An unusual alien-like clay head dating back thousands of years has been unearthed from excavations in Kuwait, puzzling archaeologists as to how it came to be.
In a Nov. 28 press release issued by the University of Warsaw, the school explained that researchers from the Kuwait-Polish Archaeological Mission found an artifact at Bahra 1, an archaeological site in the Subiya region of Kuwait.
A press release called the artifact “one of the most significant” discoveries of the dig, describing it as “a small, finely crafted clay head with an elongated skull, slanted eyes and a flat nose.”
The figurine dates from the Ubaid period in ancient Mesopotamia, which preceded the Bronze Age. Archaeologists estimate that the artifact was made during the 6th millennium BC, making it between 7,000 and 8,000 years old.
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Archaeologists recently discovered a 7,000-year-old figurine that looks like an alien. Researchers discovered the extraterrestrial form while digging at a site in Kuwait called Bahra 1. (SWNS)
The University of Warsaw said similar Ubaid figurines had been found before, but this artifact was the first of its kind discovered in the Persian Gulf.
“Its presence raises intriguing questions about its purpose and the symbolic or perhaps ritual value it had for the people of this ancient community,” Professor Piotr Bieliński said in a press release.
Archaeologists also noted that they discovered two different types of pottery at the site, calling the discovery “crucial” for the study of the Ubaid period.
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“From the outset, excavations at the site yielded two types of pottery: Ubaid are, known to have been imported from Mesopotamia, and a completely different type known as coarse red ware (CRW) and known from sites in the Arabian Peninsula,” explained is in the press release.
“The latter type has long been described as produced locally, in the Gulf region, but the actual places of its production have so far remained unknown,” the statement added. “Conclusive evidence has finally come from the Bahra 1 site, including an unfired clay vessel.”
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Joint Kuwaiti-Polish archaeological team. (SWNS)
The findings confirm that Bahra 1, one of the oldest and largest known settlements on the Arabian Peninsula, is also the oldest known pottery production site in the Persian Gulf.
Excavators also found small fragments of plants that were added to the clay while pottery was being made. Next, the researchers will conduct an archaeobotanical analysis of the plant material to learn more about the local flora during that time period.
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“Early analyzes revealed traces of wild plants, particularly reeds, within locally produced pottery, while remains of cultivated plants, including cereals such as barley and wheat, were found in imported Ubaid pottery,” said Dr. Roman Hovsepyan.
The Kuwaiti-Polish archaeological mission plans to continue studying the site and hopes to find “further discoveries and insights into the intersection of the Arabian Neolithic and Mesopotamian Ubaid cultures, as well as develop further cooperation between Polish and Kuwaiti heritage experts,” it said. recorded.
An example of Ubaid pottery, found in the settlement of Eridu. It dates back to the 6th or 5th millennium BC. (Getty Images)
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“Ongoing excavations reveal Bahra 1 as a critical site for understanding the cultural exchange between Arab Neolithic societies and the Ubaid culture that spread from Mesopotamia over a vast territory, from Anatolia to the Arabian Peninsula,” the press release said. “Recent research at Bahra 1 has added new information to the picture through several unique discoveries.”
