This comprehensive, well-illustrated history of the Bahrain Islands fills a major gap in our knowledge of the archaeology of the Middle East. Home to the ancient civilizations of Dilmun and Tylos, Bahrain was one of the most significant cultural areas in the region and its pre-eminence as a trading center brought it enormous wealth, reflected in the buildings and artifacts that have been excavated in recent years. Many of these objects and sites have never been published before and Traces of Paradise reveals an extraordinary range of materials.