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Looking for Dilmun
Dilmun was a land which stretched beyond the confines of Bahrain, as far north as Kuwait, and as far south as Saudi Arabia. The quest for the real Dilmun began when the author revisited Bahrain in order to explore the thousands of undated burial mounds scattered across the country. A season's digging established the existence of a major civilisation dating from around 2300 BC. First published in 1969, this fascinating book of discovery tells the story of archaeological detective work with style and humour. It is re-issued here for a new generation of readers and introduced by Carl Phillips, one of the leading archaeologists of the region.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1961
13 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Bibby
39 books3 followersThomas Geoffrey Bibby was an English-born archaeologist. He is best known for discovering the ancient state of Dilmun, referred to in Mesopotamian mythology as a paradise.
He studied archaeology at Cambridge University, but because he could find no place in that profession, he lived in Bahrain and worked for the Iraq Petroleum Company from 1947 to 1950. On a return visit to Britain he met his future wife, whom he married in 1949. Through her he met the Danish professor Peter Vilhelm Glob and so acquired a position at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. In 1953 he and professor Glob led a team of archaeologists who discovered the ancient city of Dilmun, beneath Manama, Bahrain.
Bibby also wrote about stone and Bronze Age Europe, particularly the bog peoples of Denmark.
He studied archaeology at Cambridge University, but because he could find no place in that profession, he lived in Bahrain and worked for the Iraq Petroleum Company from 1947 to 1950. On a return visit to Britain he met his future wife, whom he married in 1949. Through her he met the Danish professor Peter Vilhelm Glob and so acquired a position at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. In 1953 he and professor Glob led a team of archaeologists who discovered the ancient city of Dilmun, beneath Manama, Bahrain.
Bibby also wrote about stone and Bronze Age Europe, particularly the bog peoples of Denmark.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 13, 2016
The Land of Dilmun, in Babylonian myth, is the place where Gilgamesh journeys to question Utnapishtim - the Babylonian Noah - about immortality. Geoffrey Bibby's account of the excavation of burial mounds on the island of Bahrain in the 1950's brings the past vividly to life. This is a splendidly atmospheric account of successive archaeological digs in the desert sands and sipping tea with Sheikhs. Bibby convinces us that ancient Bahrain was indeed the land of Dilmun, four thousand years ago a fertile island with strong mercantile links from Babylon to the Indus. Now - as in Shelley's Ozymandias - little remains apart from broken pottery shards scattered in the sand. But in some ancient pots, buried with the dead, Bibby finds the skeletal remains of snakes - and suddenly we are right back in the Gilgamesh Epic -for we recall that the snake stole the plant of immortality from the hero while he slept. How fascinating to have such a tangible connection with some of the earliest literature on the planet. The Bahraini sheikhs refer disparagingly to any signs of pre-Islamic activity as being in "the Time of Ignorance" - how ironic. Bibby lifts the veil on a past hidden for thousands of years. I imagine green and pleasant Dilmun as a much more congenial place than modern Bahrain. Though now, of course, the symbols of immortality of a once flourishing culture are fragile snake skeletons, buried in crumbling, sand filled pots.
November 12, 2015
I best describe this book as a well-written, first-person archaeological journal published by the late Danish archaeologist Geoffrey Bibby. Dr. Bibby first penetrated the fog which surrounded the ancient civilization of Dilmun.
Archaeologists were aware that Dilmun existed within the Persian Gulf region from various sources, notably the prehistoric mythical epic of Gilgamesh (late 4th millennium B.C.), and cuneiform tablets of traders in Ur who imported copper ingots from Dilmun and paid for them with exported wool, grain, and manufactured goods in the 3rd millennium B.C. Transportation was by ship.
Archaeology failed to pursue Dilmun as diligently as it might have in the early 20th century when travel and archaeology in the Gulf were much less risky and political than today. Dilmun artifacts and its location had never been found until Dr. Bibby took on the task.
After World War II, Dr. Bibby worked three years with the Iraq Petroleum Company, before returning to Denmark to pursue his postgraduate training as an archaeologist. His prior contacts with the oil industry led to an offer to fund an archaeological survey in Bahrain.
