Dr Yamandú H. Hilbert is Co-director of the ERC REVIVE, which aims to conduct fieldwork and laboratory analyses across Lebanon. Since 2005, he has conducted archaeological research across the North African-Arabian arid belt. His main interests lie in the analysis of Stone tools of all ages, archaeological field techniques, traceology, experimental archaeology, geoarchaeology, geomorphology, and archaeology of arid landscapes. YHH is involved in several projects aiming to investigate the Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures of Arabia.
Papers from the Special Session "Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia" of the Seminar for Arabian St... more Papers from the Special Session "Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia" of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held in July 2019 in Leiden. Supplement to volume 50 (2020) of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies.
In Dhofar, southern Oman, the Nejd plateau's deep canyons once flowed with perennial rivers, feed... more In Dhofar, southern Oman, the Nejd plateau's deep canyons once flowed with perennial rivers, feeding wetland environments, forests, and grasslands across the now desiccated interior. The first peoples of Oman flourished along these waterways, drawn to the freshwater springs and abundant game, as well as the myriad chert outcrops with which to fashion their hunting implements and other tools. The landscapes of the Nejd plateau are a natural museum of human prehistory, covered in carpets of chipped stone debris. The archaeological evidence presented in this work encompasses the cultural remains of over a million years of successive human occupations - from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Late Palaeolithic. Once considered an evolutionary backwater or merely a migratory way station, the archaeology of Dhofar requires a fundamental reconsideration of the role of southern Arabia in the origin and dispersal of our species.
Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis of al-Kharj (2011–2012). Saudi Arabia, 2016
J. Schiettecatte & A. al-Ghazzi (dir.). Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis... more J. Schiettecatte & A. al-Ghazzi (dir.). Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis of al-Kharj (2011–2012). Saudi Arabia (Series of Archaeological Refereed studies, No. 40), Riyad, Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, ISBN 978-603-8136-34-8, 378 pp.
Results of two archaeological field season in the oasis of al-Kharj - Saudi Arabia.
in: Beyries, S., Hamon, C. and Maigrot, Y. Beyond Use-Wear Traces: Going from tools to people by means of archaeological wear and residue analyses, 2021
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 52, 2023
Since 2007 the Saudi-French Archaeological and Epigraphic Mission to Najrān (MAFSN) has been surv... more Since 2007 the Saudi-French Archaeological and Epigraphic Mission to Najrān (MAFSN) has been surveying the area of Ḥimā (north-east of Najrān); during these explorations, thousands of graffiti and rock art sites were recorded. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the MAFSN launched systematic archaeological surveys, test pits, and small-scale excavations, paying particular attention to the structures scattered throughout the plain and near the rocky outcrops. Here we report on the results of both these fieldwork seasons with a preliminary typology of the archaeological structures and a collection of archaeological finds. This is the first outcome of a wider and medium-term project that aims to draw a complete archaeological map of the area by combining field and remote-sensing data collection methods. Additionally, survey was conducted aiming at the identification of prehistoric sites around the Ḥimā region, which yielded a small number of prehistoric lithic scatters. Based on the technological and typological characteristics of the finds, an attribution to the earliest human occupations of the area, namely Lower and Middle Palaeolithic, is suggested. The spatial distribution of the archaeological structures will be compared with that of the rock carvings to identify possible correlations and to study the history of human settlement in the Ḥimā region in historical times up to the first centuries of Islam.
Ongoing archaeological investigations in the Dhufār region of southern Oman have mapped some 800 ... more Ongoing archaeological investigations in the Dhufār region of southern Oman have mapped some 800 lithic findspots distributed across the Dhufār Mountains, Nejd Plateau, and the southern Rub’ al Khali Desert. These include extensive lithic workshops, specialized activity sites, as well as isolated armatures and cores. The array of lithic reduction strategies represents successive stages of technological evolution from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, supported by a handful of absolute dates from stratified contexts. This paper explores distribution patterns for sites with technological and typological attributes belonging to the Lower, Middle, Upper, Late Palaeolithic, and Neolithic periods. The aim is to synthesize the comprehensive results of two decades of prehistoric investigations in southern Oman. These results seek to contextualize changes in settlement patterns within the oscillating palaeoenvironments of South Arabia.
Les recherches archéologiques en cours dans la région du Dhufār, au sud du sultanat d’Oman, ont permis de cartographier plus de 800 localités et gisements préhistoriques se trouvant dans la zone montagneuse du Dhufār, les canyons du Nejd et jusqu’au désert du Rub' al Khali. Il s’agit notamment d’ateliers de taille, de sites d’activités spécialisées, de nucléus et de pointes pédonculées isolés. Les différentes chaînes opératoires identifiées représentent les étapes d’une évolution technologique depuis le Paléolithique inférieur jusqu’au Néolithique. Allant du Pléistocène jusqu’à l’Holocène, ces contextes sont soutenus par des datations absolues. Cet article explore la variabilité technologique et les schémas de distribution des sites au cours du Paléolithique. L’objectif est de synthétiser les résultats exhaustifs de deux décennies de recherches archéologiques dans le sud du sultanat d’Oman. Ces résultats permettent de contextualiser les modèles de dynamiques des populations préhistoriques au sein de paléoenvironnements extrêmement variables de l’Arabie du Sud.
