Archaeologists unearthed something from another world.
A mysterious clay figurine dating back 7,000 years was recently discovered in the Arabian Gulf. It bears a striking resemblance to modern depictions of aliens visiting Earth.
Researchers at Bala 1, a prehistoric site in northern Kuwait, described the artifact as a “small, elaborate head with upturned eyes, a flattened nose, and an elongated skull.”
Although this is the first such discovery in the region, individuals with similar facial features have been found at ruins in Mesopotamia, and are typical of those associated with the Neolithic Ubaid community that settled in the Arabian Gulf in the 6th millennium BC. The researchers pointed out that.
“[The] The discovery of the statuette was a complete surprise for the whole team,” said expedition leader Agnieszka Simczak. live science.
A joint Kuwaiti-Polish team discovered the statuette in one of the oldest settlements in the region, which existed from 5,500 BC to 4,900 BC.
Professor Piotr Bieliński from the University of Warsaw said: “The presence of this statuette on our site reflects its purpose and the symbolism it may have had for the community living in this settlement. “And it raises some interesting questions about what perhaps ritual means.” According to the Daily Mail.
The researchers also note that the statuette is made of Mesopotamian clay, unlike the “coarse red pottery” ceramics commonly found throughout the Arabian Gulf, and that the Ubaid dynasty acquired the traditional material from this material. He pointed out that this suggests that it was imported into the region.
The discovery marks a “crossroads in prehistoric cultural exchange,” Simchak said.
The symbolic meaning behind this statuette is still unknown, but some researchers believe that its rectangular skull may be an ancient “animal” that followed the Ubaid community and was previously observed in Mesopotamian skeletal remains. We believe that it has the potential to serve as a model for the practice of “head reshaping''.
Some researchers believe that this mystical practice, which reached its peak in the 5th millennium B.C., indicated an individual's social class or identity in ancient civilizations.