Once in Bahrain, Dr. Bibby quickly made progress in excavating and identifying the Dilmun strata of artifacts at several sites: tombs, a fortified city, and a temple. He and his excavation partner, Danish archaeologist P.V. Glob, quickly branched out their work to Kuwait's Failaka Island, where more Dilmun layers were uncovered.
The two then went south to the U.A.E. and Oman, where they were the first to excavate and identify the similarly long-lost Magan civilization, which was Dilmun's supplier of the copper ingots transshipped to Ur and elsewhere in Mesopotamia. Bibby’s excavation and identification of Dilmun and Magan clarified the sketchily understood trading relationship among Mesopotamia, Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha (the Indus Valley civilization, a.k.a. Harappa).
My high point in this reading adventure (for me) was when Bibby was admitted to dig in Saudi Arabia near the Gulf and, excavating down through the Dilmun layer, found the predecessor civilization was the Ubaid culture—already known to be the predecessor of the Uruk culture in Southern Mesopotamia.
I just finished reading the Kindle version of this book, and cannot wait to get back to my personal blog, where I have been digging deep into the Ubaid roots of Uruk in Mesopotamia. Finding here that there are also Ubaid roots to Dilmun was like striking gold at exactly the right moment for my own purposes!
Bibby’s writing style is lively, personal, colorful, and appeals to the five senses. His story includes complex interactions with many Sunni Arabs, and he illuminates these individuals with excellent characterizations. Many will find this aspect of the journal most exciting, insightful, and timely.
January 2, 2022
An interesting archeology book searching for land the ancient Sumerians believed was paradise.
January 17, 2025
All one should know about Dilmun and more. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. I haven’t read something with so much interest in a while.
This goes in depth into the major findings of the Danish expedition and takes you through the evolution of the conclusions made about this great civilization. If you’re a Dilmun lover, do not miss this book. Excellent read!
This goes in depth into the major findings of the Danish expedition and takes you through the evolution of the conclusions made about this great civilization. If you’re a Dilmun lover, do not miss this book. Excellent read!
November 12, 2015
I best describe this book as a well-written, first-person archaeological journal published by the late Danish archaeologist Geoffrey Bibby. Dr. Bibby first penetrated the fog which surrounded the ancient civilization of Dilmun.
Archaeologists were aware that Dilmun existed within the Persian Gulf region from various sources, notably the prehistoric mythical epic of Gilgamesh (late 4th millennium B.C.), and cuneiform tablets of traders in Ur who imported copper ingots from Dilmun and paid for them with exported wool, grain, and manufactured goods in the 3rd millennium B.C. Transportation was by ship.
Archaeology failed to pursue Dilmun as diligently as it might have in the early 20th century when travel and archaeology in the Gulf were much less risky and political than today. Dilmun artifacts and its location had never been found until Dr. Bibby took on the task.
After World War II, Dr. Bibby worked three years with the Iraq Petroleum Company, before returning to Denmark to pursue his postgraduate training as an archaeologist. His prior contacts with the oil industry led to an offer to fund an archaeological survey in Bahrain.
Once in Bahrain, Dr. Bibby quickly made progress in excavating and identifying the Dilmun strata of artifacts at several sites: tombs, a fortified city, and a temple. He and his excavation partner, Danish archaeologist P.V. Glob, quickly branched out their work to Kuwait's Failaka Island, where more Dilmun layers were uncovered.
The two then went south to the U.A.E. and Oman, where they were the first to excavate and identify the similarly long-lost Magan civilization, which was Dilmun's supplier of the copper ingots transshipped to Ur and elsewhere in Mesopotamia. Bibby’s excavation and identification of Dilmun and Magan clarified the sketchily understood trading relationship among Mesopotamia, Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha (the Indus Valley civilization, a.k.a. Harappa).
My high point in this reading adventure was when Bibby was admitted to dig in Saudi Arabia near the Gulf and, excavating down through the Dilmun layer, found the predecessor civilization was the Ubaid culture—already known to be the predecessor of the Uruk culture in Southern Mesopotamia.
I just finished reading the Kindle version of this book, and cannot wait to get back to my personal blog, where I have been digging deep into the Ubaid roots of Uruk in Mesopotamia. Finding here that there are also Ubaid roots to Dilmun was like striking gold at exactly the right moment for my own purposes!
