern side of the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

Noura Al Hameli mapping with a DGPS on the northern side of the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

Flint trihedral point discovered at the  Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

Painted plaster vessel fragments recovered from the Area C mound at the MR11 Stone Age settlement

Wednesday 30 January 2019, Louvre Abu Dhabi, 6:00-7:00 pm – Open to the Public
(with simultaneous translation to Arabic and French)

The Marawah Vase: Archaeological Discovery of the Gulf

As part of Roads of Arabia: Archeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia, join us in a lecture with Dr Mark Beech, who will bring us on the journey of how the Marawah vase was unearthed in one of the oldest villages discovered in the United Arab Emirates. The vase was originally manufactured in Southern Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) and was traded down the Arabian Gulf. What was the vase used for? How did it arrive here? What was life like at that time in the region? Louvre Abu Dhabi hosts The Marawah Vase: Archaeological Discovery of the Arabian Gulf to discuss these interesting finds.

تزامناً مع معرض “طرق التجارة في الجزيرة العربية: روائع آثار المملكة العربية السعودية عبر العصور”، انضموا إلينا في جلسة حوارية مع الدكتور مارك بيش، الذي سيطلعنا على كيفية انتقال هذا الإناء الذي صُنع جنوب بلاد الرافدين، أي العراق حالياً، قبل 8000 سنة ليتم اكتشافه أخيراً في أقدم القرى في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.

Speaker
Dr Mark Beech, Head of Archaeology: Al Dhafra & Abu Dhabi, Historic Environment Department, Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT)

Hosted by
Louvre Abu Dhabi

To reserve a ticket for the lecture visit:
https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/programmes/talks?event=true&product=d39c980a-381e-e911-96d6-005056b19fc0&date=2019-01-30

I am participating in the Dhakira Center for Heritage Studies and New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, together with UNESCO and ICCROM-Athar (Sharjah) who are co-hosting a Regional Workshop on Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Arab Region from 28 to 31 January 2019.

The UNESCO ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Workshop on the Protection and Management of Maritime, Coastal and Underwater Cultural Heritage is taking place at the ICCROM-ATHAR Centre in Sharjah from 28-29 January, and then at NYUAD on Saadiyat Island from 30-31 January 2019.

Both Richard Cuttler and myself are participating in the Abu Dhabi segment of the workshop on Wednesday 30th January, which takes place at the NYUAD Conference Centre on Saadiyat Island. Our 15 minute talks are as follows:

Wednesday 30 January – NYUAD Conference Centre

Session 4 – Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Gulf
10:15-11:30 am
Moderator: Lucy Blue

• Coastal Archaeological Sites in the Gulf, Mark Beech, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism
• Mapping Submerged Cultural Landscapes, Richard Cuttler, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

Session 5 – Sustainable and Inclusive Approaches for Underwater Cultural Heritage Management & Protection
12:00-13:30 pm
Moderator: Mark Beech

• Developing an integrated policy for the maritime and coastal heritage of the UAE: a collaborative approach, Mark Beech, Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

For more information visit:
https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/events/2019/january/regional-workshop-on-underwater-cultural-heritage-in-the-arab-region.html

For related information visit:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/underwater-cultural-heritage/dynamic-content-single-view/news/unesco_manual_for_activities_directed_at_the_underwater_cult/

On 15 December 2018 H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the United Arab Emirates, declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, posted on his Instagram account a photograph of myself showing to the Christian Bishops of the Gulf some of the pieces of decorated plaster stucco discovered at the Church and Monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island. This photograph was taken during the visit made by Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the former UAE Minister of State for Tolerance, and the Christian Bishops of the Gulf to Sir Bani Yas on 17 January 2017.

Third International Conference on the Archaeology of the Arabian Peninsula (The Neolithic in Arabia)

Organised by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) & the French Center for Archaeology and Social Sciences (CEFAS)

20-22 November 2018

I am presenting a paper entitled “New results from excavations at MR11, Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates”

This will be presented on Tuesday 20 November from 11:05-11:25 am in Session 2: Latest results from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

The full conference programme is as follows:

20 November 2018

8:30 – 9:00
Welcoming of the participants and general public

9:00 – 9:10
Official speeches

9:00 NCCAL representative(s)

9:05 French Embassy in Kuwait representative and CEFAS Director

9:10 – 9:20
Introduction to the Conference topic by Rémy CRASSARD (CNRS / CEFAS, France / Kuwait)

SESSION 1.
Origins and dispersals of the Arabian Neolithic
(Chair: Dr Robert Carter – Former Director of British Excavation Mission in al Sabbiya area)

9:20 – 9:40
Yamandú H. HILBERT (CNRS, France)
Stone tool use in Arabia during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene human occupation: trends and their impact on human demography

9:40 – 10:00
Rémy CRASSARD (CNRS / CEFAS, France / Kuwait)
A Neolithic influence from the Fertile Crescent? ‘Naviform’ technology from Saudi Arabia

10:00 – 10:20
Cheryl MAKAREWICZ (University of Kiel, Germany)
The emergence of pastoralism in the Arabian peninsula: Zooarchaeological and isotopic perspectives from the Jordanian highlands and steppe ‘periphery’

10:20 – 10:40
Hans Georg K. GEBEL (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany)
Sustainable sedentarisation and the establishment of food production on the Arabian Peninsula

10:40 – 10:50
Questions and discussions

10:50– 11:05
Coffee Break

SESSION 2.
Latest results from United Arab Emirates and Qatar
(Chair: Dr Moawiya Ibrahim – Archaeologist and Historian – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)

