Two tells near the village of Barbar covered the largest temple yet found in Bahrain and a smaller neighbouring temple. The Barbar Temple is actually three temples, one succeeding the other on the same site. The two oldest temples are terraced with a central platform above an outer oval platform, an architectural feature comparable with Sumerian temples. The Barbar Temples, built in the third and second millennia BC, are among the most remarkable architectural survivals of the ancient world and are without parallel in the region. Originally discovered and excavated by the successive Danish Expeditions which explored Bahrain’s archaeological sites during the 1950’s and 60’s, the temple site was re-excavated in 1983 by the Department of Antiquities and Museums. Temple I The earliest temple was built on a rectangular platform approximately 25m long and 16 to 18m wide. It was originally constructed on a bed of clean sand which appears to have been consolidated by a layer of blue clay. This was covered by a second layer of clean sand. At the foundation of Temple I offerings were deposited in the clay core of the temple terrace. They consisted of dozens of clay goblets found in separate groups, each containing seven beakers which were broken and buried within the foundations of the terrace. Else where copper objects were deposited in small heaps or singly.