Al Jassasiya may appear to be just a deserted quarry—and it is—but look carefully and you’ll find a wealth of mysterious petroglyphs. First reported in 1956 by Danish archaeologist Peter Glob, a total of more than 900 rock carvings can be found at this surprising site.
The petroglyphs of Al Jassasiya were first studied in 1964. The most common motifs are round holes reminiscent of cup holders, and what they represent is unknown. Some are carved in seemingly random order, while others are in patterns, such as rows, double rows, and rosettes. Aside from the round holes, there are also carvings of dhows, fish, scorpions, ostriches, and quadrupeds.
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2005
Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun
Qal’at al-Bahrain is a typical tell – an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupation. The strata of the 300 × 600 m tell testify to continuous human presence from about 2300 BC to the 16th century AD. About 25% of the sit…
2012
Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy
The site consists of seventeen buildings in Muharraq City, three offshore oyster beds, part of the seashore and the Qal’at Bu Mahir fortress on the southern tip of Muharraq Island, from where boats used to set off for the oyster beds. The listed build…
