Activities 2006

The second excavation season at Al-Khidr dated from February 1 to March 24 2006  brought together  academicians, graduates and undergraduates from several institutions (see Home).

Main objectives of 2006 season

With results of the season 2004  in mind, the main objectives of 2006 digs at Al-Khidr include the following from the realms of

Archaeology, Geophysics, Mapping and GIS:

• Opening of new trenches
• To start drawing finds from 2004 and to continue with those from 2006
• To start restoration and conservation of pottery and small finds
• To launch pottery analysis (chronological and cultural classification based on typology and stratigraphy)
• Setting up the strategy for absolute dating  and collecting suitable ¹⁴C samples from reasonably understandable contexts with characteristic finds
• To initialize co-operation with a specialist on local geology from Kuwait University and/or K.I.S.R. (Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research)
• To prepare and start co-operation with specialist on marine zoology (otoliths) from K.I.S.R.
• To proceed with geophysical prospection at Al-Khidr and at other archaeological sites at Failaka; apart from Dipole Electromagnetic Profiling (DEMP) successfully used last year, ground penetrating radar (GPR) will be employed
• To proceed with mapping of Al-Khidr and other sites at Failaka  in  order  to  built  a  3D model of Al-Khidr, and later of the whole island, to use GIS to visualize Failaka archaeological heritage, with intention to employ all these also when promoting archaeological sightseeing at this touristic area and holiday resort
• To make primary documentation of Al-Khidr more efficient and demonstrative, also by employing photogrammetry
• To develop databases and GIS environment for processing and data-storing  of Al-Khidr digs data
• Setting up a website featuring the Al-Khidr site and KSAM works at Failaka; later, a web on ancient history of Failaka is envisaged

Palaeoenvironmental research (archaeobotany, archaeozoology, phytolith research)

• To proceed with palaeoenvironmental research (flotation and systematic sampling is inevitable regarding the results of the first season)
• As it turned out that plant macroremains are almost lacking at Al-Khidr, prospective co-operation with a specialist on phytoliths  is hoped to shed some more light on palaeoenvironment

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