Bibby’s writing style is lively, personal, colorful, and appeals to the five senses. His story includes complex interactions with many Sunni Arabs, and he illuminates these individuals with excellent characterizations. Many will find this aspect of the journal most exciting, insightful, and timely.
Archaeologists were aware that Dilmun existed within the Persian Gulf region from various sources, notably the prehistoric mythical epic of Gilgamesh (late 4th millennium B.C.), and cuneiform tablets of traders in Ur who imported copper ingots from Dilmun and paid for them with exported wool, grain, and manufactured goods in the 3rd millennium B.C. Transportation was by ship.
Archaeology failed to pursue Dilmun as diligently as it might have in the early 20th century when travel and archaeology in the Gulf were much less risky and political than today. Dilmun artifacts and its location had never been found until Dr. Bibby took on the task.
After World War II, Dr. Bibby worked three years with the Iraq Petroleum Company, before returning to Denmark to pursue his postgraduate training as an archaeologist. His prior contacts with the oil industry led to an offer to fund an archaeological survey in Bahrain.
Once in Bahrain, Dr. Bibby quickly made progress in excavating and identifying the Dilmun strata of artifacts at several sites: tombs, a fortified city, and a temple. He and his excavation partner, Danish archaeologist P.V. Glob, quickly branched out their work to Kuwait's Failaka Island, where more Dilmun layers were uncovered.
The two then went south to the U.A.E. and Oman, where they were the first to excavate and identify the similarly long-lost Magan civilization, which was Dilmun's supplier of the copper ingots transshipped to Ur and elsewhere in Mesopotamia. Bibby’s excavation and identification of Dilmun and Magan clarified the sketchily understood trading relationship among Mesopotamia, Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha (the Indus Valley civilization, a.k.a. Harappa).
My high point in this reading adventure was when Bibby was admitted to dig in Saudi Arabia near the Gulf and, excavating down through the Dilmun layer, found the predecessor civilization was the Ubaid culture—already known to be the predecessor of the Uruk culture in Southern Mesopotamia.
I just finished reading the Kindle version of this book, and cannot wait to get back to my personal blog, where I have been digging deep into the Ubaid roots of Uruk in Mesopotamia. Finding here that there are also Ubaid roots to Dilmun was like striking gold at exactly the right moment for my own purposes!
Bibby’s writing style is lively, personal, colorful, and appeals to the five senses. His story includes complex interactions with many Sunni Arabs, and he illuminates these individuals with excellent characterizations. Many will find this aspect of the journal most exciting, insightful, and timely.
January 21, 2017
A very enjoyable and accessible book on the Danish archeological expeditions to the Gulf in the 1950s and 1960s. It is also a good personal account of the Gulf states and societies at the time.
April 15, 2025
Geoffrey Bibby was a British-born archaeologist who led a series of Danish expeditions into the Persian Gulf and the coastal regions of the Arabian Peninsula. This book is an excellent introduction to the archaeology of the region. It is well-written, neither too difficult nor too “popular”, and is careful to separate the facts of the excavations from the historical theories derived from them. It has some description of popular interest about the conditions of the excavations, combined with the archaeological detail of the seals and pottery which date the various layers (by analogy with similar seals and pottery from Mesopotamia), without becoming too technical. The book was written at the same time as the official publication of the archaeology, and probably incorporates as much as possible in a book for the general reader. I think Bibby has managed to strike a good balance.
The first of the expeditions from the University of Aarhus was begun in 1953 to investigate burial mounds on the island of Bahrein, which there is good evidence to identify as part of the “Land of Dilmun” which is mentioned in Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets, both in literary tablets as the mythological home of the first humans and of Ziasudra/Utnapishtum, the original version of Noah, and later in many commercial documents as a major trading partner of the Mesopotamian civilization.
