Given the absence of settlement sites, the systematic excavation and recording of burial sites is fundamental to our comprehension of pre-Islamic social groups. Providing valuable insights into not only their perception of the afterlife but also of the social organisation and general cosmology of early inhabitants. Prehistoric archaeology represents a key period in the development, migration and establishment of early societies within the Arabian Peninsula. These sites not only contribute to national historical narratives but are essential in terms of understanding the development and dispersal of early human societies within an international context.While research since the 1950’s has greatly contributed to the understanding of pre-Islamic burials practices in Qatar, there remains several periods for which the absence of comprehensive absolute chronologies remains an obstacle. More recently the presence of Ubaid pottery within several burials and the discovery of two new burials types has led us to reassess our understanding of the archaeology of death and burial in Qatar.

New research conducted by the QNHER Project during the season 2013-2014 has revealed an important 4th millennium BC burial, the first confirmed in Qatar through absolute dating. The excavation of this 4th millennium BC burial provides the foundation for a robust framework of research within the wider area. This poster will detail the results of the excavation of burial cairns in the Wadi al-Jalta (north-eastern Qatar), and the excavation of tombs in Al Ghafat (central Qatar). Excavations at both sites revealed complex and extensive chronologies which have providing a range of important proximal data.