Supplement of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
The Khaybar oasis is a cultural landscape that has been shaped over thousands of years by human o... more The Khaybar oasis is a cultural landscape that has been shaped over thousands of years by human occupation and where communities continue to live to the present day. It lies on the edge of a large lava field called Ḥarrāt Khaybar in north-west Saudi Arabia and combines unique geology, rich archaeology, and spectacular traditional heritage. It has been preserved for millennia, and human presence seems to have been continuous from the earliest prehistoric times to the birth of Islam and beyond. This article presents a preliminary general assessment of the archaeology of this major Arabian oasis. It aims to introduce the objectives and methods of our new survey and excavation project, the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (2020–2024), supported by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), and the French Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). It also highlights the preliminary results of field surveys carried out inside the RCU oasis core zone in Khaybar in November 2020 and June 2021. The project yielded important discoveries in its first seasons of activity, such as the presence of Palaeolithic and Neolithic occupations, the identification of specific patterns of local desert kites, the first analyses of protohistoric funerary structures, the discovery of a monumental pre-Islamic outer wall that surrounded the oasis in the past, new pre-Islamic and Islamic sites, as well as a significant number of inscriptions and rock art from different periods and traditions.
Archaeological research on the 4th millennium BCE throughout the Levant has shown how craft speci... more Archaeological research on the 4th millennium BCE throughout the Levant has shown how craft specialization, extended trade and supply routes, as well as increased social stratification, established the foundation for the urban Early Bronze Age formation process in the third quarter of the 4th millennium BCE. The specific context of northern Arabia, along the fringes of the fertile crescent, remains, on the contrary, largely unexplored. In this paper lithic finds from an Early Bronze I village, named al-Rudaydah in al-Badʿ Oasis, situated in north-western Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea, are presented. All the stone tool artefacts, over 100 lithics, found in a rectangular drystone masonry dwelling, were subjected to technological and traceological analyses. Most of the artefacts are small chips and flakes resulting from tool maintenance and recycling. Formal tools include so-called tabular scrapers and trapezoidal blade segments with gloss. The results show that the scrapers were likely imported as blanks or ready-made tools, the glossy artefacts were likely sickle insets.
While a considerable amount of information on the Pleistocene human occupation of South Arabia ha... more While a considerable amount of information on the Pleistocene human occupation of South Arabia has been gathered by archaeologists over the course of the last decades, little is known about the Upper Palaeolithic period and its local specificities. This is evidently a function of the still poor archaeological record for this period and the difficulties in finding stratified and therefore datable occurrences in general. Here, we present the traceological and technological analysis of the stone tools from one of the few archaeological sites in Oman dating between 33,000 to 30,000 years ago, which has yielded a small but important assemblage of backed tools initially suggested to be projectiles. The bi-pointed backed micro-blades from Mutafah 1 share specific technological and morphological features making it germane to suggest comparable operational sequences for the manufacture of these pieces. Our analysis, which identified specific traces of use related to both hunting and domestic activities, as well as microscopic residues on the backed micro-blades, indicates that the Mutafah 1 tools were part of a toolkit with wide applications reflecting the highly opportunistic nature of the Upper Palaeolithic human occupation of South Arabia.
The Camel Site is in the north of Saudi Arabia in the province of al-Jawf. It is characterised by... more The Camel Site is in the north of Saudi Arabia in the province of al-Jawf. It is characterised by three decaying sandstone hillocks with life-sized 3D engravings (or reliefs) of camels and equids likely carved during later prehistory. A survey in the central area of the site identified clusters of flakes and other flintknapping remains in the lower areas between the sandstone spurs and larger silcrete tools directly underneath the animal depictions. Some of these tools presented abraded edges, possibly from prolonged contact with the soft and abrasive sandstone that constitutes the rock spurs where the animals were carved. Experiments were performed to test this hypothesis and have a reference collection for further traceological analysis. The chaine opératoire of the experimental engraving tools, from raw material procurement, tool manufacture and use, reuse and discard, was conducted with locally available materials comparable to the archaeological specimens. Specific experimental variables, including how the force was applied, in what direction the movement took place and the orientation of the stone tool during the experiment, were also recorded. Macro-and microscopic analyses of the experimental collection and a sample of archaeological artefacts seem to show that the ancient tools found on the surface were probably used to make the camelid and equid reliefs at the site.
