Heritage with Related Tags
Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun
Qal'at al-Bahrain is a typical mound, i.e. an artificial mound formed by several successive layers of human habitation. The 300 x 600 m mound stratigraphy testifies to the continuous human presence from 2300 BC to the 16th century AD. About 25% of the site has been excavated and different types of buildings have been found: residential, public, commercial, religious and military. They testify to the importance of the site as a trading port in past centuries. On top of the 12-meter-high mound there is an impressive Portuguese fortress, which gave the whole site its name of qal'a (fortress). The site was the capital of Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations in the region. The richest remains of this civilization, which until now was known only from written records of the Sumerians, are preserved here.
Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
Turbins (earth mounds of prehistoric settlements) are a typical feature of the flatlands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and eastern Turkey. There are more than 200 turbins in Israel, with Megiddo, Hazor, and Beersheba being the most representative, containing the remains of numerous biblical cities. These three turbins are also the best examples of the elaborate Iron Age underground water collection systems in the Levant, designed to serve densely populated urban communities. Over thousands of years, the architectural traces of these turbins reflect centralized power, thriving agricultural activity, and control of important trade routes.
Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point
The Poverty Point Monumental Works are named for the 19th-century plantation adjacent to the site, which is located on slightly elevated, narrow terrain in the lower Mississippi River valley. The complex consists of five mounds, six concentric semi-elliptical ridges separated by shallow depressions, and a central plaza. It was built by a group of hunter-gatherers for residential and ceremonial purposes between 3,700 and 3,100 years ago. It is a remarkable achievement in North American earthen architecture, unmatched for at least 2,000 years.
Erbil Citadel
Erbil Citadel is a fortification located on top of an imposing ovoid mound (a hill formed by generations of people living and rebuilding on the same site) in the Kurdistan region of Erbil Governorate. A continuous high 19th-century wall still gives the visual impression of an impregnable fortress overlooking the city of Erbil. The citadel features a peculiar fan-shaped pattern that dates back to the late Ottoman period in Erbil. Written and pictorial historical records attest to the antiquity of the site's settlement - Erbil corresponds to ancient Arbela, an important Assyrian political and religious centre - while archaeological discoveries and investigations have shown that the mound conceals layers and remains of previous settlements.
Ahomite burial system (India)
<p>This site is the royal tomb of the Ahom dynasty, located in the foothills of the Patkai Mountains in eastern Assam. Over a period of 600 years, the Ahom people used the natural terrain of hills, forests and water bodies to build earthen mound tombs called moidams, which gave the area a sacred quality. Banyan trees and trees used for making coffins and bark manuscripts were planted here, and water storage facilities were built. There are 90 moidams of various sizes scattered throughout the site, which are made of brick, stone and earth with vaults and hollow structures inside. The tombs contain the remains of the king and other royal family members, as well as funerary objects such as food, horses, elephants, and some also contain the remains of queens and servants. The Ahom people's meda mefi and tarpan ceremonies are still performed in the cemeteries of the Chaladeo district. Although this burial system is also found in other parts of the Jamuna Valley, this site is particularly prominent. </p>
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
Located approximately 13 km northeast of St. Louis, Missouri, Cahokia Mounds is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. It was primarily inhabited during the Mississippian period (800-1400), when it covered nearly 1,600 hectares and included about 120 mounds. It is a classic example of a complex chiefdom society, with many satellite mound centers and numerous outlying hamlets and villages. This agricultural society may have numbered 10-20,000 people at its peak between 1050 and 1150. Major features of the site include the Monks Mound, the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas, covering more than 5 hectares and standing 30 meters high.