SAMAHIJ, Bahrain—A Christian building used between the mid-4th and mid-8th centuries has been discovered in Bahrain, according to a statement from the University of Exeter. Archaeologists Timothy Insol from the University of Exeter and Salman Al-Mahary from the Bahrain Department of Culture and Antiquities were able to identify the building based on plaster crosses that likely decorated the building, personal plaster crosses, and graffiti consisting of early Christian symbols. “This is the first physical evidence of a Nestorian church found in Bahrain and gives interesting insights into how people lived, worked, and worshipped there,” Insol said. According to the researchers, the building was abandoned when local residents converted to Islam and a mosque was built over it. Of the Christian building, eight rooms remained, including a kitchen with multiple hearths, a dining room, a room that appears to be a workroom, 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 located. Food remains indicate that the inhabitants ate pork, fish, shellfish, and a variety of plants that are still being analyzed. Small wine glasses, Sassanid copper coins, spindle wheels, copper needles, carnelian beads, and pottery imported from India were also found. Insor and Al-Mahari suggest that the Bishop of Meshmahig, or Mashmahig, may have lived at the site. For traces of Kuwait’s isolated Christian community, see Island of Archaeology: Hidden Christian Community.
The surviving walls of a Christian building and the mosque that was later built over it in Samahij, Bahrain
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