DOI: 10.1111/aae.

12125

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Hearths, ovens and fishery: Kharaib al‐Dasht as a case of Late

Islamic fishing village (Jazirat Faylaka)

Marta Mierzejewska

Polish Centre of Mediterranean

Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
Investigations conducted in 2013–2018 by the Kuwaiti‐Polish Archaeological
Correspondence Mission on the northern coast of Jazirat Faylaka revealed remains of a Late Islamic
M. Mierzejewska
Email: [email protected] settlement with an extensive fishing infrastructure located both on land and in nearby
waters. The present research focused on one element of this infrastructure, namely
the concentration of hearths and ovens, unique to this part of the island. In order to
identify their function and understand their role, the installations were analysed in
terms of their structural features and distribution across the site. It was revealed that
the concentration of installations on a limited area resulted largely from the need for
efficient fish processing. Furthermore, the abundance of ovens and hearths coupled
with the presence of nearby fish traps and the diversity of osteological material found
in the context of installations indicates that fish processing capacity at this settlement
greatly exceeded the needs of the local population.

KEYWORDS
fishery, hearths, Kharaib al‐Dasht, Late Islamic period, ovens

1 | IN T RO D U C T ION the report contained only a laconic description of ruins of an

abandoned village with structural remains scattered over a
The site of Kharaib al‐Dasht is located on the north‐western large area (Patitucci & Uggeri, 1984: 92–93, 419, pl. XXXV:
coast of Jazirat Faylaka, the largest island of modern Kuwait. a). Yet despite the fact that the Italian mission had identi-
The remains of the village cover a strip of land approximately fied the remains of the settlement, a military camp was es-
450 m long and 80–100 m wide. tablished in the 1990s in the area overlapping the site, which
The written sources provide only a few references to the led to further destruction of then barely visible walls. After
site. The earliest one appears in a legend about the presence the camp was shut down, the area of the site was used as a
of the Portuguese on the island in the sixteenth–seventeenth landfill. Additional damage was caused by the presence of a
century, as recounted by J. G. Lorimer (1908: 514–515). few modern roads intersecting the area in question.
According to the legend, the Portuguese were forced to aban- The presence of a Late Islamic settlement at Kharaib
don this part of the island due to rat infestation sent by auliya al‐Dasht was again confirmed by a survey conducted in
(saint). In the 1950s, a similar version of this story was also 2012 by the Kuwaiti–Polish Archaeological Mission,
reported by H. R. P. Dickson (1968: 57). directed by Piotr Bieliński of the Polish Centre of
The site was heavily destroyed by human activity in recent Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw
decades, though architectural remains were still visible on (Pawlicki, 2012, 2015) (Fig. 1b). The team of archae-
aerial photographs taken in 1960 which showed the eastern ologists determined the approximate extent of the site
part of the site and a concentration of some residential struc- (Pawlicki, 2015: 556–558), and in 2013, the first regular
tures (Fig. 1a). The first archaeological survey of this part of excavation began in this part of the island. The research
the island was conducted in 1976 by an Italian mission, but project focused on two concurrent goals, namely an

Arab Arch Epig. 2019;30:263–279. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/aae © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd | 263
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(a) (b)

(c)

F I G U R E 1 A 1960 aerial photograph showing remnants of Kharaib al‐Dasht (a) and a 2018 aerial photograph (b). Topographic map of the
site showing investigated areas (c) (Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology archive; map, P. Zakrzewski, 2018; photo M. Truszkowski; 1960
photo, courtesy of Shehab A.H. Shehab) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
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KHARAIB AL-DASHT

F I G U R E 2 Plan of sq. III (Area 1) showing the distribution of hearths and ovens (after A. Pieńkowska 2017: 511, fig. 3) [Colour figure can
be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

investigation of the remains of the village, and a recon- Apart from the fish traps located in the nearby waters
naissance of the underwater surroundings in the nearby and fishing equipment found during exploration of the set-
Kharaib al‐Dasht bay (Pieńkowska, 2017; Pieńkowska tlement (such as net weights, anchors, hooks) (Pieńkowska
& Mierzejewska, 2018; Pieńkowska, Mierzejewska, & & Mierzejewska, 2018: 270), one of the most characteristic
Nowakowska, 2015). The research carried out in the aspects of the village’s infrastructure was a concentration of
coastal waters along the bay led to the recording of al- hearths and ovens. As of 2018, 153 installations of this kind
most a dozen linear and circular stone structures known have been documented at Kharaib al‐Dasht and this abun-
as fish traps (Nowakowska, 2015: 581). dance is unparalleled in other parts of the island. As the
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TABLE 1 Quantitative distribution of installation documented in