A series of expeditions from then up to the time of writing (1968, though a few sentences were added in press in 1969) discovered a city site with seven layers. City I, the earliest level, was dated from the early Sumerian period around 2800 down to around 2300 BCE (i.e. from the legendary time of Gilgamesh down to the time of Sargon of Akkad), with the grave mounds beginning probably from about the middle of that period; City II, apparently continuous with City I, went from that time down to around 1800 (the time of Hammurabi), and a temple of the god Inzak (probably identical with the Sumerian Enki) in the same area dates from that time. After a period of abandonment, the site is occupied again by City III, shown by the pottery to be contemporary with the Kassite period in Babylonia. After another, uncertain but probably longer hiatus, City IV is occupied during the Assyrian period in the eighth century; another hiatus and City V is occupied from about 500 to maybe 200, and there are more grave mounds. Cities VI and VII are basically Islamic and Portuguese forts.
In addition to the work on Bahrain, later years of expeditions extended our knowledge of the “Dilmun” culture north to the island of Falaika off the coast of Kuwait (and another Greek period city, which was identified by inscriptions as the city of Ithakos known from classical writers), while another culture, possibly ancient “Makan” was discovered in Abu Dabu farther south. There were also stone age flints discovered in Qatar, and at the very end of the last expedition mentioned, they discovered Ubaid culture artifacts as well as “Dilmun” culture contemporary with the oldest level in Bahrain at Tahut on the Arabian coast.
There is far too much information in this book to summarize in a brief review. I particularly liked the caution with which Bibby titled the book “looking for Dilmun” rather than “finding Dilmun”; despite the evidence that the finds on Bahrain and Falaika are almost certainly the land of Dilmun he refuses to be more certain than the evidence warrants.
May 2, 2021
Esta es la crónica de una expedición arqueológica integrada por daneses y encabezada por el autor Geofrey Bibby, en el año de 1956 a 1968, principalmente en la isla de Bahrein, Qatar, Kuwait y otras islas en el Golfo Pérsico o Mar Arábigo (como les gusta llamarlo a los árabes).
El autor trabajó como administrativo en una compañía petrolera en la península de Qatar, desde donde podía ver el terreno ondulado de la isla, de lo que dedujo se trataba de enterramientos. Cuando terminó su relación con la petrolera, volvió a Medio Oriente, específicamente a Bahrein, en calidad de arqueólogo.
Los historiadores hacen mención constante en las tablillas asirias de la existencia de una isla llamada Tilvún o Tilmún o Dilmún, con la que se mantenía un comercio muy estrecho e importante. De acuerdo con la biblioteca de Asurbanipal, Dilmún era un reino independiente del Asirio y del Babilónico. En las tablillas asirias del Museo Británico se menciona este reino en relación con el Diluvio Universal. Particularmente en el capítulo 11 de la Épica de Gilgamesh, el rey de Erech, quien pasó años de su vida en la búsqueda de la inmortalidad, y de su visita al único mortal que se le había concedido la dicha inmortalidad como sobreviviente del Diluvio. El poderoso dios Enlil se la concede a él y su familia y se les envía a vivir lejos, en Dilmún.
Descrito brevemente, encuentran en Bahrein las ciudades I y II,con un Templo Barbar en forma de zigurat y una muralla completa al oeste del templo; en la ciudad III, con cerámica Kassita; en la ciudad IV, un palacio al centro del promontorio; en la ciudad V, un templo griego correspondiente a la época de Alejandro y sus sucesores del período seléucida; ciudad VI, de época islámica, alrededor de los siglos XII y XIII; ciudad VII, el fuerte portugués en donde comenzó la excavación.
En la isla Failaka, frente a Kuwait, se encontró un templo griego correspondiente a la época de Alejandro.
En la isla Um-An-Nar, cerca de Abu Dhabi, se hallaron enterramientos circulares múltiples con cerámica tipo barril gris y roja, cultura contemporánea a la cultura barbar de Dilmún. La cultura de Abu Dhabi parece más relacionada con la del Valle del Indus.
Es una expedición interesante, pero se suspendió en 1969, porque los países mencionados comenzaron a crear sus propios Departamentos de Arqueología. También interesa lo limitado de los presupuestos y de su tecnología para atinarle al lugar en dónde excavar.
El autor trabajó como administrativo en una compañía petrolera en la península de Qatar, desde donde podía ver el terreno ondulado de la isla, de lo que dedujo se trataba de enterramientos. Cuando terminó su relación con la petrolera, volvió a Medio Oriente, específicamente a Bahrein, en calidad de arqueólogo.
