The Distribution of Pre‐Islamic Burial Cairns in Qatar

This paper describes the results of a burial survey project in northern Qatar. This project builds on more than 60 years of archaeological investigation in Qatar that has resulted in the identification of over 2000 burial sites. Through application of remote sensing and ground‐truthing methodologies, the total number of identified burials in northern Qatar has been increased to almost 11,000 over an area of approximately 30,000 sq km. Analytical results reveal spatial correlations between burial distribution and availability of resources, particularly water, grazing, and access to the sea. Most notably, a distinct concentration of burials in the northwest of the peninsula, closest to Bahrain, are suggestive of territorial markers and a probable demographic connection between the peoples of northern Qatar and the island of Bahrain.