sq. III divided by usage phase
2 | KHARAIB AL‐ DASHT—AN
OVERVIEW
Total amount of
Hearths and hearths and ovens In the 2013 season, four main excavation areas (Areas 1–4)
Phases fireplaces Ovens by phases were distinguished at the site, but it should be noted that this
Phase I 18 44 62 demarcation was an arbitrary one (Fig. 1c). The north‐west-
Phase II 8 6 14 ern end of the researched area featured two elevations, visible
Phase III 9 3 12 also on the 1976 aerial photograph. The first one, denoted
All phases 35 53 88 Area 1 (sq. III), measured 40 m × 60 m (Fig. 2). A signifi-
cant concentration of oven remains was attested at its top.
In the stratigraphy of sq. III, there were distinguished three
installations are not only numerous, but also quite diversi- usage phases. The earliest one was represented by remnants
fied in terms of their form and manufacturing technique, the of hearths (9) and fireplaces located below House 1. The mid-
present paper proposes a typology based on the analysis of dle phase could be associated with the functioning of two
excavated examples and attempts to interpret their function. It residential units, House 1 and House 2, and it yielded only
also aims to examine the distribution of the hearths and ovens a few hearths (8) and ovens (3). The third phase, which oc-
in relation to identified architectural remnants and fish traps. curred after Houses 1 and 2 were abandoned, witnessed the

KHARAIB AL-DASHT

F I G U R E 3 Plan of sq. XII (Area

4) (Polish Centre of Mediterranean
Archaeology archive, drawing/digitising Ł.
Miechowicz)
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F I G U R E 4 General plan of sq. XXXV (Area 3) showing the location of test trenches featuring ovens (Polish Centre of Mediterranean
Archaeology archive, plan M. Truszkowski) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

most intensive use of space for the construction of ovens and noted that two test trenches (Soundings 1 and 4) revealed an ash
hearths (Pieńkowska, 2017: 512). Among 88 hearths and layer deposited below the structure’s foundations, along with
ovens documented in sq. III, as many as 62 installations be- two small oval ovens, whose shape was similar to those attested
longed to the youngest phase (Table 1). in sq. III (Pieńkowska, 2016: 10).
The surface of the other elevation, marked as Area 4 (sq. West of the stone structure (sq. XXXIV‐h‐9, i‐9, h‐10, i‐10),
XII), was covered in 14 small mounds. One such mound a residential unit was uncovered. Works conducted in 2017 and
yielded remains of nineteenth‐ or twentieth‐century struc- 2018 allowed us to distinguish there at least two usage phases
tures and one oven (associated with the youngest usage (Fig. 5). Judging by the foundation level of locus 3, this room
phase), below which a multi‐roomed structure was un- should be associated with the oldest usage phase uncovered in
covered (connected with the second usage phase) (Fig. 3). this trench. Locus 3 was later supplemented by loci 4 and 5,
Directly below the structure, there was recorded a usage though locus 4 seems to have been added last. It was also estab-
layer characterised by an abundance of ash, hearths and lished that the usage level associated with the functioning of the
ovens (Pieńkowska, 2017: 514). largest concentration of ovens uncovered in the corner between
The coastal strip of land, Area 2 (sq. XXIII), which lies loci 3 and 5 is later than locus 3 (Pieńkowska, 2018: 10).
some 150 m to the south‐east of Area 1 (sq. III), yielded re- The 2018 season witnessed the beginning of excavation
mains of stone structures. Only a single oven was documented of yet another residential unit located in the southern part of
there. the site (sq. XLV) (Fig. 6). So far, at least two rooms have
The central part of the settlement was recorded farther to been distinguished (loci 6 and 7) there (Pieńkowska, 2018:
the east and marked as Area 3 (sq. XXXIV–XXXV–XLIV– 11). As of 2018, only a few ovens were attested within this
XLV). It was also documented on the 1960 aerial photographs unit—one in each room, and two more in the northern part of
(Fig. 1a), which showed outlines of several rectangular build- the trench. It should be also noted that locus 6 yielded a large
ings, as well as a concentration of smaller structures. A spot concentration of shells of various species. Due to the ongoing
which is still best visible to this day (sq. XXXIV–XXXV) is works in sq. XLIV–XLV, it is too early to advance any thesis
an elevation some 3.80 m high, with outlines of architectural concerning the number of usage phases.
remnants still observable on the surface. Only a fragment of this
large structure was uncovered (Fig. 4), revealing bulky stone
walls with buttresses. Contrary to other excavated areas, the 3 | INSTALLATIONS
stone structure yielded only a scarce number of finds and, at the
present stage of research, it is impossible to determine its func- The distribution of hearths and ovens across the site was
tion. However, in the context of the present paper, it should be very uneven and two main concentrations were easily
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XXXIV-h-9 XXXIV-i-9
KHARAIB AL-DASHT
Sq. XXXIV-h-9, i-9, h-10, i-10
N
walls

