Archaeological excavations at the settlement of al-Furayhah (Freiha), north-west Qatar

TY - JOUR

T1 - Archaeological excavations at the settlement of al-Furayhah (Freiha), north-west Qatar

AU - Rees, Gareth

AU - al-Na'imi, Faisal

AU - Richter, Tobias

AU - Bystron, Agnieszka Magdalena

AU - Walmsley, Alan George

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Two seasons of excavation and survey at the late Islamic town of al-Furay¿ah (commonly, Freiha) in north-west Qatar are providing an insight into the development, occupation, and final abandonment of this once-prominent settlement. This paper presents the interim results of fieldwork, focusing first on the morphology of the town as a whole, followed by an analysis of the domestic and religious architecture. At its peak the town may have covered an area of 17.8 ha followed by a gradual southwards migration, the final phase of occupation being focused on the communal structures of the mosque and the fort. This long-term migration pattern is complemented by evidence of regular collapse and reconstruction in the mosque and domestic courtyard buildings. These may indicate short-term abandonment as well as fluctuations in the economy of the settlement and the region as a whole.

AB - Two seasons of excavation and survey at the late Islamic town of al-Furay¿ah (commonly, Freiha) in north-west Qatar are providing an insight into the development, occupation, and final abandonment of this once-prominent settlement. This paper presents the interim results of fieldwork, focusing first on the morphology of the town as a whole, followed by an analysis of the domestic and religious architecture. At its peak the town may have covered an area of 17.8 ha followed by a gradual southwards migration, the final phase of occupation being focused on the communal structures of the mosque and the fort. This long-term migration pattern is complemented by evidence of regular collapse and reconstruction in the mosque and domestic courtyard buildings. These may indicate short-term abandonment as well as fluctuations in the economy of the settlement and the region as a whole.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Archaeology

KW - Arabia

KW - Historical Archaeology

KW - urbanism

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0308-8421

VL - 42

SP - 319

EP - 330

JO - Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies

JF - Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies

M1 - 23

ER -