11:05 – 11:25
Mark BEECH (Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, UAE)
New results from excavations at MR11, Marawah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

11:25 – 11:45
Kevin LIDOUR (Paris University Panthéon-Sorbonne, France)
Analysis of the fish remains from the Neolithic stone house of Marawah Island (MR11), United Arab Emirates

11:45 – 12:05
Sophie MÉRY (CNRS, France)
UAQ36, a fifth millennium BC site in Umm al Quwain

12:05 – 12:25
Richard CUTTLER (Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, UAE)
Neolithic Occupation at Wadi Debay‘an, North West Qatar

12:25 – 12:35
Questions and discussions

12:35 – 13:00
Pre-lunch Break

SESSION 3.
Latest results from Saudi Arabia
(Chair: Dr Sayid Mahfoudh – Professor of Ancient History & Archaeology, Kuwait University)

13:00 – 13:20
Abdullah ALSHAREKH (King Saud University, Saudi Arabia)
Scientific and stylistic approaches to dating the earliest rock art in Arabia: An evaluation

13:20 – 13:40
Niklas HAUSMANN (Foundation of Research and Technology, Greece)
Marine food sources from the Farasan Islands and their relation to the Arabian mainland and the southern Red Sea

13:40 – 13:50
Questions and discussions

13:50 – 14:00
Open discussion on the first day of conference

14:00 – 14:45
Lunch at the National Library of Kuwait

14:45 – 15:00 shuttle to Cultural Centre

15:00 – 16:30 Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre

16:30 – 16:40 shuttle to hotel

16:40 – 19:00 hotel break

19:00 – 19:30 shuttle to Jabriya

19:30 – Reception at the Residence of H.E. the Ambassador of France 

21 November 2018

SESSION 4.
Latest results from Oman
(Chair: Dr Fahad al Wohaibi – Kuwait University Professor – Former Director of Kuwait National Museum)

9:00 – 9:20
Jean-François BERGER (CNRS, France)
First contribution of the excavation and the chronostratigraphic study of Ruways 1 Neolithic shell middens (Oman), in terms of Neolithization, palaeoeconomy, social-environmental interactions and site formation processes (Note: this paper was presented by Remy CRASSARD as Jean-François BERGER was unable to come to Kuwait)

9:20 – 9:40
Anaïs MARRAST (National Museum of Natural History, France)
Ancient exploitation of coastal resources during the Arabian Neolithic: the settlements of Ra’s al Hamra 6 and 5 (Sultanate of Oman)

9:40 – 10:00
Olivia MUNOZ (CNRS, France)
Neolithic coastal populations from South-Eastern Arabia: the contribution of funerary and bio-anthropological data

10:00 – 10:20
Ash PARTON (Oxford Brookes University, UK)
Holocene Lake and Wetland Development in the Batinah Region of Northern Oman

10:20 – 10:40
Marcin BIAŁOWARCZUK (Warsaw University, Poland)
New prehistoric sites in the Qumayrah Valley, Oman. Preliminary results of two seasons of investigations

10:40 – 11:00
Maria Pia MAIORANO (Naples University, Italy)
Projectile points of Southeastern Arabia: quantitative approach to regional issues

11:00 – 11:10
Questions and discussions

11:10– 11:25
Coffee Break

SESSION 5.
Neolithic in Kuwait
(Chair: Dr Abdulhadi al Ajmi – Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs)

11:25 – 11:45
Piotr BIELINSKI (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Bahra 1- an Ubaid culture related settlement in Northern Kuwait and its possible functions

11:45 – 12:05
Agnieszka PIEŃKOWSKA (University of Warsaw, Poland)
The earliest settlement remains at the Bahra 1 site

12:05 – 12:25
Robert CARTER (University College London, UK)
The Arabian Neolithic in Ubaid Mesopotamia? Cross-cultural Interactions in Northern Kuwait and Southern Iraq during the 6th  and 5th millennia BC

12:25 – 12:35
Questions and discussions

12:35– 13:00
Pre-lunch Break

SESSION 6.
Ubaid Ceramic from the Gulf
(Chair: Dr Piotr Bielinski – Current Director of Polish Excavation Mission in Kuwait)

13:00 – 13:20
Hasan ASHKANANI (Kuwait University, Kuwait)
A characterization study of Late Neolithic ceramics from As-Sabbiya, Kuwait, using non-destructive pXRF

13:20 – 13:40
Eleanor PRESTON (University College London, Qatar)
The Ubaid in the Arabian Gulf: Petrographic and Compositional Analysis of Ceramic material

13:40 – 14:00
Anna SMOGORZEWSKA (University of Warsaw, Poland)
Pottery traditions in the Neolithic Gulf. New evidence from Bahra 1 (Kuwait)

14:00 – 14:10
Questions and discussions

14:10 – 14:20
Concluding remarks / publications

14:20 – 15:10
Lunch at the National Library of Kuwait

15:10 – 15:25 shuttle to Dar al-Athar

15:25 – 17:00 Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah at Amricani Cultural Centre

17:00 – 17:10 shuttle to hotel

17:10 – 19:00 hotel break

19:00 – shuttle to dinner

25 April 2018

08:00 – 09:00 shuttle from hotel to Bahra

09:00 – 11:00 Site visit to Bahra 1 (organized in cooperation with the Kuwaiti-Polish team), and other archaeological sites around Bahra (with Dr Sultan Al-Duwaish)

11:00 – 12:00 shuttle from Bahra to Kuwait City

13:00
Lunch in Kuwait City (CEFAS)

Afternoon: free time at hotel and Kuwait City / Departure of the participants in the evening and the day after.