Archaeological investigations of the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene human occupation of ... more Archaeological investigations of the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene human occupation of the nearly 3 million square kilometres that make up the vast and diverse landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula are hampered by a series of shortcomings. Some of the problems when trying to reconstruct human occupation and behaviour based on material culture are imposed by the state of preservation of archaeological finds. The shift from dry to wet and back to dry conditions at the end of the Holocene climate optimum has obliterated all prehistoric organic remains, leaving archaeologists with nothing but dust and rocks. In order to reconstruct how humans have adapted to these, at times, challenging environments, archaeologists have turned to the most durable of human cultural expressions: Lithics. While technology and typology are used to classify lithic artefacts, traceology, i.e., the study of tool use, provides insights into the kinetics of stone tools as well as tasks accomplished and materials transformed with the help of these. This article reports on traceological data from the prehistory of Arabia from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Late Palaeolithic and the Neolithic. We address shifting technological and functional paradigms and discuss the limitations of their interpretation, mostly imposed by taphonomic alterations on the lithic assemblages. Résumé. Les recherches archéologiques portant sur l'occupation humaine au cours du Pléistocène final et de l'Holocène des près de trois millions de kilomètres carrés que constituent les paysages divers de la péninsule Arabique sont entravées par une série de lacunes. Lorsqu'on essaie de reconstituer l'occupation et le comportement humains, certains des problèmes majeurs sont induits par les oscillations environnementales qui ont marqué les paysages régionaux au cours des trente derniers millénaires. Les variations entre phases arides et humides, puis dernièrement le retour à l'aridité à la fin de l'optimum climatique de l'Holocène ont pratiquement effacé tous les vestiges organiques préhistoriques, ne laissant aux archéologues que poussière et pierres. Afin de reconstituer la façon dont les humains se sont adaptés à ces environnements parfois difficiles, les archéologues se sont tournés vers l'une des expressions culturelles humaines les plus durables: les industries lithiques. Alors que la technologie et la typologie offrent quelques informations sur la façon dont les outils ont été fabriqués et comment les classer, la tracéologie, l'étude de l'utilisation des outils, fournit des informations sur la cinétique des outils en pierre, les tâches accomplies et les matériaux transformés. Cet article se concentre sur les données tracéologiques de la Préhistoire de l'Arabie, du Paléolithique supérieur, au Paléolithique récent et au Néolithique. Nous aborderons les changements de paradigmes technologiques et fonctionnels et discuterons des limites de l'approche, principalement imposées par les altérations taphonomiques sévères sur les assemblages lithiques.
Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia. Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2020
The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by the Italian Mission to O... more The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) in collaboration with and the radiocarbon dating suggest that the site was settled from the Iron Age (eighth-seventh century BC) to the classical during this period. Raw material ratios are used to reconstruct lithic resource provenance while technological analysis aims to raw materials used for tool production at Inqitat come from both local and long-distance resources: high-quality chert from the Dhofar Mountains was exploited locally while obsidian was imported from western Yemen. Core reduction strategies follow abundant and make up most of the lithic samples. Drills, scrapers, retouched blanks, and geometric microliths provide a glimpse into how Dhofar Iron Age populations made use of stone tools and what activities they engaged in.
The lithic sample from TH.68 in Southern Oman is characterised by a set of techno- typological fe... more The lithic sample from TH.68 in Southern Oman is characterised by a set of techno- typological features: (a) the variety of blank production strategies employed to pro- duce flakes, blades and bladelets; (b) the level of standardisation of tools, including backed bladelets, end scrapers, burins on truncation, unifacial and bifacial plano- convex points, etc.; and (c) a previously unknown technique that produced specific flakes presenting uniform morphological traits and high incidence of retouch. Here a comprehensive account of the lithic production systems employed by prehistoric human bands and the formal retouched tools that they made is provided.
Discovered in March 2015, the sites of DAJ‐112 and DAJ‐125 in the Al‐Jawf province of northern Sa... more Discovered in March 2015, the sites of DAJ‐112 and DAJ‐125 in the Al‐Jawf province of northern Saudi Arabia consist of a large collection of surface lithic artefacts that can be compared to well‐known Pre‐Pottery Neolithic (PPN) B technology from the Levant: the two sites include bidirectional blade technology with naviform core preparation and opposed platforms surface exploitation, as well as burin production at a wide scale. Other surface scatters have been identified during the 2013 and 2015 surveys, showing these two sites are not isolated in Al‐Jawf, as rather important occurrences of Early Holocene technology have been identified across the region. Although the sites from Al‐Jawf are surface occurrences and not radiometrically dated, the finds have proven to be extremely significant, representing a southward incursion of classic naviform cores‐based technology, thus expanding the geographical distribution of this technology beyond the Levant. By addressing the lithic evidence from northern Arabia, the expansion and/or influence of PPN populations and cultural elements will be discussed.
