Ancient Archaeology
Collection: The Ancient Saar Project
Moving from the depths of the sea to dusty deserts, this exhibit highlights how the ADS archive contains archaeological data from projects from across the world. These three images are from the excavation of Saar in Bahrain occupied in the late third and early second millennia BC. The full collection includes the original site database as well as the excavation reports.
This collection contains data from the Ancient Saar Project. Between the years 1990 and 1999 the London-Bahrain Archaeological Expedition, undertook excavations in Saar. The team was formed specifically for this expedition and it featured academics from the Institute of Archaeology at University College, London. The site of Saar is located on a limestone ridge in the northern part of Bahrain, in addition to the settlement it also includes a burial field and two cemeteries. The excavation uncovered a temple, a series of 80 buildings (some with the same construction layout) and a gypsum kiln. The research revealed that the settlement was probably occupied between 2100 and 1850 BC. This date was determined by the comparison and analysis of pottery found in the area. An online database was created and all the non-digital material has been stored in the Bahrain museum where it is available to consult.
The ADS collection contains a database for the expedition, containing context, find and feature details; three reports on the settlement as a whole, the Dilmun Temple, and the excellent Early Dilmun Seals, plus a selection of images.
"Think of the Kingdom of Bahrain and one immediately thinks of oil, this archive opened my eyes to the long and deep heritage of this relatively new country and its connection with United Kingdom, through the London-Bahrain Archaeological Expedition. The published monographs provide a fascinating appraisal of the ancient settlement of Saar, while the database, which forms an important part of the collection, offers huge potential for re-evaluating the discoveries made during the fieldwork." Ray Moore, ADS Digital Archivist.