A strange alien-like clay head dating back thousands of years has been unearthed from a dig in Kuwait, leaving archaeologists baffled 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 the object at Bahra 1, an archaeological site in the Subiya region of Kuwait.
The press release called the artifact “one of the most remarkable discoveries” of the dig, describing it as a “small finely worked clay head, with an elongated skull, slanted eyes and a flat nose.”
The figurine dates to the Ubaid period of ancient Mesopotamia, which preceded the Bronze Age. Archaeologists estimate that the artifact was worked during the 6th millennium BC, making it between 7,000 and 8,000 years old.
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Recently, archaeologists discovered a 7,000-year-old figure that looks like an alien. Researchers discovered the strange shape while excavating at a site in Kuwait called Bahra 1. (SWNS)
The University of Warsaw publication noted that similar Ubaid figurines have 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 has for the people of this ancient community,” Professor Piotr Bieliński said in the press release.
The archaeologists also noted that they discovered two distinct types of pottery at the site, calling the discovery “worldwide” for the study of the Ubaid period.
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“Since their inception, excavations at the site have yielded two types of pottery: Ubaid, known to have been imported from Mesopotamia, and an entirely different type known as Coarse Red Ware (CRW) and known from sites in the Arabian Peninsula. .” the press release explained.
“The last type has long been described as locally produced, in the Gulf region, but the actual places of its production have so far remained unknown,” the statement added. “The definitive evidence finally came from the Bahra 1 site, including an unfired clay pot.”
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The joint Kuwaiti-Polish archaeological team. (SWNS)
The findings confirm that Bahra 1, which is one of the oldest and best-known settlements in the Arabian Peninsula, is also the oldest known pottery-making site in the Persian Gulf.
Excavators also found small fragments of plants that were added to the clay during pottery making. The researchers will then conduct an archaeobotanical analysis of the plant material in order to learn about the local flora during the time period.
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“Early analyzes have revealed traces of wild plants, particularly reeds, within locally produced pottery, while remains of cultivated plants, including cereals such as barley and wheat, have been found in imported Ubaid wares,” said Dr. Roman Hovsepyan.
The Kuwait-Polish Archaeological Mission plans to continue the study of the site and hopes to find “further discoveries and insights into the intersection of the Arab Neolithic and Mesopotamian Ubaid cultures, as well as develop further cooperation between Polish and Kuwaiti heritage specialists,” the statement said. pointed out.
An example of Ubaid pottery, found at 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 exchanges between Neolithic Arab societies and the Ubaid culture which spread from Mesopotamia over a wide territory, from Anatolia to the Arabian Peninsula,” the press release said. “Recent research on Bahra 1 contributed new information to the picture through some unique discoveries.”