173 context numbers

Loc.4 Loci
stones

ovens

trench border

22

138

142

134
143

50
Loc.4
156
139
56

135 172
127

4
171

Loc.5
51
173
40
116
170 39
108 147
31

Loc.3

55
179

188 153
19

11

20 17

46

54

XXXIV-h-10 XXXIV-i-10

F I G U R E 5 General plan of sq. XXXIV (Area 3) showing the location of rooms and installations (Polish Centre of Mediterranean
Archaeology archive, plan M. Iskra) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

distinguishable. The first one, comprising 88 installations Two main categories of installations were distinguished
identified so far, was located in the north‐western part of the among the documented and explored1 examples. The first
site. The majority of installations were found in open spaces one was represented by hearths (Fig. 8a)—unreinforced oval
(Fig. 7). The other concentration was identified in the 2017 dug‐ins filled with ashes, sparse burnt pottery fragments and
and 2018 seasons in the central part of the settlement (sq. numerous yet fragmented osteological material; hearth di-
XXXIV‐i‐9,10 and sq. XXXIV‐h‐10) and was associated mensions ranged from 30 to 60 cm in diameter and from 10
with a courtyard within a residential unit (Fig. 5). Single to 30 cm in height. The borders of the dug‐ins could be either
ovens were also found below floor levels of the massive
stone structure in sq. XXXV‐a‐6 and in test trenches opened 1
All the installations identified on the surface were recorded and docu-
in sq. XXXV‐a‐5, XXXV‐a‐6, as well as within the residen- mented. Due to their number, only those located within trench limits were
tial unit uncovered in sq. XLV‐c‐9 and XLV‐d‐9. excavated.
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183

3.17

126

4.91

4.14

167

4.49
4.62 169
148

119
174

4.51 4.36
XLV-c-9 XLV-d-9
XLV-c-10 XLV-d-10
4.93
110 5.01
4.85
3.98 4

Loc.7
129

4.93 4.91
195
Loc.6 4.96
118

10
6

N 4.85
130
5

3.92

137

KHARAIB AL-DASHT 4.68

SQUARE: XLV-c-9, c-10, XLV-d-9, d-10

Stone wall

Stone wall (another phase)

Oven

Stone pavement

137 Context number

Shells

2.34 Elevations

0 3m

F I G U R E 6 General plan of sq. XLV (Area 3) showing the location of rooms and installations (Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology
archive, plan P. Lech) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

straight or flaring. Some of them were shallow lens‐like dug‐ to light greyish‐yellow fine‐grained compact sand mixed
ins (C: 70 sq. XII‐j‐7) consisting of a sediment of burnt sand with gravel (C: 70 sq. XII‐j‐7).
or gravel and a scarce amount of burnt coals mixed with fish The other category comprised ovens with a clay super-
bones. Other hearths were regular, oval dug‐ins filled with at structure dug into the ground, whose chambers were filled
least one layer of ashes mixed with gravel and small frag- with ashes and bone material (Fig. 8b). Ovens constituted
ments of fish bones (C: 15 sq. III‐c‐7). In some cases, for in- the most numerous group of installations attested at the site
stance sq. III C: 10‐11, it was possible to distinguish two (Fig. 9) and were also quite diversified; hence, they could be
layers of ashes (a darker and a lighter one). The walls of the further subdivided into types (Table 2).
dug‐ins also bore traces of burning. Another characteristic With the exception of oven C: 190 found in sq. XXXV‐a‐6,
feature was that the ashy layers were concentrated in the the ovens excavated at Kharaib al‐Dasht were made of unbaked
lower parts of the dug‐ins, whereas the upper layer, particu- clay—generally brownish in colour, ranging from light brown
larly in the case of deeper dug‐ins, was composed of yellow (10YR 6/3) to dark brown (10YR 3/3)—with a significant
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F I G U R E 7 Map showing the

distribution of hearths and ovens across
investigated squares (Polish Centre of
Mediterranean Archaeology archive,
map P. Zakrzewski, data analysis M.
Mierzejewska) [Colour figure can be viewed
at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

