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Society and Daily Life Practices in Qatar Before Oil Industry;
Abstract
Society and Daily Life Practices in Qatar Before Oil Industry; A Historic Study Based on Archaeological Record and Text A series of archaeological sites in Qatar have been attesting multifaceted aspects of the society and daily life practices before oil industry, particularly in the period from the eighteenth the early twentieth century. The archaeological walled city of Al-Zubarah, for instance, has been excavated, first, in the early 1980s by a Qatari mission, and since 2010 by the University of Copenhagen, in partnership with Qatar Museum Authority (Rees, G.; Walmsley, A. G.; Richter, T. (2011). Due to its outstanding cultural importance to the common heritage of humanity, the site has recently been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The geostrategic location of the city al-Zubarah alongside with its sea port, fort and rich archaeological discoveries are evidence for the city’s role as a major pearl and trade center in the Gulf region before oil industry. In addition, the uncovered public buildings and dwellings of different types and functions are attesting an urban pattern of a major city in Qatar at that time. In addition to the uncovered architecture, the revealed material culture at Al-Zubarah, particularly the large variety of vessels and tools are characterizing the people's social and daily life practices . In light of the above, this paper will discuss the characteristics of Qatar’s society in the period from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century shedding light on the communal identity, daily life practices, and trade with the surrounding regions. Reference. Rees, G.; Walmsley, A. G.; Richter, T. (2011). "Investigations in the Zubarah Hinterland at Murayr and Furayhah, North-West Qatar". Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 41: 309–316.
Discipline
History
Geographic Area
Gulf
Sub Area
Gulf Studies