The Peninsula of Qatar emerged as one of the richest places in the Gulf, with regard to the trade and commerce during the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. This period witnessed the spread of Bronze Age cultures and civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley settlements of India. Trade between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley was channeled through the Gulf and the western coast of Qatar played a vital role in the transshipment of the commercial goods as the discovery of fragments of Barbar pottery in Ras Abaruk reveals it. The Peninsula of Qatar also attracted seasonal migrants during that period.