Los historiadores hacen mención constante en las tablillas asirias de la existencia de una isla llamada Tilvún o Tilmún o Dilmún, con la que se mantenía un comercio muy estrecho e importante. De acuerdo con la biblioteca de Asurbanipal, Dilmún era un reino independiente del Asirio y del Babilónico. En las tablillas asirias del Museo Británico se menciona este reino en relación con el Diluvio Universal. Particularmente en el capítulo 11 de la Épica de Gilgamesh, el rey de Erech, quien pasó años de su vida en la búsqueda de la inmortalidad, y de su visita al único mortal que se le había concedido la dicha inmortalidad como sobreviviente del Diluvio. El poderoso dios Enlil se la concede a él y su familia y se les envía a vivir lejos, en Dilmún.
Descrito brevemente, encuentran en Bahrein las ciudades I y II,con un Templo Barbar en forma de zigurat y una muralla completa al oeste del templo; en la ciudad III, con cerámica Kassita; en la ciudad IV, un palacio al centro del promontorio; en la ciudad V, un templo griego correspondiente a la época de Alejandro y sus sucesores del período seléucida; ciudad VI, de época islámica, alrededor de los siglos XII y XIII; ciudad VII, el fuerte portugués en donde comenzó la excavación.
En la isla Failaka, frente a Kuwait, se encontró un templo griego correspondiente a la época de Alejandro.
En la isla Um-An-Nar, cerca de Abu Dhabi, se hallaron enterramientos circulares múltiples con cerámica tipo barril gris y roja, cultura contemporánea a la cultura barbar de Dilmún. La cultura de Abu Dhabi parece más relacionada con la del Valle del Indus.
Es una expedición interesante, pero se suspendió en 1969, porque los países mencionados comenzaron a crear sus propios Departamentos de Arqueología. También interesa lo limitado de los presupuestos y de su tecnología para atinarle al lugar en dónde excavar.
May 4, 2018
Ok, Buddy handed this over to me without a word. He looked at it, didn’t read it. Immediately I was immersed in an innocent and challenging archeological survey, leading eventually to digs across Bahrain, Kuwait, Abu Dabi and eventually to Saudi Arabia. This happened when oil exploration was first going on and some countries were experiencing wealth and the others oil had not yet been discovered. An amazing story, and the archaeologists found a lost empire or two, jumbled up in the stones and layers of tells, and perhaps evidence of the first people to live in the area during Paleolithic times. Pretty awesome.
October 4, 2023
I always enjoy the older archaeologists and the way many of them can weave a story so engrossing about their adventures of finding the past. Bibby's, and many others, work resurrecting Dilmun and several other lost ancient cities/civilizations are a blessing to us all. Finding and connecting them to the historical record, and of course, leading to ever more questions. Our search for answers is only a spade full of dirt away.
May 19, 2025
Very in depth discussion about the archeological expeditions in Bahrain and some of the surrounding countries to find evidence of the ancient Dilmun society. I have a particular interest in Bahrain and so decided to read it. Bibby does a nice job of interweaving information about the current culture and landscape with the descriptions of digs and especially pottery sherds. Well written and engaging even for those of us who are not professional archeologists.
July 10, 2019
Very enjoyable story/memoir of the archaeological investigations of the Bahrain area.
October 20, 2022
An excellent telling of really interesting times from human history and the ruins left behind.
July 7, 2025
A good read for novice and professional archaeologists alike.
February 9, 2009
Looking for Dilmun is an archaelogical adventure focusing on a city of mound builders in Bahrain and its relationship to civilizations in the Arabian gulf and Mesoptamia extending back in time to 4,000 BC. A great read that will be enhanced by first reading Gilgamesh: A New English Version by Stephen Mitchell.
August 11, 2009
Nice intro to some obscure history
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February 26, 2010Read by ACRL Member of the Week Patricia Wand. Learn more about Patricia on the ACRL Insider blog.
July 17, 2012
This is a fascinating history about the ancient empire located in the area of current Kuwait, Bahrain and Quatar that may predate Sumer.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews