Excavations of an Iron Age Site near Adam in Central Oman
Résumé
Recent excavations near Adam (Oman) yielded new data about the margins of the desert in Central Oman during the Iron Age. Before our 2015 season, the Iron Age in Adam was essentially unknown. Several graves and reused burials had been identified during surveys and excavations in two graveyards, but it seemed that the area of Adam was not highly occupied during this period, contrary to the situation observed in the major site of Salut, only 40km to the north-west. However, the discovery of an Iron Age site near Adam allows us to reconsider this first impression. The site consists of a group of structures located on the eastern tip of Jabal Mudhmar, near Wadi Halfayn. The main stone building contains unique bronze weapons (life-sized, smaller than life-sized and miniatures) including arrows, bows, quivers and daggers that could be used for ritual purposes. Judging by its geographic location and its unusual content, the site could have had several functions: as a meeting and ritual place linked to social, political or religious activities or a relay on the ancient road between Adam and Sinaw.
Domaines
Archéologie et PréhistoireOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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