Despite its significant geographic position along the southern corridor into and out of Africa, l... more Despite its significant geographic position along the southern corridor into and out of Africa, little is known of the period between 70 and 12 thousand years ago in South Arabia. The existing archeological data come from a handful of lithic surface scatters and buried sites with broad chronological constraints. Here, we report the open-air site of Matafah, a stratified deposit in the Wadi Ghadun drainage system of Dhofar, southern Oman. The accretional terrace discovered at Matafah is composed of low-energy overbank sediments interstratified with cemented layers of fluvial gravels, eolian sands, and hillslope deposits. Three discrete archeological horizons were excavated from the 2.5-m stratigraphic sequence, including Holocene assemblages that overlie a heretofore-unknown assemblage type with geometric microliths. Optically stimulated luminescence age estimates bracket this lower assemblage between 33 and 30 thousand years ago, providing the earliest evidence for the use of projectile armatures in the Arabian Peninsula.
Papers from the Special Session "Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia" of the Seminar for Arabian St... more Papers from the Special Session "Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia" of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held in July 2019 in Leiden. Supplement to volume 50 (2020) of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies.
In Dhofar, southern Oman, the Nejd plateau's deep canyons once flowed with perennial rivers, feed... more In Dhofar, southern Oman, the Nejd plateau's deep canyons once flowed with perennial rivers, feeding wetland environments, forests, and grasslands across the now desiccated interior. The first peoples of Oman flourished along these waterways, drawn to the freshwater springs and abundant game, as well as the myriad chert outcrops with which to fashion their hunting implements and other tools. The landscapes of the Nejd plateau are a natural museum of human prehistory, covered in carpets of chipped stone debris. The archaeological evidence presented in this work encompasses the cultural remains of over a million years of successive human occupations - from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Late Palaeolithic. Once considered an evolutionary backwater or merely a migratory way station, the archaeology of Dhofar requires a fundamental reconsideration of the role of southern Arabia in the origin and dispersal of our species.
Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis of al-Kharj (2011–2012). Saudi Arabia, 2016
J. Schiettecatte & A. al-Ghazzi (dir.). Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis... more J. Schiettecatte & A. al-Ghazzi (dir.). Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis of al-Kharj (2011–2012). Saudi Arabia (Series of Archaeological Refereed studies, No. 40), Riyad, Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, ISBN 978-603-8136-34-8, 378 pp.
Results of two archaeological field season in the oasis of al-Kharj - Saudi Arabia.
in: Beyries, S., Hamon, C. and Maigrot, Y. Beyond Use-Wear Traces: Going from tools to people by means of archaeological wear and residue analyses, 2021
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 52, 2023
Since 2007 the Saudi-French Archaeological and Epigraphic Mission to Najrān (MAFSN) has been surv... more Since 2007 the Saudi-French Archaeological and Epigraphic Mission to Najrān (MAFSN) has been surveying the area of Ḥimā (north-east of Najrān); during these explorations, thousands of graffiti and rock art sites were recorded. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the MAFSN launched systematic archaeological surveys, test pits, and small-scale excavations, paying particular attention to the structures scattered throughout the plain and near the rocky outcrops. Here we report on the results of both these fieldwork seasons with a preliminary typology of the archaeological structures and a collection of archaeological finds. This is the first outcome of a wider and medium-term project that aims to draw a complete archaeological map of the area by combining field and remote-sensing data collection methods. Additionally, survey was conducted aiming at the identification of prehistoric sites around the Ḥimā region, which yielded a small number of prehistoric lithic scatters. Based on the technological and typological characteristics of the finds, an attribution to the earliest human occupations of the area, namely Lower and Middle Palaeolithic, is suggested. The spatial distribution of the archaeological structures will be compared with that of the rock carvings to identify possible correlations and to study the history of human settlement in the Ḥimā region in historical times up to the first centuries of Islam.
Ongoing archaeological investigations in the Dhufār region of southern Oman have mapped some 800 ... more Ongoing archaeological investigations in the Dhufār region of southern Oman have mapped some 800 lithic findspots distributed across the Dhufār Mountains, Nejd Plateau, and the southern Rub’ al Khali Desert. These include extensive lithic workshops, specialized activity sites, as well as isolated armatures and cores. The array of lithic reduction strategies represents successive stages of technological evolution from the Pleistocene to the Holocene, supported by a handful of absolute dates from stratified contexts. This paper explores distribution patterns for sites with technological and typological attributes belonging to the Lower, Middle, Upper, Late Palaeolithic, and Neolithic periods. The aim is to synthesize the comprehensive results of two decades of prehistoric investigations in southern Oman. These results seek to contextualize changes in settlement patterns within the oscillating palaeoenvironments of South Arabia.
