Failaka-Ikaros: excavation and study program

The Hellenistic establishment

Failaka Island, located in the Arabian-Persian Gulf 20 km off the coast (northeast) of the city of Kuwait, lies on the maritime route connecting Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean, between the Mesopotamian, Arab, Persian, and Indian worlds. Its fresh water resources have allowed the settlement of early populations from the Middle Bronze Age to the present: no fewer than sixteen archaeological sites have been recorded on the island since 1958 and are studied by international teams.
During the Hellenistic period, the island was called Ikaros, which, according to Arrian, was named by Alexander the Great. At Tell Khazneh, 600 m north of the southern coast, an Achaemenid sanctuary was reoccupied in the Hellenistic period, around the late 4th century BC. The Seleucids quickly exploited the island’s strategic position, establishing a fortress at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, mainly under the reign of Antiochus I (281-261), as dated by the previous French mission. The settlement endured until around the beginning of the 1st century BC, presumably under Characene rule. It also included, outside the walls, a temple of Artemis and a large building called the Terracotta Workshop, where numerous molds of terracotta figurines were discovered. All the constructions, except for Temple A within the fortress, were built using foundations of small rubble stones bound with clay, supporting walls made of sun-dried bricks or small stones. But it was the entire island that constituted the territory of the inhabitants of the fortress and the villages that were established there at different times: in 2025, the Italian-Kuwaiti mission discovered a 1st-century BC building at Qurainiyah, on the northern coast of the island, and the Slovak-Kuwaiti mission had uncovered occupation layers from this period at Al-Khidr, at the northwest tip of the island. In these two locations, it is reasonable to reconstruct …In these two locations, it is reasonable to reconstruct ports and villages, including fishing activities and the cultivation of the island.

The fortress

From the very first period, in addition to its ramparts, the fortress included two temples, the larger one (temple A) being characteristic of Greek architecture while incorporating more eastern elements, notably decorative features copying Achaemenid column bases. Our research was able to associate at least one well with the early stages of the fortress.

Detail of the architectural decoration of the main temple. Photo around 1960 © Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus

Well (north is up), photo H. Al Mutairi © DAMK/MAKFF

We also modified the chronological distribution of some of the constructions across the six periods of the site’s existence and, in particular, refined the phasing thanks notably to a detailed study of the stratigraphy and architecture combined with construction techniques. We uncovered various states reflecting alternations of abandonment, repairs, expansions of the fortifications with a ditch protecting the whole, or narrowing of the circulation path. This evolution of the ramparts shows that, over a relatively short period, the fortress and its defense systems experienced intense activity, reflecting the lively existence of the communities that succeeded one another. Towards the end of its existence, the military aspect of the stronghold eventually disappeared in favor of a densely populated village. Thus, a second period can be identified, marked by the abandonment of the fortifications and the establishment of a village, followed in a third period by the Seleucid authority reclaiming the island, expanding the fortress, and restoring its defenses. A fourth period is characterized by abandonment, before the resettlement of a densely populated village in the fifth period, around the 1st century BC, followed by its final abandonment in the sixth period. The site was not reoccupied.
The Faïlaka-Ikaros mission (established at the end of 2023) carries out certain operations to refine the chronological sequence of the fortress’s stratigraphy, and new studies on the island of Ikaros are also taking place, including geophysical surveys, funerary research, and a large-scale data digitization program. Finally, since 2011, we have been carrying out a program at the fortress to preserve all the remains unearthed over more than sixty years, but we had not had the opportunity to apply long-term general planning. Until October 2023, we mainly intervened through numerous emergency conservation operations. Various material tests, applicable on a large scale, were conducted to determine the most durable solutions while respecting the remains, and these experiments continue today. Indeed, since 2025, a new program led by the Franco-Kuwaiti Faïlaka-Ikaros Mission has been initiated with … Indeed, since 2025, a new program led by the Franco-Kuwaiti Mission of Failaka-Ikaros has been underway with more substantial resources, which we hope to achieve over the coming years. In particular, a project for nominating the island as a UNESCO World Heritage site by Kuwait is currently in progress, in which we are participating (Failaka Island: A Palimpsest of Human Civilizations).

