Archaeological Investigations in the As-Sabbiya, Kuwait, in 2015-2017

摘要

From 2015 the Kuwait-Georgian Archaeological Mission carried out archaeological research in the continental part of Kuwait, at Bahra, As-Sabbiyah region. Three years of investigation have revealed very interesting cult complexes, the first of their kind in the region. One of them consists of two parts: a so-called "long structure" and a burial adjacent to its north-west side. The long structure is in the form of a "corridor" composed of walls of upright stone slabs that delimit the edges. In the west, the wide part of the corridor was partitioned by an altar erected using flat stone slabs arranged in three rows. Incorporated into the altar wall were several vertical stone slabs decorated with curved geometrical patterns, as well as two narrow vertical column-like slabs. One of the latter is decorated with a vertical row of convex spherical parts, separated from each other by grooves. The upper part of this column ends with a forward-projecting element, representing a schematic image of an animal, probably a lion or a dragon. In front of the altar, as well as in the sandy mound originally covering the burial and western part of the corridor a large quantity of ostrich egg-shells, shell ornaments, fragments of pottery, pieces of bronze plates and wire, stone beads, sprigs of corals, ocher, various multicolored stones, a limestone seal of conical shape, and a rim fragment of a steatite bowl were discovered. Behind the altar was found a goblet of the Kassite period. The radiocarbon date measured at Oxford is 3405 ± 32 BP, corresponding to a calibrated date range of 1770-1620 BC. In 850 m to the east a very interesting complex of rounded stone structures was excavated, apparently also of a religious nature. The four discovered structures stretch in a line from north to south and all share the same basic characteristics: round in plan, flat, and of horseshoe shape. At the eastern edge of each structure was arranged a row of three stone boxes, enclosed from the outside by one large stone. All of these structures were destroyed and plundered in antiquity. A very interesting object was found directly at the outer wall of one of the structures. This is a cylinder seal of black soft stone with a multi-figure composition carved on its surface and a three-line inscription. According to its iconographic features this seal can be dated to the 23rd century BC. Other very interesting objects found here were two bronze styluses. To our knowledge, these are the only items of this kind found in Kuwait.