Ninth century settlements found in Qatar

Doha, September 21 (ANI): Archaeologists have found ninth century settlements in northwest Qatar, which remained untouched for centuries under the sands of Murwab.

According to a report in The Peninsula, a team of archaeologists is excavating the 1.6 km long and 0.5 km wide site, which is a remarkable village of 220 houses, two forts and two mosques.

The site is yielding artifacts from the 9th century Abbasid period.

"Murwab is an exceptional site in that the settlement dates exclusively from the 9th century at the very beginning of the Abbasid period," Dr Alexandrine Guerin, the Chief for the archaeological campaign, told The Peninsula.

A session on the archaeology of Qatar was held at the British Museum, London in July as part of The Seminar for Arabian Studies 2009.

This featured lectures by representatives from universities and academic institutions on recent research and excavations conducted as part of an initiative by the Qatar Museum Authority (QMA).

One of the sessions highlighted the Islamic period archaeology of Qatar.

Excavations and the study of ceramics from the 9th century Abbasid period in Murwab was described by the French team headed by Guerin that has been exploring the chronological development and functions of different areas of the settlement. (ANI)

"The site is remarkable by the number of houses that are concentrated in a very restricted area with different settlement patterns from one neighbourhood to another," said Guerin. (ANI)