Franco-Kuwaiti and French archaeological missions

In November 2023, the Franco-Kuwaiti Archaeological Mission of Failaka-Ikaros (NCCAL-DAMK-ARSCAN) was established with the support of NCCAL, ARSCAN, CEFREPA, and the French Institute in Kuwait; it is led on the Kuwaiti side by Mr. Al-Jassar (Secretary General of NCCAL) and on the French side by Mr. Gelin (CNRS) and J.-M. Gelin. It brings together studies of the Hellenistic period in Failaka, covering both the settlement and the island. The former MAFKF/Franco-Kuwaiti Archaeological Mission of Failaka was created in 2011 by Mr. Gelin and Sh. Shéhab (Director of DAMK at NCCAL) with the support of IFPO, itself succeeding the French mission led by J.-F. Salles and O. Callot (CNRS-MOM, 1983-2009). Its work focused on the Hellenistic fortress and the medieval site of Al-Qusur. In July 2014, this mission was handed over to S. Duwish (DAMK), E. Kienle, and J. Bonnéric (IFPO); She was associated with CEFREPA from 2016 and continued until November 2023 in its original form.
Now, two French-Kuwaiti missions exist in Failaka, consisting of two distinct operations (Ikaros and Al-Qusur), each focusing on different sites and periods.

Acronyms:

– NCCAL: National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Kuwait;
– DAMK: Department of Antiquities and Museums of Kuwait;
– ARSCAN: unité de recherche Archéologies et Sciences de l’Antiquité, Nanterre;
– CNRS: Centre national français de la Recherche scientifique;
– CEFREPA: Centre français de recherche sur la péninsule Arabique;
– IFPO: Institut français du Proche-Orient;
– MOM: unité de recherche Maison de l’Orient et de la Méditerranée, Lyon.

Franco-Kuwaiti Archaeological Mission of Failaka-Ikaros (since Nov. 2023)

– Gelin Mathilde, archeologist, CNRS (since 2023);
– Gelin Jean-Michel, archeologist (since 2023);
– Aubrun Romain, stonecutter (2025);
– Bombeau Valère, archeologist (2025);
– Costa Laurent, archeologist-data digitization, CNRS, Deputy Director of ARSCAN (2025);
– Laguardia Marie, archaeologist-funeral archaeology (2025);
– Marillot Olivier, geographer (2025);
– Pessel Marc, geophysicist, Paris-Saclay University (2025);
– Saintenoy Albane, geophysicist, Paris-Saclay University (2025);
– Zeyen Herman, geophysicist, Paris-Saclay University (2025).

MAFKF (from 2011 to 2023), participants Hellenistic establishment:
Field:
– Gelin Mathilde, archeologist, CNRS (2007-2009, 2011-2018, oct. 2023);
– Abdul Massih Jeanine, archeologist, Lebanese University (2012);
– Al-Shbib Shaker, archeologist (2009);
– Al-Mutairi Hamed, aerial photography, DAMK (2013-2018);
– Baier Steffen, topography (2012-2013);
– Bendakir Mahmoud, architect-site preservation (2012);
– Couturaud Barbara, archeologist, IFPO (2012-2016);
– Deb Ahmad, archéologue, Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria (2009);
– Devaux Emmanuelle, architect-site preservation (2013-2017);
– Gelin Jean-Michel, archeologist (2009 ; 2011-2019; 2022-oct. 2023);
– Guichard Yves, aerial photography (2009);
– Humbert Jean, draftsman (2011-2018; 2023);
– Thomas Yohann, archeologist, Inrap (2014).
Archaeological furniture:
– Ala El-Dine Abdallah, ceramologist (2009, 2011-2012);
– Alami Sara, preservation (2012-2014);
– Bergès Elsa, chloroplast(2019);
– Bernel François, preservation (2009-2012);
– David-Cuny Hélène, draftwoman (2012-2018);
– Durand Caroline, ceramologist (2014-2015);
– Houal Jean-Baptiste, ceramologist (2016-2018; 2023);
– Monchot Hervé, archéozoologist (2016);
– Palme-Koufas Anna, draftwoman (figurines) (2017-2018).
Students:
– Boucard Jordan (2016);
– Contant Louise (2015-2016);
– Imbert Malika (2009);
– Khawam Rana (2013).