amount of unsorted inclusion of mid‐sized and large gravel. 156 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10) featured small, intentional openings
The clay was extremely brittle, and the surface of the walls (approx. 10–12 cm in diameter) in the lower parts of the walls,
tended to flake and peel off, regardless of whether the oven’s yet not directly above the bottom (Fig. 10e).
walls were additionally wet‐smoothed to make them more dura- Among the ovens uncovered between 2013 and 2018, at
ble.2 Conversely, oven C: 190 was made of much more compact least four main types could be distinguished based on differ-
clay of very dark brown colour (7.5YR 2.5/3) and with a larger ences in form and manufacturing technique.
amount of mineral inclusion. The walls were particularly brittle
and fragile, but contrary to other examples, they did not crum- • Ovens with cylindrical walls without additional reinforce-
ble into pieces. ment (Fig. 10a). The simplest and most commonly repre-
The diameter of documented ovens ranged from 23 cm (C: sented were ovens with clay cylindrical walls (for instance
2 sq III‐c‐9) to 60 cm (C: 8 in sq. III‐c‐8). In their best pre- C: 156 and C: 45, both in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10; C: 71 in sq.
served parts, the oven walls were 1.8–3.8 cm thick and even up XII‐j‐7), featuring no additional reinforcement. There was
to 5.8 cm thick near the bottom. The majority of wall fragments also an example where two contemporary ovens were con-
bore traces of soot and ash. It should be noted that only three joined, thus creating a two‐chambered installation (C: 5 in
ovens (C: 135 in sq. XXXIV‐h‐10; C: 170 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10; sq. III‐c‐8).
C: 190 in sq. XXXV‐a‐6) were preserved along with their orig- • Ovens with cylindrical walls with additional internal coat-
inal rims, thus allowing us to measure their total height, but it ing. In certain cases the cylindrical walls were coated on the
was not possible to estimate the average height of excavated inside in self‐slip (C: 51 in sq. III‐d‐5) (Fig. 10C) or even in
ovens. The best preserved ones measured up to 50 cm high (C: clay mixed with powdered lime (C: 34 in sq. III‐c‐7), thus
15 in sq. XLV‐b‐9, XLV‐c‐9). Moreover, three of the excavated creating an additional strengthening layer. The latter type
ovens (C: 39 in sq. XXXIV‐i10; C: 135 in sq. XXXIV‐h‐10; C: was characteristic for sq. III ovens in particular. A layer of
self‐slip was usually applied in an uneven manner on the
2
entire internal surface of the oven walls, whereas the clay‐
It is interesting that preliminary macroscopic analyses of the material have
indicated that similar clay was used in production of hand‐made basins
lime mixture was most often found near and on the bottom
found at the site in usage contexts (Pieńkowska & Mierzejewska, 2018: (Fig. 10d). Chipped‐off fragments of clay‐lime layer were
272). also attested as loose lumps near the oven’s bottom.
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F I G U R E 8 Top: section of a hearth in sq. III. Bottom: section of a cylindrical oven and of an oven with tapering walls in sq. XXXIV (Polish
Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology archive, plan and digitising J. Stępnik, M. Iskra) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
272
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F I G U R E 9 Diagram showing the

quantitative distribution of documented
installations [Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]

• Ovens with cylindrical walls with external reinforcement TABLE 2 Quantitative distribution of attested installations
(Fig. 10f). Very few examples of ovens featured reinforcement on
Types of installations Total amount
the exterior of the superstructure in the form of additional layer
of clay added in a slipshod manner (C:116 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10) Documented and explored
or stones supporting the walls from two sides as in the case of 1. Hearths 32
oven C: 108 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10 and C: 3 in sq. III‐d‐8. 2. Ovens with clay cylindrical walls
• Ovens with walls tapering towards the top (Fig. 10b). Apart a) without any additional feature 32
from variants of ovens with cylindrical walls, there were b) with walls coated by self‐slip or clay‐lime 19
also attested installations with walls tapering towards the layer
top (C: 135 in sq. XXXIV‐h‐10; C: 10 in sq. XLV‐c‐10). c) with external reinforcement 7
d) with small, intentional openings 2
Except for the above four types of ovens, there were also at-
3. Ovens with walls tapering towards the top 11
tested some atypical examples. One such installation (C:134 in
a) with small, intentional openings 1
sq. XXXIV‐i‐10), unearthed in 2018, featured a lower part of a
4. Unique/atypical ovens
vessel’s body (jug of the Ali Ware type) purposefully fitted in-
side it, with additional clay supports stabilising the vessel added a) with a vessel’s body fitted inside the 1
installation
just above the oven’s bottom (Figs. 11b and 11c). The jug was
filled with a white powdery substance of unknown composi- b) with a stone platform inside 2
tion.3 Interestingly, there were no traces of burning on the walls Negatives after hearths or ovens 11
and the bottom of the vessel, which suggests that it was not ex- Hearths not explored 15
posed to high temperatures. Hence, one may assume that the Ovens not explored 20
oven was repurposed, but its new function remains unclear. Total attested amount (as of 2018) 153
Other atypical installations were cylindrical ovens with
large and flat horizontal stones deliberately placed inside
the chamber, serving perhaps as a sort of a platform. So far, by U. Iwaszczuk indicate that the most dominant examples
only two such examples were attested at the site (C: 39 in sq. belonged to Perciformes, including the family Sciaenidae and
XXXIV‐i‐10, C: 49 in sq. III‐c‐7) (Fig. 11d). Serranidae, as well as Arius sp. (catfish) and Batoidae (ray‐
Inside and around the installations, there were found like fish). Another numerous group comprised bones of the
sparse and small vessel fragments, as well as a considerable family Carcharhynidae (shark).
quantity of osteological material characterised by prevalence
of fish bone (nearly 90%) (J. Piątkowska‐Małecka & U.
Iwaszczuk, pers. comm.).4 Preliminary analyses performed 4 | PARALLEL S
3
The substance was sent for palynological and mineral analyses. The uniqueness of the discussed ovens when compared to
4
Results of osteological analysis of the bone material collected in other Late Islamic sites on Jazirat Faylaka and in its vicin-
2013–2018 (J. Piątkowska‐Małecka & U. Iwaszczuk, in preparation). ity stems mostly from their sheer number and the degree
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FIGURE 10 Most common oven

