The west field at A'ali tells a more awkward story than its neighbour to the east, because here you can see exactly where the island's past and present collide. The mounds sit in clusters between roads and housing developments, and in places a modern wall or a road cuts straight through what was once a continuous cemetery. A mound has an electricity pylon beside it, another a rubbish bin. Bahrain is a small, crowded country with a fast-growing population, and its heritage is under constant pressure.
That pressure explains why the burial mounds were nominated for UNESCO protection. Though the island is small, it holds some of the most remarkable archaeological remains in the Gulf, and conservationists have long argued that development should be balanced against preservation. The listing in 2019 gave the sites legal and financial protection, and fences, paths and information boards now surround the main fields.
For a rider, the roads here are a pleasant mix of the modern and the mundane. Wide dual carriageways lead out to the new towns, with signs in Arabic and English and a steady stream of traffic. The tarmac is generally good, but it can be coated with sand, particularly near building sites, and drainage is poor, so after a rare rain shower puddles form quickly and the surface turns greasy. If the weather turns, take it slowly.
Madinat Hamad, about three kilometres from here, is a planned town built in the late twentieth century to house a growing population, and it has all the services you might want, including fuel, restaurants and a big shopping area. The main road between A'ali and the town is busy, but the fast lanes allow easy overtaking.
Wait until the end of the afternoon for the best light, when the sun slants low across the field and each mound casts a long shadow. If you are lucky, a dust haze catches the light and the whole scene takes on an almost painterly glow.