Les recherches archéologiques en cours dans la région du Dhufār, au sud du sultanat d’Oman, ont permis de cartographier plus de 800 localités et gisements préhistoriques se trouvant dans la zone montagneuse du Dhufār, les canyons du Nejd et jusqu’au désert du Rub' al Khali. Il s’agit notamment d’ateliers de taille, de sites d’activités spécialisées, de nucléus et de pointes pédonculées isolés. Les différentes chaînes opératoires identifiées représentent les étapes d’une évolution technologique depuis le Paléolithique inférieur jusqu’au Néolithique. Allant du Pléistocène jusqu’à l’Holocène, ces contextes sont soutenus par des datations absolues. Cet article explore la variabilité technologique et les schémas de distribution des sites au cours du Paléolithique. L’objectif est de synthétiser les résultats exhaustifs de deux décennies de recherches archéologiques dans le sud du sultanat d’Oman. Ces résultats permettent de contextualiser les modèles de dynamiques des populations préhistoriques au sein de paléoenvironnements extrêmement variables de l’Arabie du Sud.
Supplement of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2022
The Khaybar oasis is a cultural landscape that has been shaped over thousands of years by human o... more The Khaybar oasis is a cultural landscape that has been shaped over thousands of years by human occupation and where communities continue to live to the present day. It lies on the edge of a large lava field called Ḥarrāt Khaybar in north-west Saudi Arabia and combines unique geology, rich archaeology, and spectacular traditional heritage. It has been preserved for millennia, and human presence seems to have been continuous from the earliest prehistoric times to the birth of Islam and beyond. This article presents a preliminary general assessment of the archaeology of this major Arabian oasis. It aims to introduce the objectives and methods of our new survey and excavation project, the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (2020–2024), supported by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), and the French Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). It also highlights the preliminary results of field surveys carried out inside the RCU oasis core zone in Khaybar in November 2020 and June 2021. The project yielded important discoveries in its first seasons of activity, such as the presence of Palaeolithic and Neolithic occupations, the identification of specific patterns of local desert kites, the first analyses of protohistoric funerary structures, the discovery of a monumental pre-Islamic outer wall that surrounded the oasis in the past, new pre-Islamic and Islamic sites, as well as a significant number of inscriptions and rock art from different periods and traditions.
Archaeological research on the 4th millennium BCE throughout the Levant has shown how craft speci... more Archaeological research on the 4th millennium BCE throughout the Levant has shown how craft specialization, extended trade and supply routes, as well as increased social stratification, established the foundation for the urban Early Bronze Age formation process in the third quarter of the 4th millennium BCE. The specific context of northern Arabia, along the fringes of the fertile crescent, remains, on the contrary, largely unexplored. In this paper lithic finds from an Early Bronze I village, named al-Rudaydah in al-Badʿ Oasis, situated in north-western Saudi Arabia, near the Red Sea, are presented. All the stone tool artefacts, over 100 lithics, found in a rectangular drystone masonry dwelling, were subjected to technological and traceological analyses. Most of the artefacts are small chips and flakes resulting from tool maintenance and recycling. Formal tools include so-called tabular scrapers and trapezoidal blade segments with gloss. The results show that the scrapers were likely imported as blanks or ready-made tools, the glossy artefacts were likely sickle insets.
While a considerable amount of information on the Pleistocene human occupation of South Arabia ha... more While a considerable amount of information on the Pleistocene human occupation of South Arabia has been gathered by archaeologists over the course of the last decades, little is known about the Upper Palaeolithic period and its local specificities. This is evidently a function of the still poor archaeological record for this period and the difficulties in finding stratified and therefore datable occurrences in general. Here, we present the traceological and technological analysis of the stone tools from one of the few archaeological sites in Oman dating between 33,000 to 30,000 years ago, which has yielded a small but important assemblage of backed tools initially suggested to be projectiles. The bi-pointed backed micro-blades from Mutafah 1 share specific technological and morphological features making it germane to suggest comparable operational sequences for the manufacture of these pieces. Our analysis, which identified specific traces of use related to both hunting and domestic activities, as well as microscopic residues on the backed micro-blades, indicates that the Mutafah 1 tools were part of a toolkit with wide applications reflecting the highly opportunistic nature of the Upper Palaeolithic human occupation of South Arabia.
The Camel Site is in the north of Saudi Arabia in the province of al-Jawf. It is characterised by... more The Camel Site is in the north of Saudi Arabia in the province of al-Jawf. It is characterised by three decaying sandstone hillocks with life-sized 3D engravings (or reliefs) of camels and equids likely carved during later prehistory. A survey in the central area of the site identified clusters of flakes and other flintknapping remains in the lower areas between the sandstone spurs and larger silcrete tools directly underneath the animal depictions. Some of these tools presented abraded edges, possibly from prolonged contact with the soft and abrasive sandstone that constitutes the rock spurs where the animals were carved. Experiments were performed to test this hypothesis and have a reference collection for further traceological analysis. The chaine opératoire of the experimental engraving tools, from raw material procurement, tool manufacture and use, reuse and discard, was conducted with locally available materials comparable to the archaeological specimens. Specific experimental variables, including how the force was applied, in what direction the movement took place and the orientation of the stone tool during the experiment, were also recorded. Macro-and microscopic analyses of the experimental collection and a sample of archaeological artefacts seem to show that the ancient tools found on the surface were probably used to make the camelid and equid reliefs at the site.
