A new community initiative that aims to encourage young minds to know and understand Bahrain’s historical and archaeological sites has been launched.
From dirt-digging to mystery solving fun, the first phase of the ‘Friends of Archaeology’ targets children from different age groups, with the ultimate goal to reach every individual in the country.
The public outreach programme was introduced last December by Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa and Museums and Antiquities director Dr Salman Al Mahari.
It will cover 23 archaeological sites and historical freshwater springs. The initiative that kicked off in A’ali earlier this month saw volunteers gather to clean up the town’s royal tombs, added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2019, in co-operation with the A’ali Social and Charity Society.
“It is a comprehensive, all-encompassing campaign intended to engage the public about archaeological sites and national heritage” Dr Al Mahari told the GDN.
Community information and physical preservation are the main focus of the initiative, with varied approaches to facilitate direct dialogue with those who live near archaeological locations.
“There are great plans in the works for different community programmes to address all segments of society,” added the Museums and Antiquities director.
Baca in an earlier statement explained that it brought together a network of local residents and societies to act as caretakers of the sites … to be ‘Friends of Archaeology.’
“We have received a great response from people whose villages are home to the heritage sites; reaching out and being on the ground with them really goes a long way,” said Dr Al Mahari.
In the same vein, the lead archaeologist said he wants knowledge of history to be easily available to all by creating informative media, digitally-circulated publications and field workshops for both children and adults.
“I want national heritage to be close to everyone. A lot of the information is locked away in academic papers and books that cannot be easily accessed. However, there have been many positive responses to informative videos which I have presented in simple Arabic.
“Today, there is more public engagement with cultural heritage that ever in my career!”
The first workshop in the ‘Little Archaeologist’ series kicked earlier this month, which Baca held in co-operation with the Jannusan Charity Society.
Knowledge
More than 40 children came to the Jannusan burial mound field despite the rain to learn about archaeology, namely the excavation, restoration and preservation of antiquities.
The hands-on workshop emulated real archaeological work, as young village residents dug up modern pottery buried by the event organisers and were taught how to handle and restore their finds.
First discovered in the 1920s, the Jannusan Tylos Necropolis consists of three large mounds, with burials belonging to several periods between 2000 BCE and 100 BCE, including a warrior’s tomb and a children’s cemetery.
“As a Jannusan resident myself, I grew up playing on and around the mounds, but we knew nothing about them. We were not aware of the fact we lived near such treasure,” recalled Dr Al Mahari.
“By teaching children about their cultural heritage in engaging and enjoyable ways, we can help fill this knowledge gap.”
Baca World Heritage consultant Dr Mounir Bouchenaki was present during the event, and believes that such workshops are in line with international recommendations to promote civil engagement with history.
“Through learning by playing, the young participants experienced the journey an artefact makes from the ground to the museum,” said Dr Bouchenaki.
“If the children know what the landmarks are, they will not see them as something strange or alien, but rather a rich continuity they themselves are part of.
“Moreover, excavated antiquities tell us that Bahrain did not start from zero. The Kingdom of Dilmun was contemporary with the ancient Egyptians and the Sumerians.”
Another event in the ‘Little Archaeologist’ series was held yesterday at the Shakhura Burial Mound Field.
zainab@gdn.com.bh
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