Umayyad Period Settlement Discovered in Qatar

YOGHBI, QATAR—The Gulf Times reports that an early Islamic period settlement site has been found in the desert of northwest Qatar by a team of researchers led by Jose Carvajal Lopez of UCL Qatar. The excavations uncovered stone building foundations, fragments of glass, metals, stone vessels, and fishing tools dating to the seventh and eighth centuries A.D. It had been previously thought that occupation of this region was linked to development of trade routes on the Indian Ocean and the founding of the city of Baghdad in the late eighth century. “At this time there was a well-attested Christian presence in the region,” said Rob Carter of UCL Qatar, “so the discoveries at Yoghbi have the potential to shed light on this critical moment of religious change.” To read in-depth about another Umayyad site, go to “Expanding the Story.”