SAMAHIJ, BAHRAIN—According to a statement released by the University of Exeter, a Christian building occupied between the mid-fourth and mid-eighth centuries A.D. has been uncovered in Bahrain. A plaster cross that would have been displayed on the building, a plaster cross for personal use, and graffiti consisting of early Christian symbols assisted archaeologists Timothy Insoll of the University of Exeter and Salman Almahari of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities with the identification. “This is the first physical evidence found of the Nestorian Church in Bahrain and gives a fascinating insight into how people lived, worked, and worshiped,” Insoll said. The building was abandoned when the local population converted to Islam and a mosque was built on top of it, the researchers explained. Eight of the rooms from the Christian building survived, including a kitchen with several hearths, a dining room, a possible work room, and three living rooms. The rooms had plastered stone walls and plastered floors. Sockets and holes in the walls indicate where doors and benches were placed. Food remains show that the inhabitants consumed pork, fish, shellfish, and various plants that are still being analyzed. Small wine glasses, copper coins minted in the Sasanian Empire, spindle whorls, copper needles, carnelian beads, and pottery imported from India were also recovered. Insoll and Almahari suggest that the bishop of Meshmahig, or Mašmahig, may have resided at the site. To read about traces of an isolated Christian community in Kuwait, go to "Archaeology Island: Hidden Christian Community."