(a) (b)
types: oven with clay cylindrical walls (a),
oven with walls tapering towards the top
(b), oven with walls coated by self‐slip (c),
oven with clay‐lime layer (d), oven with
small, intentional openings (e), oven with
external reinforcement (f) (Polish Centre of
Mediterranean Archaeology archive, photo
J. Stępnik (a and b), A. Oleksiak (c and d),
M. Iskra (e and f) [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

(c) (d)

(e) (f)

of concentration. Although there were solitary examples et al., 2014; El Mahi, 2000; Njai, 2000), which may shed
unearthed in the Late Islamic layers at such sites as Al‐ some light on the installations found at Kharaib al‐Dasht. The
Quraniyah (Grassigli & Di Miceli, 2015: 15–16, 17, figs processing technique most likely depended on the size of the
6 and 7; 10 and p. 26 fig. 3) and K10 (Makharadze et al., fish and their destination. A less elaborate curing method was
2017: fig. 6), it should be noted that these installations were required in the case of smaller fish, as well as those which
found in the domestic context and seem to have been associ- were to be consumed locally. Fish prepared for longer trans-
ated with the functioning of a nuclear family, and not with port and distribution, as well as large species (for instance
large‐scale production for the purposes of export. The 2012 shark) required a longer and more labour‐intensive process.
KPAM survey (Pawlicki, 2015) recorded no oven concentra- Very small fish, for instance belonging to the family
tion located in the open which would be comparable in scale Clupeidae, may have been dried in the sun. They were most
with the one attested in sq. III. Also, in no other place on the likely laid out on the beach or rocks right after being caught.
island was there unearthed an accumulation of oven layers in Ethnographic study has demonstrated that this method is still
a single room, coupled with a great amount of osteological being employed in Oman for drying small fish, which are
material, which could approximate the oven deposit in sq. then used as animal fodder (El Mahi, 2000: 101–103).
XXXIV. Simple installations, like hearths, seem to have been more
suitable for curing small fish or preparing smaller quanti-
ties of food, for instance daily meals of the local population.
5 | D IS C U SSION
Hearths could be located both inside and outside the residen-
tial area.
5.1 | Ovens and fish processing
Another practice known from modern Oman consists in
Ethnographic studies conducted on the coast of Oman and placing fish wrapped in jute sacks around pieces of charcoal
West Africa yielded many parallels for fish processing (Blue inside hearths, called al‐tanour, and covering the pit with
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(a) (b)

(c)

(d)

FIGURE 11 Unique/atypical ovens: cluster of ovens (a); oven with a vessel’s body fitted inside filled with white powder, top view (b),
section (c); oven with a stone platform (d), (Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology archive, photo: M. Iskra) [Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]

