Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy最新文献

The paper summarises the results from the study of the marine fauna documented in the Holocene site of KHB-1, Phase 0, corresponding to the seventh millennium BC, as the earliest recorded occupation of the settlement. Situated along the coast on a marine terrace in the Ash Sharqiyah region (Sultanate of Oman). The archaeomalacological record is presented for units 120, 131 and 140, from a structure filled by silty sediment mixed with shells midden remains. We present a morphological, taxonomic and taphonomic study of the archaeomalacological record, assessing possible areas of origin of the species consumed. This study confirms previous studies on the economic activities of these societies, which continued to have important hunter–gatherer practices, but with a great dedication to the exploitation of coastal resources (sea and lagoon). Basically, archaeomalacological material has been documented from this phase, as well as the remains of a shell midden, which have been the product of human consumption. This confirms the strong relationship with the exploitation of the marine resources of the site, which will be confirmed in later phases of the site's occupation.

This study presents a new epigraphic inscription from Ḥimā (Najrān, Saudi Arabia), which records the arrival of an individual from ʿUmān during the reign of Abīyathaʿ Ghaylān, king of the Amīr tribe. Written in a South Arabian script but showing non-Ancient South Arabian—possibly Hasaitic—linguistic features, the inscription provides rare evidence of trans-Arabian mobility and diplomatic relations during the Hellenistic period. By contextualizing this text alongside other inscriptions and coins from southern and eastern Arabia, the article explores the political role of Abīyathaʿ, the integration of the al-Asd tribe and the significance of long-distance networks involving Gerrha and Mleiha. A newly discovered graffito referencing the gentilic Ġr-ite also contributes to ongoing debates on the ancient name of Gerrha. The use of regnal and Seleucid-era dating in these inscriptions offers further insight into evolving chronological systems across pre-Islamic Arabia.

This contribution edits a newly discovered Paleo-Arabic inscription from Wādī al-Šuwayṭī in the northeastern Jordanian Ḥarrah. The inscription is dated to the reign of a king called ʾmndr, identified by the authors as the Jafnid ruler Al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith. Some remarks on its implications about Arab rulership and identity are also offered.

Poor preservation of organic material at Bahra-1 required expanding archaeobotanical analysis beyond sediments to plant impressions in pottery. The examined sediments yielded only a few biomineralized Boraginaceae seeds, whereas examination of locally made Coarse Red Ware (CRW) and imported Ubaid pottery significantly broadened the Neolithic plant dataset. Almost all CRW contained temper composed of wild plants, while plant inclusions in Ubaid pottery appeared mainly in thicker-walled vessels. Chaff of cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare) and einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum), along with additional cereal-derived straw, was identified in the imported pottery clay, providing some of the earliest evidence for domesticated plants' use in Eastern Arabia. Local ceramics, by contrast, contained only wild plant remains, likely originating from herbivore dung or wind-accumulated debris. Together, wild plant impressions in local pottery (Poaceae, Asteraceae, etc.) and Boraginaceae seeds from sediments illuminate the composition of local desert flora and offer new insights into Neolithic environments and ceramic technology in the region.

This paper presents the results of three seasons (2018, 2019 and 2021) of excavation at the site of Dahwa 7 (DH7) conducted under the auspices of the Department of Archaeology of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). Our results highlight the vital role of this Wadi al-Sukhn area site since at least the Early Bronze Age. We also demonstrate that the site's strategic geographic location is an ideal location for this site to act as a link between the coast and the interior areas. ¹⁴C dates confirm the different occupational phases of the site from the Early Bronze Age to the present time. Moreover, the evidence suggests that the site's inhabitants developed the settlement so that the site's buildings are distributed over three elevation planes: lower, middle and upper. Finally, ceramic sherds from a large number of Indus vessels were recovered, providing incontrovertible evidence that the site's inhabitants engaged in intensive trade with the Indus Valley.

This paper presents the results of the first archaeological investigation at Andhūr (DMa0610), an inland site in the Wādī Andhūr oasis, Dhofar, southern Oman. Excavations revealed a multi-phase occupation dated to the second part of the first century BCE, centred on a two-storey building constructed with the ‘sandwich’ masonry technique known from Sumhuram. Architectural and environmental evidence suggest that Andhūr served as a small Hadrami outpost strategically placed near permanent water sources and frankincense-producing areas on the Nejd plateau. The recovery of edible marine shells points to regular contacts between the coast and the interior. Four inscriptions link Andhūr to wider South Arabian networks and reflect forms of exchange, of people and goods, extending beyond maritime trade. The site offers new insight into Hadrami inland strategies and their engagement with Dhofari populations, helping to define more clearly the complex system of cultural interactions that characterised Dhofar during the Late Iron Age.