Wadi Debayan
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وادي الضبيعان | |
| Location | Northwest Qatar |
|---|---|
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 5500 BC |
| Abandoned | c. 2500 BC |
| Periods | Neolithic period |
| Cultures | Ubaid |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2009 to 2014 |
| Management | University of Birmingham |
Wadi Debayan (Arabic: وادي الضبيعان, romanized: Wādī aḑ Ḑubay‘ān) is the oldest Neolithic archaeological site in Qatar. It was occupied over a stretch of 3000 years before being abandoned in the Bronze Age.[1] Remnants of marine life, plant material and structural components were among the artifacts excavated. Fragments of pottery originating from the early Ubaid period (the period of Mesopotamia which transpired from ca. 6500 to 3800 BC) were also recovered.[2]
The term wadi denotes a valley or dry riverbed commonly found in arid and semi-arid regions, typically characterized by steep, rocky sides and a channel that occasionally carries water following seasonal rainfall. The second element, Debayan, derives from the Arabic word for “two hyenas” (dibʾān), referencing a local tradition that two hyenas once inhabited the adjacent plain. The wadi acquired its name due to its course terminating in this plain, which bears the same name.[3]
History
Settlement commenced around 5500 BC.[4] Although the site is approximately 4 km inland, ancient marine sediments demonstrate that it was situated along the coast during its periods of habitation. Furthermore, soil testing attests to the previously rich soil, high propensity of vegetation and frequent rainfall.[5] Due to the large amount of fish bones discovered in the area, it has been proposed that its inhabitants exported dried fish. Human habitation appears to have abruptly stopped around the third century BC, possibly as a result of a large tsunami.[6]