metal sheets. It is a lengthy grilling process, which some- remains suitable for consumption for a few months (if stored
times lasts all night (El Mahi, 2000: 104). Such installation in optimal conditions).
without any additional openings for regulating the flow of According to El Mahi, grilled fish remains edible for two
air is reminiscent of some of the hearths attested in sq. III to three days, which is enough to transport it inland, where
located in an open space. Ethnographic studies carried out in it constitutes quite a desirable trade good, as the taste and
Gambia and on Madagascar indicate that an analogous pro- texture of such meat is more delicate compared to dried fish
cess of hot‐smoking may take between one and three hours in (El Mahi, 2000: 105).
a temperature of 80°C–120°C (with additional time required The use of ovens may have been more convenient for
for cooling) and results in a product suitable for consump- lengthy curing process, mainly in the case of processing large
tion for up to three days when stored at ambient tempera- species of fish, or those intended for consumption at a later
ture (Njai, 2000: 14; Randriambololona et al., 1998: 59–60). date. In such cases, the whole process was quite time‐con-
According to Njai (200: 14), when the fish is dried in addi- suming and required more fuel, but installations with clay
tion to being smoked (the so‐called smoke‐dry process) for superstructures may have been used at different stages of
a dozen hours or so in a temperature of 70–80°C, the meat food processing. As the oven was being heated up by the fuel

FIGURE 12 Selected pottery forms found in the context of ovens or their direct vicinity (Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology
archive, drawing K. Pawłowska, M. Mierzejewska, M. Puszkarski; digitising M. Puszkarski, M. Mierzejewska) [Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]
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burning on the floor, food could be quickly cooked over the hearths and ovens, but also on their correlation with other
fire (hence, the presence of cooking pots with traces of soot features that would be expected at fishing settlements, such
found around the installations). Next, burning coals could as 11 fish traps located in the nearby bay or finds of fish-
be used for roasting as long as they maintained high tem- ing equipment found in the same usage levels as the installa-
peratures; finally, various kinds of products could be dried tions in question. What is more, the largest fish trap attested
above a still hot oven chamber. The lower part of the oven’s around the island was located opposite the part of the vil-
fill comprised mostly ashes as the entire fuel would burn out. lage (sq. III) interpreted as the production area, where also
Ashes contained a small number of bones, especially when an abundance of net weights was attested. Similar fish traps
compared to the accumulation of bone material surrounding were recorded at Al‐Zubarah, Qatar (Yeomans, 2016: 381)
the ovens. Fish bones deposited near the bottom simply dis- and Raasiya, Oman (Blue et al., 2014: 57), where the fish trap
integrated due to prolonged exposure to heat. was directly facing the eastern coast of the village.
Contemporary examples known from West Africa indicate
that in such clay installations, fish can be smoke‐dried by plac-
ing them above the opening of the oven’s chamber, for instance
5.3 | Chronology of Kharaib al‐Dasht
on metal rods overlaid with metal mesh (Adeyeye & Oyewole, So far, the dating of the entire site has been based solely on
2016: 200–201). Smoke and heat can be used for drying and the analysis of ceramic finds. As far as hearths and ovens
smoking fillets (Njai, 2000: 14), or even an entire large fish by are concerned, they yielded only scarce sherds, belonging
simply placing them above the chamber’s opening, though this mostly to vessels of kitchen use, often covered in traces
