MYSTERIOUS alien-like statues with bizarre elongated skulls and lizard features have been unearthed at an ancient Stone Age site.
Archaeologists discovered the statues from 7,000 years ago in Kuwait, unlocking key understanding on the origin and evolution of one of the oldest settlements in the Arabian peninsula.
The Bahra 1 site has been a key source for understanding ancient Stone Age societies in Arabia since 2009.
It was one of the Arabian Peninsula’s oldest settlements, with occupation from around 5500 to 4900 BC.
Excavations carried out at the site have led to key insights specifically into the Ubaid culture, which came from Mesopotamia, a region in Iraq, over to Antolia and the Arabian peninsula.
Now, a dig has unearthed bizarre alien-like clay heads at the site.
They bear stark similarities to aliens, with elongated skulls and lizard features that are the same features given to the space creatures today.
Researchers say these features however are the characteristics of figurines from the Ubaid culture.
Similar pieces of pottery have been found in Mesopotamia, but the Bahra 1 discovery is a first for the Gulf region – making them a breakthrough find.
Archaeologist Piotr Bielinski said: “Its presence raises intriguing questions about its purpose and the symbolic, or possibly ritualistic, value it held for the people of this ancient community.”
The discovery also sheds light on the different sizes and types of pottery produces in the region.
Two types of pottery were in use in the larger Arabian region.
One was the Ubaid pottery, which was imported from Mesopotamia, and the other was local pottery called Coarse Red Ware – tempered with quartz and mica.
Coarse Red Ware’s production locations remain unknown, but it was known to have been made locally in the Gulf region.
Due to the latest dig that unearthed the alien-like creations, Bahra 1 has sourced incredible evidence in the form of unfired clay vessels that Coarse Red Ware was produced near modern-day Kuwait.
Archeologists say that it also solidifies that Bahra 1 is the oldest known pottery production site in the Gulf region.
Plant fragments that had been added during the manufacture of some of the creations may also provide insights about the Arabian peninsula’s environmental history too.
Organic traces have been found within the clay of both Ubaid ware and the Coarse Red Ware in yet another breakthrough discovery.
Experts hope the fossil plant remains can help in identifying local flora all the way back from the mid-6th millennium BC.
Archaeologist Roman Hovsepyan said: “Early analyses have revealed traces of wild plants, particularly reed, within the locally produced pottery, while cultivated plant remains including cereals like barley and wheat have been found in the imported Ubaid ware.”