Archaeological investigations of the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene human occupation of ... more Archaeological investigations of the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene human occupation of the nearly 3 million square kilometres that make up the vast and diverse landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula are hampered by a series of shortcomings. Some of the problems when trying to reconstruct human occupation and behaviour based on material culture are imposed by the state of preservation of archaeological finds. The shift from dry to wet and back to dry conditions at the end of the Holocene climate optimum has obliterated all prehistoric organic remains, leaving archaeologists with nothing but dust and rocks. In order to reconstruct how humans have adapted to these, at times, challenging environments, archaeologists have turned to the most durable of human cultural expressions: Lithics. While technology and typology are used to classify lithic artefacts, traceology, i.e., the study of tool use, provides insights into the kinetics of stone tools as well as tasks accomplished and materials transformed with the help of these. This article reports on traceological data from the prehistory of Arabia from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Late Palaeolithic and the Neolithic. We address shifting technological and functional paradigms and discuss the limitations of their interpretation, mostly imposed by taphonomic alterations on the lithic assemblages. Résumé. Les recherches archéologiques portant sur l'occupation humaine au cours du Pléistocène final et de l'Holocène des près de trois millions de kilomètres carrés que constituent les paysages divers de la péninsule Arabique sont entravées par une série de lacunes. Lorsqu'on essaie de reconstituer l'occupation et le comportement humains, certains des problèmes majeurs sont induits par les oscillations environnementales qui ont marqué les paysages régionaux au cours des trente derniers millénaires. Les variations entre phases arides et humides, puis dernièrement le retour à l'aridité à la fin de l'optimum climatique de l'Holocène ont pratiquement effacé tous les vestiges organiques préhistoriques, ne laissant aux archéologues que poussière et pierres. Afin de reconstituer la façon dont les humains se sont adaptés à ces environnements parfois difficiles, les archéologues se sont tournés vers l'une des expressions culturelles humaines les plus durables: les industries lithiques. Alors que la technologie et la typologie offrent quelques informations sur la façon dont les outils ont été fabriqués et comment les classer, la tracéologie, l'étude de l'utilisation des outils, fournit des informations sur la cinétique des outils en pierre, les tâches accomplies et les matériaux transformés. Cet article se concentre sur les données tracéologiques de la Préhistoire de l'Arabie, du Paléolithique supérieur, au Paléolithique récent et au Néolithique. Nous aborderons les changements de paradigmes technologiques et fonctionnels et discuterons des limites de l'approche, principalement imposées par les altérations taphonomiques sévères sur les assemblages lithiques.
Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia. Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 2020
The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by the Italian Mission to O... more The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) in collaboration with and the radiocarbon dating suggest that the site was settled from the Iron Age (eighth-seventh century BC) to the classical during this period. Raw material ratios are used to reconstruct lithic resource provenance while technological analysis aims to raw materials used for tool production at Inqitat come from both local and long-distance resources: high-quality chert from the Dhofar Mountains was exploited locally while obsidian was imported from western Yemen. Core reduction strategies follow abundant and make up most of the lithic samples. Drills, scrapers, retouched blanks, and geometric microliths provide a glimpse into how Dhofar Iron Age populations made use of stone tools and what activities they engaged in.
The lithic sample from TH.68 in Southern Oman is characterised by a set of techno- typological fe... more The lithic sample from TH.68 in Southern Oman is characterised by a set of techno- typological features: (a) the variety of blank production strategies employed to pro- duce flakes, blades and bladelets; (b) the level of standardisation of tools, including backed bladelets, end scrapers, burins on truncation, unifacial and bifacial plano- convex points, etc.; and (c) a previously unknown technique that produced specific flakes presenting uniform morphological traits and high incidence of retouch. Here a comprehensive account of the lithic production systems employed by prehistoric human bands and the formal retouched tools that they made is provided.
Discovered in March 2015, the sites of DAJ‐112 and DAJ‐125 in the Al‐Jawf province of northern Sa... more Discovered in March 2015, the sites of DAJ‐112 and DAJ‐125 in the Al‐Jawf province of northern Saudi Arabia consist of a large collection of surface lithic artefacts that can be compared to well‐known Pre‐Pottery Neolithic (PPN) B technology from the Levant: the two sites include bidirectional blade technology with naviform core preparation and opposed platforms surface exploitation, as well as burin production at a wide scale. Other surface scatters have been identified during the 2013 and 2015 surveys, showing these two sites are not isolated in Al‐Jawf, as rather important occurrences of Early Holocene technology have been identified across the region. Although the sites from Al‐Jawf are surface occurrences and not radiometrically dated, the finds have proven to be extremely significant, representing a southward incursion of classic naviform cores‐based technology, thus expanding the geographical distribution of this technology beyond the Levant. By addressing the lithic evidence from northern Arabia, the expansion and/or influence of PPN populations and cultural elements will be discussed.