process may take several hours, depending on the size of the fish. of exposure to high temperatures (Fig. 12). Conversely,
Since the above‐described food processing technique is in the direct vicinity of the installations, the concentra-
a lengthy one, especially when applied on a large scale, it tion of pottery increased significantly (especially in the
would be necessary to place it outside of the residential area. case of the north‐western part of the site, sq. III). Among
This would account for the concentration of installations out- the vessels which could be associated directly with the
side of the main residential area (sq. XXXIV), namely in sq. ovens, one should note fragments of locally produced ba-
III. Remnants of a stone structure, most likely belonging to sins and pots of the Handmade Painted Wares type (Fig.
an earlier settlement phase of nearby residential structures, 12.5) (Pieńkowska & Mierzejewska, 2018: 272, fig. 2/A.5;
seem to have been reappropriated as barriers sheltering the Sedighian & Gholami, 2011–2012: fig. 1), round pots with
production area from the wind, which must have been im- short neck, or no neck at all, sometimes with one or three
portant in the context of prolonged curing process exposed to handles belonging to the so‐called Painted Grey Ware Pots
the vagaries of the weather. (Fig. 12.9) (Pieńkowska & Mierzejewska, 2018: 272, fig.
The concentration of ovens (Fig. 11a) in the courtyard 2/A.1) and Plain Orange Ware Pots (Figs. 12.2, 12.10,
between loci 3 and 5 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10 suggests that these 12.11) (Mierzejewska, 2017: 20–21, figs 4–5; Pieńkowska
installations were used for food processing on a micro scale, & Mierzejewska, 2018: 272, fig. 2/A.3). Another numerous
for instance, to provide for one family. What is more, the group comprised pots of the Julfar Ware type, either painted
stratigraphic sequences uncovered there suggest that the purple or undecorated (Figs. 12.1, 12.3, 12.6) (Frifelt, 2001:
same space was used continuously for food processing. Due 93–95; Kennet, 2004: 75–76; Mierzejewska, 2015: 577;
to the brittleness of oven walls, some installations needed to Mitsuishi & Kennet, 2013: 228, figs 3, 5; Petersen & Gray,
be reinforced in order to prolong their usability, for instance 2010: fig. 10: 5; Pieńkowska & Mierzejewska, 2018: 270,
by adding a layer of clay (as was the case with oven C: 39 fig. 2/A.2; Power & Sheehan, 2012: 295, fig. 4; Priestman,
in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10) or stones supporting the wall from the 2005: 226–229, Ziolkowski & Al‐Sharqi, 2005: f. 52).
outside (C: 108 in sq. XXXIV‐i‐10; C: 167 in sq. XLV‐d‐9). Glazed pottery comprised only about 10 per cent of the en-
To conserve space, new ovens were superimposed onto the tire vessel assemblage (Mierzejewska, 2015: 575, Pieńkowska
destroyed ones. In some cases, remnants of old and dam- & Mierzejewska, 2018: fig. 2); nonetheless, it constituted the
aged ovens were incorporated as additional structural sup- main chronological marker for the Late Islamic period at
port for the newly constructed installation. Conversely, the Kharaib al‐Dasht. This assemblage was r­ epresented predom-
abundance of free space in sq. III led to a different practice, inantly by the so‐called Gulf Glazed Wares (Power, 2015: 12)
as destroyed ovens were replaced by new ones which were in the form of deep plates and bowls of the Manganese Purple
situated nearby rather than on top of previous installations. Underglazed‐Painted type, Monochrome Green Glaze, as well
as sparse fragments of Red‐Yellow/Mustard Wares (Carter,
2003: 62; Carter & Naranjo‐Santana, 2011: 54; Petersen &
5.2 | Ovens and other fish equipment Grey, 2010: 47; Power & Sheehan, 2012: 295). The second
The interpretation of the function of the settlement at Kharaib most numerous glazed pottery group comprised ring base
al‐Dasht is based not only on the abundance and diversity of bowls and clear lead glaze characteristic of Bahla/Khunj
MIERZEJEWSKA   
| 277

