DIFFERENCES of opinion over the capital of Dilmun civilisation sparked a heated debate at a two-day archaeological forum that kicked off in Bahrain yesterday.
Kuwaiti archaeologist Dr Sultan Al Dowaish claimed that northern Kuwait was the centre of the ancient civilisation, which was vehemently denied by a Bahraini expert.
More than 180 researchers took part in the GCC Society for History and Archaeology conference, held at the Intercontinental Regency.
“Archaeological records in the Sabbiyya region of Kuwait leads me to believe that Failaka was not only the true beginning, but also the core of Dilmun,” Dr Al Dowaish said.
Failaka, situated on the northern shore of Kuwait, is one of the three known cradles of the Dilmun civilisation.
Sabbiyya is rich in artefacts from the Ubaid period which lasted from 6500 BCE to 3800 BCE. This copper age period preceded the most well known civilisations, states and kingdoms in Mesopotamia like Sumer, Akkad and Babylon.
“Just as the Ubaid civilisation led to the birth of the Sumerian and later the Akkadian (both in Iraq), I believe Dilmun sprung directly from the Ubaid people of Sabbiyya,” said Dr Al Dowaish.
“Research strongly suggests that the Sabbiyya site actually contains Dilmunian ruins.
“Also, according to ancient texts, Dilmun and Akkad had a very intimate and direct relationship — how can Bahrain be the true place if it is 400km from modern-day Iraq?
“I believe Failaka was what Mesopotamian records referred to as Dilmun,” he argued, using new interpretations of long-established texts as evidence to prove his claim.
Remains of the Dilmun civilisation can also be found on Tarout Island in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Current scientific and historical consensus consider the island of Bahrain as the capital of Dilmun and the paradise oasis mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Other theories propose Tarout, Dhahran or even Oman as Dilmunian Kings’ true seat.
Bahraini history professor Dr Sharaf Al Mezaal, however, disagreed with her Kuwaiti colleague.
“For thousands of years, Bahrain was a transit point for goods from the Indian subcontinent, as well as a marketplace in itself with an abundance of pearls, freshwater and fish,” said the Bahrain University researcher.
“Failaka could have been concurrently used as a centre of trade, but current Bahrain was the main hub, it was agreed upon by scholars and shown in the archaeological records of the island.”
The forum also saw presentations on relationship between ancient Palmyra and Tylos, the history of coexistence in Manama, and the historical effects South Asian conflict on the Gulf.
The two-day event that ends today featured 26 research papers specialising in history and archaeology of the Gulf region. The conference, being held after three years, was hosted under the patronage of Isa Cultural Centre executive director Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.
zainab@gdn.com.bh
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