Ancient Al Sayah Island could have once been a freshwater supplying depot built on reclaimed land more than 1,200 years ago – a rare example of an ‘extraordinary feat of engineering’.
Details were unveiled by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) yesterday following an archaeological survey carried out by a team of Bahraini and British experts.
The small island west of Busaiteen, Muharraq was once thought to be a natural formation of fossilised coral reefs, but the latest discovery suggests otherwise.
“This extraordinary feat of ancient engineering could be an early example of land reclamation,” said Baca Museums and Antiquities director Dr Salman Al Mahari.
Excavation
Initiated two weeks ago in collaboration with British archaeologists, Al Sayah island’s methodical survey and excavation is a first-of-a-kind.
“It is the first proper maritime archaeological discovery in Bahrain, and we hope it will lead to even more underwater revelations,” he added.
Preliminary findings of the ground-breaking discovery reveal that Al Sayah island was built around a spring a millennium ago to contain the sweet water flowing out of the rocky seabed.
In the past, Bahrain was well known for several ubiquitous undersea freshwater springs, known as ‘kawkab’ in Arabic and in the Bahraini dialect as ‘chochab.’
“Building a cylindrical brick structure, or a cistern, around the submerged spring was a first phase of reclamation,” explained Professor Robert Carter, leader of the team of archaeologists from Exeter University and Southampton University.
“Following that, a thick circular wall with a diameter of about 20m was built around it. This was filled in to become a small island.
“A second sloping wall of about 40m in diameter was constructed at a later time to expand the island. And, more tall structures and expansions brought it to its current length of 60m.”
Professor Carter added that foundations of a small building theorised to be a pump room were found beside the spring.
“Most of the island is covered in pearl oyster shells mixed with shards of 7th and 8th century pottery, which leads us to believe it might have been significant for the pearl trade,” said the professor.
“The island could have been a freshwater supplying depot belonging to the early Islamic age or even earlier.”
Baca also announced that the teams have found multiple fresh springs using diving and underwater survey technology.
Last Saturday, Baca’s fourth Little Archaeologist workshop was held on the Busaiteen shore next to Al Sayah, where children were taught how to excavate, restore and preserve artefacts.
The GDN reported in December that Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf revealed that there were on-going talks with Baca to turn the protected historic natural island off the coast of Busaiteen into a tourist destination.
Baca president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa declared the island as a national heritage site in the Official Gazette in April last year and has informed the Survey and Land Registration Bureau to identify it on maps.
The natural island with a six-metre diameter circular opening in the middle includes a natural water spring and further has the remains of what could be a fort or a defence tower with parts of walls in existence, said the decision by Shaikha Mai in the Gazette at the time.
The island has a rich history and folklore which includes tales that Prophet Mohammed once passed through Al Sayah.
A hungry genie was also rumoured to have once inhabited the island. Named Bu Gedo, it supposedly demanded picnickers leave food for it.
A number of scientific studies conducted by researchers from Bahrain University concluded that the sounds attributed to Bu Gedo over hundreds of years were the natural ecological release of air during low and high tides.
zainab@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))