Wares (Petersen & Grey, 2010: 48; Power, 2015: 10; Power and sporadic finds of earlier types of pottery, such as Lime
& Sheehan, 2012: 295; Whitcomb, 1975: figs 12o, 5d, 11g). Ware. In the context of ovens and fish processing, one
There were also some finds of Late Turquoise Glaze Ware, should also note that the latest traces of human activity
but these were less frequent. It should also be noted that eigh- identified in sq. XII were preliminarily dated to the nine-
teenth‐century high‐quality imported porcelain cups, plates teenth/twentieth century, which yielded scarce examples of
and bowls with a decoration of the Blue‐and‐White Porcelain ovens, which—in terms of construction and technology—
amounted to only about 0.1 per cent of the entire assemblage; were similar to those attested in the youngest layers in sq.
examples of its cheaper imitations, that is Blue‐and‐White III, preliminarily dated to the eighteenth century, while the
Frit and Blue‐and‐White Earthenware, were equally rare. earliest phase identified in sq. XXXIV–XXXV (Soundings
Among storage vessels, quite a considerable group was com- 1 and 4), which yielded two ovens parallel to those in sq.
posed of large forms such as containers, storage jars and large III, seems to be earlier than any other part of the settlement
thick‐walled basins and jars, including Gritty Ware (Carter uncovered so far and was preliminarily dated to the seven-
& Naranjo‐Santana, 2011: 51–52, fig. 43; Carter, Morley & teenth/eighteenth century. All this amounts to an over two‐
Morse, 2011: 86, fig. 35), Lime/Shell Ware (Carter, 2011: centuries‐long tradition of fish processing. It should also be
36; Carter, Morley & Morse, 2011: 90; Kennet, 2004: 79) pointed out that the largest concentration of ovens attested
and Chocolate Chip Ware (Petersen & Grey, 2010: 49, fig. in sq. III (phase 1) and in sq. XXXIV (phase 1) belong to a
10.10). Other ceramic finds included jugs, bowls, jars or similar period of functioning of the settlement, that is the
water jugs associated with the popular ‘Ali Wares (Carter, eighteenth century or the eighteenth/nineteenth century.
2003: figs 1:8‐9, 2:9; Carter, Morley & Morse, 2011: 84, fig.
34; Naranjo‐Santana & Carter, 2010: 109, fig. 80), as well
as Cream Sandy Wares (Kennet, 2004: 81; Petersen & Grey, 6 | CONCLUSIONS
2010: 48, figs 10:8, 11, 13).
Given the extent of damage caused to the site by human The preliminary results of the research project conducted by
activity, it is extremely difficult to determine the chrono- the Kuwaiti–Polish Archaeological Mission indicate that the
logical sequence of the settlement and further investigation period of the most intensive settlement activity at Kharaib
is required. As the works continue in sq. XXXIV–XXXV– al‐Dasht coincided with the political and commercial expan-
XLIV–XLV, it is still too early to put forward any thesis sion of Kuwait at the end of the seventeenth century and the
concerning the number of usage phases of the attested early eighteenth century (Slot, 1991: 73), which reached its
architectural remains and their precise absolute dating. peak in the second half of the eighteenth century during one
Despite this, the preliminary results of ceramological anal- of the Ottoman–Persian wars. At the same time, Kuwait was
ysis indicate that the period of the most intensive human already an established independent port and all maritime im-
activity, especially in the northern part of Kharaib al‐Dasht port was duty‐free (Casey, 2007: 27–31; Haarmann, 2003:
(sq. III, XII) lasted from the eighteenth century to the end 30–41; al‐Hijji, 2010: 126; Al‐Nakib, 2016: 22). All these
of the nineteenth century. This dating was based, on the factors, combined with the Persian occupation of Basra, led
one hand, on the abundance of Gulf Glazed Wares (Carter, to the British East India Company’s relocation from the latter
2003: 62; Carter & Naranjo‐Santana, 2011: 54; Petersen & city to the port in Kuwait, which also became a safe anchor
Grey, 2010: 47; Pieńkowska & Mierzejewska, 2018, fig. for many fishing and pearling dhows (Agius, 2005: 88).
2; Power & Sheehan, 2012: 295), including a significant The location of Jazirat Faylaka, and of Kharaib al‐Dasht
percentage of MGPAINT 2 and Bahla Wares (De Cardi & Bay in particular, on a trade route linking Shatt al‐Arab and
Doe, 1971: 266–267; Mierzejewska, 2015: 573; Petersen & Kuwait Bay with other regions of the Arabian Gulf, coupled
Grey, 2010: 48; Power, 2015: 10; Power & Sheehan, 2012: with favourable sailing conditions and accessibility of mari-
295; Whitcomb, 1975: Figs 12o, 5d, 11g), and, on the other time resources, gave the island a considerable advantage on
hand, on the scarce finds of high‐quality East Asian Wares the contemporary market. It also created opportunities for es-
and the lack of European imports, such as Sponge Printed tablishing fishing infrastructure necessary for catching and
or Transfer Printed Wares. It should be mentioned that the processing fish, as well as suitable conditions for wharfing
seasonal character of the settlement activity, at least in a the fishing and pearling dhows.
part of the site (sq. XII) seems to have lasted a little longer, Letters by the Political Agent at Bahrain from the mid‐
most likely until the beginning of the twentieth century, as twentieth century clearly illustrate that Kuwait imported fish
suggested by the presence of modern dug‐ins and landfills from Bahrain, which were then transported further to Basra
(Pieńkowska, 2016: 19). The earliest usage phase was at- (Shuhaiber, 2003: 101). It is difficult to say whether Jazirat
tested in the north‐western part of the site (sq. XXXIV– Faylaka of the eighteenth–nineteenth century also had the ca-
XXXV) and was dated to the seventeenth/eighteenth pacity to provide enough fish produce for export and whether
century based on the almost complete lack of MGPIANT it could compete against fish from Bahrain. It is also uncertain
278
|    MIERZEJEWSKA

whether fish processed at Jazirat Faylaka were fit for long‐dis- Reiche for their assistance in organising the collected data and
tance maritime transport. Nonetheless, it should be empha- valuable observations concerning the interpretation of the ovens.
sised that Kharaib al‐Dasht, as well as the island’s other Late
Islamic sites (namely, the previously mentioned Al‐Quraniyah
ORCID
and KG10, but also Al‐Subbahiya—a site documented during
the KPAM survey) (Grassigli & Di Miceli, 2015; Pawlicki, Marta Mierzejewska https://orcid.
2015; Jimsher Chkhvimiani, pers. comm.) yielded significant org/0000-0003-3355-2189
quantities of Gulf Glazed Wares and Bahla Wares, which sug-
gests that Jazirat Faylaka participated in the trade exchange in
the entire Arabian Gulf, from Iraq to Oman and Iran. R E F E R E NC E S
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hearths and ovens, the considerable assemblage of zooar- fish smoking in Africa. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology,
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Blue, L., Al‐Jahwari, N.S., Staples, E., Giorgio, L., Croce, P., Ghidoni,
nineteenth century, Kharaib al‐Dasht was capable of gen-
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