Bilad al-Qadim revisited: recent archaeological research at the Al-Khamis Mosque, Ain Abu Zaydan and Abu Anbra, Bahrain

Abstract

In comparison to our understanding of pre-Islamic occupation and land use on Bahrain, that of the Islamic period has remained less well known. In connection with the building of a visitor centre at the Al-Khamis Mosque and the planning of an associated heritage trail, renewed archaeological research has taken place in Bilad al-Qadim, an archaeologically important area of Islamic settlement in the north-east of the main island of Awal. This has involved excavations in the Abu Anbra cemetery, at Ain Abu Zaydan and at the Al-Khamis Mosque. The results of these excavations are reported here and these contribute to our understanding of Islamic settlement on Bahrain by supporting the interpretation that Bilad al-Qadim was the main centre of Islamic settlement in the eleventh–thirteen century AD.