A groundbreaking archaeological discovery was announced in Kuwait: a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age temple belonging to the Dilmun civilization has been unearthed on Failaka Island. This significant find was made in the 2025 excavation season by a joint Kuwaiti-Danish team, in collaboration with the Moesgaard Museum.
The temple is situated east of the previously discovered Dilmun Palace and Temple, on a mound known as Tell F6, measuring 11 x 11 meters, beneath another temple uncovered in earlier seasons—revealing two superimposed temples, both dating back to ca. 1900–1800 BC. The structure includes multiple altars, pottery, seals, and other artifacts directly linked to Dilmun religious and administrative life.
Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed bin Redha of the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL) emphasized that the temple’s design and artifacts provide clear evidence of human settlement and advanced society on Failaka Island 4,000 years ago.
The find underscores Failaka’s pivotal role as a cultural, commercial, and social hub in the Arabian Gulf throughout the Bronze Age. Experts believe the presence of two temples, adjacent to a large administrative building, points to its importance as a regional religious and administrative center.
Ongoing excavations are expected to yield further insights into the Dilmun civilization, which flourished from the third millennium BC and maintained extensive trade networks with Mesopotamia and other ancient Gulf communities.
The NCCAL continues to support efforts in archaeological excavation, restoration, and research to preserve Kuwait’s ancient history and heritage. The discovery is described as a “milestone in understanding the religious practices of the Dilmun civilization,” advancing scholarly knowledge of Kuwait’s rich past.
This Bronze Age temple not only illuminates the spiritual and administrative sophistication of the Dilmun people, but also places Failaka Island firmly at the center of early Gulf history—making it a site of global archaeological significance.