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number have been associated with the Barbar
I will discuss those points pertinent to the most
period (2,800 B.C. to 1,800 B.C.), thus indicating
recent excavations on Bahrain Island. Again, I
a maximum time span of approximately 1000
would like to emphasize that the data and results
years. However, based on the pottery and other
arc based on statistical means and averages, thus C
not taking into consideration major and minor cultural finds, some investigators suggests 2,300
B.C. to 1,800 B.C. while others suggest 2,100 B.C.
fluctuations in the general composition of the to 1,800 B.C. Unfortunately, it is quite unclear as u
population during the third millennium B.C.
to what the exact time span should be, and I have u
had to use different time span estimates in order to
The total number of deceased people m
obtain a relevant basis for discussion.
Larsen (1980) estimated the total number of
burial mounds to be 172,000. 1 will be using an w
estimate of 150,000 mounds deriving from the Recent excavations at the new' Hamad Towti ■
third millennium B.C. thus leaving approximately near Boori Village have suggested the presence of
25,000 mounds for other and later time periods. a large cluster of smaller and less dominant burial -it
This is pure estimation and cannot presently be mounds, w'hich culturally can be associated with
supported by scientific data. Except for a few the Umm an-Nar period, possibly from 2,500 B.C.
mounds excavated at Ali and at Saar, a significant to 2,100 B.C., while the mounds at Saar Village
number of the third millennium mounds is rep­ may date from betw-een 2,100 B.C. and 1,800 th
resented by burials including one individual. A same time period or possibly in between. Again it ■
B.C., and the mounds south of Ali Village from the
smaller number of mounds contained no human
d:
skeletal remains and a few yielded more than one is an unfortunate fact, that very little chronology
individual. My estimate at the present time is that has been developed in respect to the cultural finds, ■
by averaging the few mounds with multiple burials thus, for the time being, requiring other means of
and the few burials with no human skeletal dating. Samples from the Saar excavations in 1978
remains, it is presently valid to assume that the and 1979 and from Ali in 1982 have been submit-
number of burial mounds is a relevant substitute ted for isotopic dating (carbon 14 dating). Samples i
for the actual number of deceased people. Excava­ from Hamad Tow-n and Ali will be submitted in the
tions carried out by the Directorate of Antiquities spring of 1983. Until these tests are available, and te
and Museum in Bahrain and by the French until the pottery chronology has been better
developed, I have had to use several different
Archaeological Mission have suggested that some time-span estimates in order to discuss the results i
of the burial mounds with multiple human skeletal
remains derive from later time periods, thus sup­ from the skeletal analysis. Consequently, four
porting the hypothesis that the total number of hypothetical time-spans are used : (1) 2,800 B.C.
deceased people during the third millennium can to 1,800 B.C. (1000 years), (2) 2,500 B.C. to
be estimated by counting the total number of bur­ 1,800 B.C. (700 years), (3) 2,300 B.C. to 1,800
ial mounds. This does not take into consideration B.C. (500 years), and (4) 2,050 B.C. to 1,800 B.C ■
the new and significat finds of contemporary below (250 years). The subdivisions are hypothetical and
the ground burial complexes at the Saar burial should not be associated with any defined division
field (Ibrahim 1983, and Mughal 1983). It is highly based on cultural finds. *
possible that the total number of human burials
from the third millennium B.C. will increase sig­
nificantly in the near future. However, for the time The !ife expectancy of the deceased population
being, I will be using the number of 150,000 indi­
The life expectancy is calculated from the divi­ i
viduals, with the clear understanding that the
sion of the human skeletal remains into age at
number will possibly increase when more data and
death cohorts, e.g. the number of individuals who
material are available.
died between 0 and 10 years, 11 and 20 years, 21
and 30 years of age, and so on. In general, the life T
The time-span in which the mounds have been in expectancy gives the number of years an individual
use can expect to live after reaching a specific age.
One question, which has produced several prob­ Thus, life expectancy at birth may be quite small i
lems in the reconstruction of the biological history, (high infant mortality rate), wherease the life’
is the number of years in which the mounds have expectancy at five years may be significantly high- B
been in use, or the actual time-span in which the er, since the individual survived the first critical 5 ■
mounds have been constructed. The major years.

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