By Mária Hajnalová and Zora Miklíková

Environmental archaeology is an integral part of the Kuwaiti-Slovak Archaeological Mission to Kuwait, involving various disciplines such as archaeobotany, archaeozoology and anthropology. This aspect of the study is overseen by Mária Hajnalová PhD and Zora Miklíková MA from the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Nitra. Additionally, more scholars from the natural sciences have been involved in the palaeoenvironmental research within the mission. Dr Luc Vrydaghs from Belgium is working on the phytoliths analysis, Dr Mohsen al-Husaini from the Kuwaiti Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) supervises the analysis of otoliths and Dr Mark Beech has been involved in the study of fish bone remains from the site.

In Failaka, by using the most up-to-date scientific methods, we are excavating the Bronze Age settlement at Al-Khidr. The main aims and goals are:

• define the assortment of plants and animals used by Bronze Age people,
• trace local production or import of the food products,
• if local production is shown – to define crop and animal husbandry regimes,
• define the palaeoeconomy (in terms of food production) of the settlement,
• identify sources of fuel used by inhabitants (e.g. animal dung, wood),
• reconstruct the palaoenvironment of the Island,
• compare results with other Dilmun sites at Failaka and beyond.

By solving the proposed questions by means of a complex archaeological investigation of Al-Khidr site, we hope to shed more light on Kuwait prehistory and especially the Bronze Age period at Failaka. The representative assemblages of plant, animal or human remains from the archaeological excavations in Kuwait are rare and have been studied in the past only by few authors (see References).

See also

• Arabian Wildlife
  http://www.arabianwildlife.com/
   
• Animal Biodiversity in Jordan
  http://www.nis.gov.jo/biodiversity

References

[1] Rowley-Conwy, P. 1986: Remains of date (Phoenix dactilifera) from Failaka, Kuwait. In: F. Højlund (ed.). Failaka/Dilmun. The second millennium settlements. Volume 2. The Bronze Age pottery. Jutland Archaeological Society Publications XVII:2, Aarhus UP, pp. 181-183.

[2] Desse, J. and Desse-Berset, N. 1990: La faune: les Mammifères et les poissons. Failaka, fouilles françaises 1986-1988. Travaux de la Maison de l´Orient 18. Diffusion de Boccard, Paris, pp. 51-70.

[3] Tomé, C. 2003: Les Mammifères et les oiseaux dans l´economie des sociétés protohistoriques et historiques du Golfe Arabo-Persique (III^e millénaire avant J.C.- VII^e siècle après J.-C.). Volume 1 et 2. Docteur Thèse, Université Aix-Marseille I – Université de Provence, U.F.R. Civilisations et Humanités.

[4] Beech, M. 2004: In the Land of Ichthyophagi. Modelling fish exploitation in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of oman from the 5th millenium BC to the late Islamic period. Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey, Monograph 1, BAR International Series 1217.

[5] Beech, M. and al-Huseini, M. 2005: Preliminary report on the vertebrate fauna from the site H3, Sabiyah: An Arabian Neolithic / ´Ubaid site in Kuwait. In: Buitenhuis, H., Choyke, A. M., Martin L., Bartosiewicz L. and Mashkour M. (eds.). Archaeozoology of the Near East VI, ARC Publicaties 123, Groningen, pp. 124-138.