Despite its significant geographic position along the southern corridor into and out of Africa, l... more Despite its significant geographic position along the southern corridor into and out of Africa, little is known of the period between 70 and 12 thousand years ago in South Arabia. The existing archeological data come from a handful of lithic surface scatters and buried sites with broad chronological constraints. Here, we report the open-air site of Matafah, a stratified deposit in the Wadi Ghadun drainage system of Dhofar, southern Oman. The accretional terrace discovered at Matafah is composed of low-energy overbank sediments interstratified with cemented layers of fluvial gravels, eolian sands, and hillslope deposits. Three discrete archeological horizons were excavated from the 2.5-m stratigraphic sequence, including Holocene assemblages that overlie a heretofore-unknown assemblage type with geometric microliths. Optically stimulated luminescence age estimates bracket this lower assemblage between 33 and 30 thousand years ago, providing the earliest evidence for the use of projectile armatures in the Arabian Peninsula.
Although Middle Palaeolithic stratified and dated sites are still rare in Arabia, recent archaeol... more Although Middle Palaeolithic stratified and dated sites are still rare in Arabia, recent archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, population genetic, geomatic and geochronological studies have noticeably contributed to a re-evaluation of the prehistory of the region. Here, we report the discovery of a stratified open-air Middle Palaeolithic site in central Saudi Arabia, a novelty given the paucity of dated Pleistocene lithic assemblages in the region. The site ofUmmal-Sha’al is located in the Rufa Graben where a substantial number of Middle Palaeolithic surface occurrences have been reported. It contains artefacts produced using Levallois technology, indicative of Middle Palaeolithic human exploitation of locally abundant quartzite raw material. The site comprises two horizons with archaeological finds dating to Marine Isotope Stages 5 and likely 7 or even older. During this period, huntergatherers would have benefited from bodies of water and streams in the vicinity of the site, which were active during humid phases, contributing to the development of a significant biomass. Our discovery supports the hypotheses of an early colonisation of inland Arabia by hominins and of a solid link with North and East African lithic traditions of the Middle Stone Age, which awaits further refinement.
From Refugia to Oasis: Living in arid environments from prehistoric times to the present day DES REFUGES AUX OASIS Vivre en milieu aride de la Préhistoire à aujourd'hui Sous la direction de, 2018
The Arabian climate fluctuated between phases of extreme aridity and humidity over the course of ... more The Arabian climate fluctuated between phases of extreme aridity and humidity over the course of the Quaternary. Archaeologists have registered a diverse record of human occupation throughout the mosaic of ecosystems in the Peninsula, regions variably affected by the ebb and flow of precipitation. In some areas, the history of habitation is disjointed, with clear breaks in cultural continuity, while other parts of Arabia exhibit enduring traditions across oscillating climatic phases. In this paper, we explore the evo- lution of local populations and cultures in South Arabia through recent archaeogenetic and archaeological findings. We look at the prehistoric record from the Last Glacial Maximum to the end of the Holocene Climate Optimum. The emerging picture tends to suggest that the indigenous peoples of southern Arabia developed from a local demo- graphic reservoir. The shift to animal husbandry took place here between 9,000 and 8,000 years BP. We evaluate if this transformation was the result of 1) foreign herders spreading into the region, bringing with them domesticated livestock, 2) the indigenous population importing domesticated animals, and/or 3) an independent locus of cattle domestication in South Arabia.
Report of two seasons of archaeological survey and excavations in the oasis of al-Kharj (Central ... more Report of two seasons of archaeological survey and excavations in the oasis of al-Kharj (Central Arabia). Geomorphological observations, Prehistorical, Bronze Age and Historical surveys. Excavations of the Late pre-Islamic / Islamic site of al-Yamama.
Burins are a geographic and time-transgressive tool type, found in lithic industries throughout t... more Burins are a geographic and time-transgressive tool type, found in lithic industries throughout the world. The defining feature of a burin is the administration of a precisely placed blow (i.e., burin blow) on a natural or prepared striking platform at the edge of a blank. Burins were used for various activities, such as fashioning hunting equipment, figurines, musical instruments, or other decorative objects manufactured from wood, antler, or bone. In other settings, researchers have observed burins that were also used as cores, demonstrating the flexibility and utility of this tool type. Here we present the results of technological, typological and functional analyses of three burin assemblages from the Late Paleolithic of Dhofar, southern Arabia. Technological analysis indicates a significant degree of standardized production. Functional analysis suggests that these tools have been used in woodworking activities. Traceological studies suggest that the function of the burin blow was not the creation of an active working face, as often seen in the Southwest Asian and European Upper Paleolithic; rather, the burin blow functioned to stabilize the truncation and working edge of the tool. Traces of use have been identified mainly on the wide truncations, indicating that the artifacts were likely used to plane broad wooden surfaces. From these observations, we infer that woodworking was a significant component of Late Paleolithic human activity in Dhofar.
