While I was directing regular excavations at Zubara and Freiha settlements which are located in the north western direction of Qatar peninsula between the years 2002-05, I often used to conduct field surveys in an area located to northern parts of Freiha and extended to Ruwaes town.
The total length of the inland and the seashore surveyed areas measured nearly 30km kilometers. Apart from scattered sites in both areas four major settlements attracted my attention.
They are from the south to the north Alareesh, Alkhuwair (Khor Hassan Island), Ruwadha and Jumalyah. Several field survey and site visits for three sites (Alareesh, Alkhuair and Jumalyah) showed that they were built at the beginning of the ninetieth century and deserted when Zubara began to fade as an important coastal town in the year 1937. Then they were re-inhabited during the mid forties until the early seventies of the last century.
Wandering around the ruins and the remains of the three sites one can deduce how small Qatari coastal towns thrived during those times on fishery, pearling and trade. Toward the north eastern direction of the towns there are two well known contemporary forts — Erkayat fort and Althaghab fort.
The buildings material of those three sites seem to have had been predominantly unshaped local stones such as limestone, coral, and faroush joined together by soft mud and then plastered with gypsum. Roofing however used to be build by four consecutive layers.
The first layer is actually rows of the (dangels) wooden poles imported from India. They were often soaked with tar or soft bitumen before using them.
The second layer consists of strips of bamboos which is locally called basgijl.
The third layer which covers the entire parts of the former two layers is a mix of mangroves branches or date palms fronds.
While the fourth layer consists of thick mud, which covers the entire area of the third layer.
The fourth abandoned coastal site, which is much older than the three settlements, is situated between Alkhwuar and Abuthouloof sites and is known as Rewadhah.
The entire site seems to extend two kilometres from east to south and comprise of remains of a remarkable fort and low lying walls built of unshaped soft stones. In addition to scatted pottery, Chinese porcelain sherds, and pieces of glasses there are layers of debris.
At the end of 1973 and in the beginning of 1974, a British team dug a small trail trench at the site. The results of the excavation indicated that the site could be attributed to early Islamic times and survived until later times.
In 2009, another British team surveyed the site and concentrated on the excavation of the fort. The result of the excavation indicated that the fort was built through three different phases through eight consecutive centuries starting from twelfth until the beginning of the twentieth century.
Both results seem to be good indications that the site needs more extensive excavations in order to understand its existence and the reasons of its abandoned The Peninsula
