Researchers from the Kuwait-Polish Archaeological Mission (KPAM) have done just that exposed a 7,500-year-old statuette at the Bahra 1 site in Kuwait’s Al-Subiyah Desert.
The statuette, which depicts a head with reptilian features such as an elongated skull, slanted eyes and a flat nose, is the first of its kind found in the region.
Professor Piotr Bielinski from the Polish Center for Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA UW), noted that this unique discovery ‘raises intriguing questions about its purpose and the symbolic, or possibly ritual, value it had for the people of this ancient community.’
The artifact bears similarities to reptilian-headed figures made by the Ubaid culture, a prehistoric Mesopotamian civilization. However, archaeologists remain uncertain about the motivations behind the creation of such non-human representations.
In addition to the statue, researchers discovered evidence of locally produced pottery, including a foundry for manufacturing Coarse Red Ware (CRW), a type of pottery known from sites on the Arabian Peninsula. The presence of this foundry settles the debates about the origins of CRW and confirms that it was produced locally.
Reptilian-headed figures have appeared in various ancient cultures around the world, often linked to deities or religious practices.
For example, the Egyptians worshiped Sobek, depicted with an alligator head, while Mesoamerican cultures worshiped Quetzalcoatl and K’uk’ulkan, gods with snake heads.
In Mesopotamia, the Sumerians, who followed the Ubaid period, worshiped Ningishzida, a serpent god associated with vegetation and the underworld.
However, the Ubaid figurines predate these civilizations by thousands of years, suggesting that later cultures may have inherited their reptilian symbolism.
Despite these parallels, archaeologists still lack a clear understanding of the Ubaid people’s reasons for producing such figures or their role in religious or ceremonial contexts.
The Penn Museum suggests that these figurines may represent a “pre-Sumerian population,” but further research is needed to shed light on their cultural and symbolic significance.
