Page 68 - Life & Land Use on the Bahrain Islands (Curtis E Larsen)

-44-

land. Glob (1954b), however, noted that an organic soil horizon underlies a tomb
near Ali. A distinct lack of major tomb fields may be noted for the southern third
of Bahrain, and for the southeastern coastal plain as well. These same areas lack
Barbar period occupation sites indicating a close relationship between settlements
and tomb fields.
The tomb fields and occupation sites, when viewed as a whole, reflect
upon the zonation of the artesian water system of the island. The same natural
limits that have been shown to dictate modern settlement and agriculture patterns
were clearly significant 4000 years ago when springs associated with the major
aquifers were doubtless sufficient to maintain small overflow streams suitable for
subdivision into irrigation canals and ditches.
Demographic data may also be gleaned from the tombs, which provide a
first estimate for the Barbar period population of Bahrain. Ceramics and textual
evidence indicate that the Barbar I and Barbar n occupations were between 2100
B.C. and 1800 B.C., approximately 300 years. Investigations by MacKay (1929),
Prideaux (1908-9), Bibby (1969), Glob (1954b), During Caspers (1972b), Cleuziou,
Lombard, and Salles (1981), and Ibrahim (1982) identify Barbar I and II pottery from
the various tombs. In addition, the majority of tombs that have been excavated,
with the exception of the royal tombs at Ali, have been single burial graves.
Glob and Bibby (Glob 1954b; Bibby 1954, 1969, 1971) publicized the vast
extent of the Barbar tombs during the early years of the Danish investigations.
They claimed as many as 100,000 individual tombs were present on the island, but
only half of this figure was estimated by Cornwall (1946a). To remedy this broad
disparity, a new aerial photographic survey at 1:10,000 scale was used to analyze
the area and density of the tomb fields.
Field studies showed that there were two distinct generations of surface
tombs, and air photos verified this finding. Closely packed clusters of circular
mounds were present on the lower portions of the Khobar dipslopes near Ali.
Further upslope, however, the character and density of the tombs changed. T7ie
upper generation of tombs showed no noticeable mounding of earth above the grave
itself. In addition, a low ring-wall often surrounded the central cist grave.

l