A geochemical study on the bitumen from Dosariyah (Saudi-Arabia): tracking Neolithic-period bitumen in the Persian Gulf

This paper presents the results of a series of geochemical analysis conducted on 20 bitumen samples from the Neolithic site of Dosariyah (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). The aim of this study was to establish the geological origin of this bitumen in order to identify the bitumen seepage they were extracted from. The majority of the samples could be successfully related to bitumen seepages of northern Iraq. Two samples didn't match the bulk of the samples and probably came from the Burgan Hill seepage (Kuwait). Three samples were too badly degraded in order to deliver reliable data, and were removed from the dataset. These conclusions stand in contrast with H3/as-Sabiyah, -a site culturally and geographically linked with Dosariyah- which bitumen came exclusively from the Burgan Hill. In this paper we argue that this difference may be explained by the difference in dating between the two sites, as H3/as-Sabiyah slightly predates Dosariyah.