A HISTORICAL NOTEThe Stone Age or Neolithic Period (10,000 BC). A recent discovery on the edge of an Island in the West of Qatar indicates the human presence during this pre-historic period. Archeological discoveries, inscriptions and a collection of exquisite pottery which were found in scattered areas in the country have proven that the land of Qatar was populated as early as 6,000 BC. The Ubaidi Period. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the Gulf played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khor in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk and the discovery of pottery and flint, flint-scraper tools, rims of painted ceramic and vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. In the 5th century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus referred to the seafaring Canaanites as the original inhabitants of Qatar.In the middle of the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder referred to the nomads of the area as the Catharrei – an apparent reference to their constant search for water. One of the first maps of the world, the Map of Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE, shows the word ‘Catara’ at the head of the bay. It is believed that it referred to the Qatari town of “Zubara”, which acquired the fame of being one of the most important trading ports in the Gulf region at that time.Qatar strategic location on the Arabian Gulf was the main reason for the seasonal migration of Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula and particularly from the Nejd desert. When the ancient Mediterranean flourished with many civilizations, the Arabian Gulf area, with its strategic location, found commercial prosperity. Many fishing centers like Al Bida, Al Khor, Al Wakra and Al Zubara appeared which encouraged pearl trading. The Gulf suffered from a commercial decline during the Roman era as trade concentrated in the Red Sea area. However, from the third century AD the Gulf area regained its important trading position.In the mid 7th century CE Qatar converted to Islam and was absorbed along with the rest of Arabia into the Muslim state and its inhabitants played an important role in the formation and provision of the first naval fleet assembled to transport the Muslim army in its conquest of India and the spread of Islam beyond Arabia.According to historical documents, Qatar became renowned for the skill of its people in weaving and cloth making as well as for the quality of its horses and camels. Some historians considered it part of the region then known as Bahrain, which covered the area from Basra in Iraq to Oman.Under the Muslim Abbasid State of the 14th century, Qatar experienced great economic prosperity as can be gleaned from the inscriptions of Murwab Fort in Western Qatar on the western coast of the peninsula, which bears the marks of the Abbasid architectural style.Ottoman PeriodAt the beginning of the sixteenth century, Qatar fell under the influence of the Portuguese, who succeeded in establishing their control over many areas in the Arabian Gulf and controlled trade and navigation. Their small forts can still be seen today. However, in 1538 CE, Qataris aligned themselves with the Ottomans and managed to expel the Portuguese. Subsequently, Qatar along with the remainder of the Arabian Peninsula came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for the next four successive centuries. Ottoman sovereignty was mostly a formality and real power stayed in the hands of local sheikhs.The East India Company established roots in the Gulf in the early 18th century. For centuries, the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing, and trade. At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the Persian Gulf fishing fleet. With the Great Depression and the introduction of Japan's cultured-pearl industry, pearling in Qatar declined drastically.