THE SUMMER solstice sunset was observed from a Dilmunian temple in Saar as history lovers this week followed in the likely footsteps of ancient residents 4,000 years ago.
A leading archaeologist, who believes that the setting solstice sun aligns with a corner of the temple, has been holding group observations at the site for the last 25 years.
“Clay tablets belonging to ancient Mesopotamian civilisations – which had a cultural sphere of influence that Dilmun was once part of – show that the people of the region calculated the movement of the sun, moon and stars,” he told the crowd of observers on Wednesday evening.
Every year, people flock to the ruins of an old Dilmunian town in Saar to watch the sun dip below the horizon from a triangle-shaped room in the temple, located in the heart of the settlement.
Made up of almost 70 houses, the town was covered by sand for nearly four millennia until it was excavated by a British archaeological mission in the 1990s.
Archaeologist Nabiel Al Shaikh believes that the people who lived in the town may have used the corner of the temple as a sun dial to mark the solstice, which is the longest day of the year. He also theorises that the people of Dilmun celebrated their new year on June 21.
The now-retired Dammam Regional Museum archaeologist added that he believes this temple could have been dedicated to the Mesopotamian Sun god, Utu.
Standing in the same spot in July of 1996, Mr Al Shaikh had noticed the alignment and had to return the next summer solstice to make sure of what he had witnessed.
Even though the Saudi expert has been coming to the site every year since 1997, there is little evidence to support his theory.
One objection raised by experts is that the solstice sun’s alignment with the corner of the temple is off by 10 degrees, but Mr Al Shaikh attributes the misalignment to the soft, shifting sands the settlement stands on.
“The whole settlement has moved over 4,000 years and will continue to move towards the east because of the soft sands,” he said.
Few texts have been left behind by people of the Dilmun era in Bahrain, so scientists only have stamps, seals and ruins to go on.
Last summer solstice, the GDN reported that it has become increasingly difficult to observe the alignment, since recently-constructed high-rise buildings now obstruct the horizon and cover the sun as it dips out of sight.
Astronomy educator and Bahrain Stargazers founder Myriam Alqassab told the GDN that the hypothesis appears to make logical sense.
“In the olden times, everything was constructed with a purpose – any creation had to be connected with the people’s ways of life, religion or culture,” she said.
“The room’s strange shape makes a lot more sense if it had been built like that on purpose, especially since it’s the town’s central place of worship.”
Historian Mahmood Baqlawa, who attends the viewing every year, also pointed out that the semi-circular altar in the temple could represent either the sun or the moon.
Bahrain Authority of Culture and Antiquities (Baca) antiquities and museums director Dr Salman Al Mahari was also present at this year’s sunset observation, featured in yesterday’s GDN.
The Saar Archaeological Site is home to a trove of impressively-constructed and well-preserved ancient structures, each from a different epoch.
The ancient multi-era remains were uncovered during a 1977 land survey to clear the area for the construction of the King Fahad Causeway.
It is the country’s second most significant site after Qal’at al-Bahrain, according to Mr Al Mahari.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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