Bahrain Museum

We went to the Bahrain Museum the other day. Highlights were the artifacts from the Barbar temple we just visited like a bronze bull's head, the some seals, coins, jewelry and pottery and the burial mounds. All over the island there are these big heaps of rock that are ancient graves- totally unique to Bahrain. They went on for a few thousand years- evolving and changing with the different influences. I guess the adult male would start building their mound years before their death. This explanation isn't going to do it justice, but they would build an inner circle of large rocks where their body would be buried and a large outer ring of big rocks. Dirt and smaller rocks were then piled over it. If their children died before they did they would be buried inside the outer ring- sometimes stuffing the curled up body into a piece of pottery. They would curl up the body of the adult on its right side in a rock chamber in the center. The later burials have the body on its back- thanks to Greek(?) influence and the latest mounds even had the likeness of the person carved on a tablet. The top picture is an open mound- I have to take pictures of the ones all over the island. I guess they've really been looted over the centuries but they are right there- next to houses and fast food restaurants.

It was really neat, but a little strange. Like the information on some of the artifacts wasn't clear or complete. What exactly? When and where? If you want it in order- remember to go right to left! Also it seemed like for being one of the earliest civilizations, they were short on stuff. Was it all looted, sold, taken, destroyed? Probably yes. I get the feeling that some of the religious fundamentalists don't really value ancient historical artifacts because they are a lot of un-Islamic images. I guess there was a debate about whether to protect the mounds or pave over them for housing in 2005. Also- the country's conversion to Islam was very vague and there was almost no recent history- like the last 300 years- when the country changed hands so often. Just some turn of the century culture stuff. The natural history exhibit was under renovation- we'll have to go back. What I love is that it was just $6 for our whole family to go- kids are free! So we can visit often.