Today, Tell al-'Ubaid lies 250 kilometers from the Persian Gulf, but the shoreline lay much closer to the site during the Ubaid and Early Dynastic periods.

Most of the remains are from the Chalcolithic Ubaid period, for which Tell al-'Ubaid is the type site, with an Early Dynastic temple and cemetery at the highest point.

[4] A fan of surface debris, mainly pottery shards from the Ubaid period but including many lithics (arrow points, knives, microliths etc), extend to the south and southwest of the mound.

[10][8] Finds included a copper framed frieze of limestone birds set in a black shale background.

[11] A final examination, by Seton Lloyd and Pinhas Delougaz on behalf of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, occurred during 4 days in January 1937.

It was determined that the early temple had been built with reddish brick which at a later date had been filled and covered with grey clay to level the site.

The team reported extensive damage as a result of "military installations when it was established as an Iraqi command post".

[17] Tell al-'Ubaid was heavily occupied in the Ubaid period (c. 5500–3700 BC) with pottery production, shown by kilns and significant surface finds of shards and wasters.

This temple was rebuilt later in the Early Dynastic period and then surmounted by a shrine built by Shulgi (c. 2094–2046 BC) of the Ur III Empire.