BIBLIOGRAPHY :
– Série de la mission danoise : Ikaros. The Hellenistic Settlements, Aarhus, 1983-1989.
– Série de la précédente mission française (périodes bronze et hellénistique confondues) : Faïlaka. Fouilles françaises, Lyon, 1984-2008.
– Callot O., “Faïlaka à l’époque hellénistique”, L’Arabie préislamique, 1989, p. 127-144.
– Hannestad L., “Danish archaeological excavations on Failaka”, Arabie orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional, de l’âge du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris, 1984, p. 59-66.
– Hannestad L., “On the Periphery of the Seleucid Kingdom: Failaka Revisited”, New Perspectives in Seleucid History, Archaeology and Numismatics, Studies in Honor of Getzel M. Cohen, R. Oetjen ed., Berlin-Boston, De Gruyter, 2019, p. 312-332. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110283846-019
– Galliano G. (éd.), L’île de Faïlaka, Archéologie du Koweït, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon/Somogy éditions d’art, 2005.
– Gelin M., “L’établissement d’Ikaros-Faïlaka au Koweït“, Bahreïn et ses voisins, Arabian Humanities 19, 2024 [en ligne]. https://journals.openedition.org/arabianhumanities/14357
– Gelin M., “Terre crue et archéologie: de la physique du matériau à la restauration de vestiges architecturaux”, éd. X. Faivre, Argiles. De la physique du matériau à l’expérimentation, Archaeopress, 2023, p. 43-56
– Gelin M., Gelin J.-M., Couturaud B., Houal J.-B., Monchot H., “The integration of the island of Ikaros into “international” and regional networks”, The spatiality of networks in the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean, C. Durand, J. Marchand, B. Redon, P. Schneider éd., Lyon, MOM Éditions, 2022 http://books.openedition.org/momeditions/16386
– Gelin M. (éd.), Kuwaiti-French Expedition in Faïlaka. The Hellenistic Fortress (Tell Saïd). Preliminary Scientific Report 2009, Koweït, 2012. 128 p., éd. NCCAL du Koweït. Avec des contributions de Ala El Dine A., Deb A., Gelin. M., Gelin J.-M., Al Shbib Sh., Shehab Sh. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03139002v2/document. Édité en langue arabe : 2009 عام الأولي التقرير .(سعيد تل) الهلنستية لحصن, لحصن الهلنستية (تل سعيد)ز التقرير الأولي عام, 2016, éd. NCCAL du Koweït.
– Gelin M., “New French-Kuwaiti research in the Hellenistic fortress of Failaka-Ikaros”, Excavation and Progress Reports (8^th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East 2), P. Bielinski, M. Gawlikowski, R. Kolinski, D. Lawecka, A. Soltysiak, Z. Wygnanska eds, Wiesbaden, 2014, p. 87-100. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03035169/document
– Gelin M., « Conservation et mise en valeur du patrimoine archéologique au Proche-Orient : quelques réalisations de missions archéologiques », Journal of Historical, Philological and Cultural Studies 27-1, En l’honneur des 75 ans de Guénnadi Andréïévitch Koshelenko, Académie des Sciences de Russie, Moscou-Magnitogorsk-Novossibirsk, 2010, p. 62-84, pl. 1. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03010389/document