An archive of 4000 years of human occupation in the al-ʿUlā Valley: a preliminary diachronic study of the pottery record
Résumé
Within the framework of the AlUla Cultural Oasis Project (UCOP) a comprehensive foot survey was carried out in the valley of al-ʿUlā (Saudi Arabia) (2019-2022). Archaeological remains were systematically recorded in cultivated areas stretching from Ḥegrā to the southern limits of the modern city. Additionally, hydrological structures in the vicinity of al-Mābiyāt were examined and recorded. Beyond identifying and dating both local and imported pottery productions, this contribution focuses on a preliminary examination of the continuities and changes in the pottery assemblage, focusing on fabrics and morphology, but excluding the period between the mid-first millennium BC and the rise of Islam, as the relevant data have not yet been processed. Concurrently, a diachronic analysis of the spatial distribution of the various wares enables a preliminary reconstruction of human occupation in the valley, spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages (second to mid-first millennium BC) on the one hand, and the seventh century AD to the present day on the other. Within a broader historical framework, this case study will potentially contribute to a better understanding of variations in the regional standing of this oasis, balancing between major stations on trade and pilgrimage routes and small towns of lesser economic importance.