Qatar Museums (QM) has discovered new archaeological remains in Asaila, located west of Qatar about 12 kilometers of Umm Bab.
Asaila is considered to be one of the oldest archaeological sites in the country.
The initial excavation took place at a burial mound, which dates back between 300 BCE and 300 CE, QM said in a statement yesterday.
A team from the Department of Archaeology found remains of important individuals, who were buried on top of a plateau in large, carefully constructed burial mounds.
يسعدنا أن نعلن عن اكتشاف بقايا أثرية في مدافن العسيلة، أحد أقدم المواقع التاريخية في قطر.
— Al Mayassa Al Thani (@almayassahamad) January 12, 2021
وذلك في إحدى المقابر، التي يرجع تاريخها إلى الفترة ما بين العامين 300 قبل الميلاد و300 ميلادي. pic.twitter.com/JH5IQh1pzQ
The team also unearthed personal items including a sword, metal tools, and a golden earring that were buried alongside the individuals.
The human remains will be subject to advanced paleoanthropological and molecular analyses, including the study of ancient genetic material, QM said.
Additionally, the remains of a camel and its calf were also discovered inside a stone chamber linked to one of the human graves.
QM CEO Ahmad Musa al-Namla commented, “The recent discovery at Asaila paves the way for a deeper understanding of past civilizations, which will in turn enable QM to trace the influences they have had on shaping Qatar’s heritage.”
“We are honored to be able to carry out this important archaeological work to support the preservation of Qatar’s history and traditions,” he added.
Excavation is one of the Department of Archaeology’s key focus areas, highlighted the Director of the Department of Archaeology at QM, Faisal al-Naimi.
“Qatar’s sites and burial mounds tell the stories of its past inhabitants. Our work at Asaila is part of a wider plan to be implemented over several years to uncover burial mounds in the country, which will provide invaluable insights about how people lived on this land in the past. The findings from the excavation will contribute to preserving and documenting Qatari heritage, and linking it to the present day,” he said.
Extensive data shows that the Asaila site still has numerous undiscovered archaeological remains, the QM statement adds.
---
Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.
Instagram - @qatarliving
Twitter - @qatarliving
Facebook - Qatar Living
YouTube - qatarlivingofficial
%20(1).png&w=1007&q=75)