Page 10 - DILMUN NO 6

Exploring
Bahrain9$
Most historical records of Bahrain refer
to the abundance of sweet water to be found
here and it is reasonable to assume, that at some
time in .the past the areas of cultivation must
have extended nearly two miles inland to the
fringe of the tumuli. Cultivation nowadays is
confined to the coastal strip.
Much of the water was channelled along
the qanats a.t differing depths below ground
level and the tunnels are lined and roofed with
slabs of farouche. Elliptical cisterns connect
the qanats at intervals and in his book
“Welcome to Bahrain” James Belgrave suggests
that the system was introduced to Bahrain a
thousand years before the Portuguese occupa­
tion of about 1500-1600 A.D. Since there are
no inscriptions to dale the work, there is noway
of determining the exact' date of construction.
As distinct from the limited active system
in the extreme North of Bahrain, those South
of Hamala road are now almost derelict, except
for a short stretch near the village of Sadad.
Frequently here, the roof slabs have collapsed.
Series of Shafts
About 1£. miles South of the tongue of
date palms that crosses the Hamala road is a
large ruined cistern - now quite dry - from
which an underground. channel leaves the
southern wall. Most of this stretch is blocked
by sand, but the route can be traced on the
surface by following the series of ventilation
shafts which occur at about 15-yard intervals.
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