Following Is A Report By Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) As Part Of FANA's Cultural File

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) CUL-KUWAIT-ANTIQUITIES
Kuwaiti archaeological finds offer gateway to civilizations of yesteryears

Report by Shahad Kamal
KUWAIT, Feb 1 (KUNA) -- Though diminutive in its geographical size, buried underneath Kuwait's scorching soil are riveting tales of civilizations dating back thousands of years, a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage which is tantamount to a lesson on the history of the region that links the present to the past.
Upon closer inspection of the archaeological discoveries of the existence of ancient civilizations that have inhabited its land over the course of history, it becomes abundantly clear that its strategic location had provided a pivotal route of communication between vast civilizations and cultures that had co-existed here.
Archaeological missions that have passed through Kuwait go back to the year 1958 when a team of Danish explorers landed in Kuwait after by way of an invitation extended by the Kuwaiti government a year earlier, an event which set in motion a string of similar endeavors to have followed suit.
Kuwait's Failaka Island, at one point linked to the Telmuns, an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia, is among the most illustrious archaeological locations in the country given its strategic location on the global maritime trade route, bringing together the civilizations of Mesopotamia and the southern Arabian Peninsula.
Running over 12 kilometers in length and six kilometers in width, Failaka island tells a tale of ancient settlements dating back to the second millennium BC, where its landscape is dotted with residential buildings, temples and palaces, in addition to other settlements overlooking a harbor believed to have been the island's ancient port.
As time continued to elapse, the history of civilization on the island had transformed after the fall of Telmum civilization paved the way to archeological discoveries that reveal Hellenistic influence, one of the epochs of ancient Greek history, as evidenced by the castles, watchtowers, temples and residential buildings that were seen in the Gulf Arab region.
As for the inaugural archeological discovery made on the island, one has to go back to the year 1937, after a boulder with Greek inscription emblazoned on it was found, that if translated into English reads, " Sotilus, the Athenian citizen and the soldiers presented this to Zeus the Savior, Poseidon and to Artemis the Savior," a reference to Greek mythology.
Another prominent archaeological side is Kuwait's northern region of Sabiya, which at one point was the subject of intense scrutiny by international archaeological missions that unearthed the existence of ancient civilizations, chief among them the pre-historic Mesopotamian Ubaid civilization, which lived during the period running from 4500 to 5500 BC.
Other important discoveries were found after excavation work in "Tal Al-Bahitha" in Kuwait City, which also point to the existence of ancient settlements seen in villages where rare antiquities were uncovered, including coins house remains and pottery tools, in addition to the relics of the second wall of Kuwait, which reveal the early signs of the formation of modern-day Kuwait City.
Archaeological reports show the omnipresence of cultural centers dating back to pre- Islamic history in various areas in the Gulf Arab region, including Wadi Al-Batin, Umm Al-Aish and Kazma, while the remains of
buildings and walls were seen in central Jahra area in a telling sign of ancient life and commercial activities back then.
While more than six decades have passed since archaeological excavations began in Kuwait, the country's National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) continues to report riveting discoveries that offer broader insight into its civilizational and cultural history over the years.
On more recent discoveries, NCCAL acting assistant chief for the antiquities and museums department Mohammad bin Ridha cited the discoveries of a joint Kuwaiti-Danish mission, most notably a Bronze Age temple dating back to the Telmun civilization, a fact that sheds more light on ancient human settlement in Failaka Island, subsequently highlighting its cultural, commercial and social role in the region.
Discussing ongoing endeavors, the official told KUNA that a joint Kuwaiti- Polish excavation team is currently carrying out operations in Subiya area, where the oldest and largest settlement in the Arabian Peninsula during the slavery period dating back to 5700 BC has been found, he said.
The team had previously promulgated the discovery of a courtyard in Subiya used for jewelry construction and the making of other shell-like adornments, while a rare, finely crafted clay head with an elongated skull was touted as the first of its kind in the Arab Gulf region.
On the significant history of Failka island, the chief of the Danish archaeological mission to Kuwait Stephen Laursen said that it formed a "pivotal trade route" linking ancient Babylon and the Indian Ocean, where the Telmuns during the third millennium BC had built a port and temples, alongside other places of worship across the island.
He went on to hail the discovery of a Bronze Age temple measuring 11 x 11 meters as an "extraordinary" milestone that reveals interesting information on the religious practices of the Telmun civilization, underlining that ongoing excavations promise to offer never before known facts about Kuwait's history in the prehistoric period.
On endeavors in the works, Dr. Hassan Ashkanani, professor of archeology and anthropology at Kuwait University and advisor to the NCCAL, said that a French team will arrive in Kuwait soon to carry out restoration work on the remains of a Hellenistic citadel, an initiative he described as an effort to "protect the archaeological discoveries" made in previous years.
Kuwait is also cooperating with a mission from Sapienza University of Rome to conduct an archaeological survey in the country's northern areas,
while a delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency in has also visited as part of plans to employ cutting-edge laboratory techniques to examine Kuwaiti antiquities, he said.
Dishing out statistics, he said that in 1957, the Kuwait National Museum was inaugurated in Dasman area, while the exhibits on display were moved in 1976 to the traditional Al-Bader House, ahead of the opening of an Islamic antiquities center in 1983 that sought to promote and boost awareness about Islamic findings and teachings, added the professor.
Kuwaiti legislation firmly supports the protection of rare antiquities and archeological sites, where rigid laws actually criminalize any form of tampering or destruction, while the smuggling of antiquities faces stiff penalties in a bid to ensure the protection of cultural heritage, he said. (end)
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