Al-Kharj I. Report on two excavation seasons in the oasis of Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia 2011-2012 (J. Schiettecatte & A. Alghazzi (Eds.)), 2016
Al-Kharj is located in the central part of the Arabian Peninsula thus providing a new point of re... more Al-Kharj is located in the central part of the Arabian Peninsula thus providing a new point of reference for regional and intraregional comparisons with other sites known in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Given the dearth of Palaeolithic sites in the area surrounding the city of al-Kharj, the results presented here greatly expand our knowledge concerning prehistoric occupations and population dispersal across the central portion of Saudi Arabia.
Nubian Levallois technology is the hallmark of the Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age technocomp... more Nubian Levallois technology is the hallmark of the Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age technocomplex known as the Afro-Arabian Nubian Complex. Until recently, this technocomplex was found exclusively in northeastern Africa; however, survey activities conducted across the Arabian Peninsula in the last decade have expanded the known distribution of this technological phenomenon. Since 2009, researchers from multiple archaeological missions have been mapping sites yielding Nubian cores and debitage, and by extension Nubian technology, in the southern, central and northernmost parts of the Arabia Peninsula. Nubian Complex Sites in central and southern Arabia show perceptual differences in core assemblage constitutions in terms of the percentage of Nubian Levallois cores; Nubian complex sites in Dhofar, southern Oman, show high amounts of Nubian type 1, 2 and 1/2 while sites in the al-Kharj area, central Saudi Arabia, show similar distributions of Nubian and other types of Levallois cores. Furthermore, Nubian Complex artifacts in central and southern Arabia were made using different raw materials: in Al-Kharj (central Saudi Arabia) Middle Paleolithic industries were made exclusively on quartzite, while in Dhofar (southern Oman) chert was the only knappable material available for use. In this talk we will explore what, if any, influence the availability and variability of raw material has on this aspect of Nubian Middle Paleolithic culture.
Archaeological research on the Paleolithic of the Arabian Peninsula has thus far revealed a rich ... more Archaeological research on the Paleolithic of the Arabian Peninsula has thus far revealed a rich and varied record ranging from Lower Paleolithic hand axes, Middle Paleolithic Levallois cores to Terminal Pleistocene armatures and blade technologies. While research has focused heavily on the Middle Paleolithic period in recent years a great variety of stratified sites dated to the Terminal Pleistocene/Early Holocene have been excavated across Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These excavations have unearthed very distinctive lithic industries ranging from assemblages containing a high quantity of microliths to those where this hallmark of the Levantine Epipaleolithic and Eurasian Mesolithic is virtually absente. This substantial diversity as reflected by the archaeological record of this vast region may reflect multiple populations; it also brings up serious epistemological questions concerning terminology and nomenclature. In this oral communication the current evidence for a Terminal Pleistocene/Early Holocene occupation of the Arabian Peninsula will be discussed, the available sites and their assemblages presented and the important question of nomenclature addressed.
Archaeological investigation conducted across the Arabian Peninsula has revealed a very specific ... more Archaeological investigation conducted across the Arabian Peninsula has revealed a very specific variation of the Levallois production system - the Nubian Levallois method. Nubian cores (and by extension Nubian Levallois technology) are the hallmark of the Afro-Arabia Nubian complex. Technological analysis and core reconstructions from lithic samples gathered in Dhofar (Oman), Al Kharj and Al Jawf (Saudi Arabia) help to refine the Nubian chaîne opératoire across Arabian. Nubian cores are characterized by a particular approach to point production and Levallois surface convexity preparation/maintenance. Within the Nubian Levallois system three methods have been identified: 1) Nubian type 1 method, characterized by the preparation of the distal to medial guiding ridge by two removals coming from the distal platform; 2) Nubian type 2, marked by either bilateral or distal convergent and bilateral preparation; and 3) Nubian type ½ marked by a combination of the two previously mentioned preparation methods. This oral presentation will focus on surface sites with Nubian Levallois from Oman and Saudi Arabia. In Dhofar, Nubian Complex sites are found on the Nejd, a wide limestone plateau incised by deep, now dry, fluvial system, which have exposed a great variety of high-quality chert outcrops. The chert found across the Nejd is opaque to slightly translucent and of very fine texture; the raw material exhibits exquisite knapping properties. The Al-Jawf quadrangle is characterized by a series of tectonically uplifted ridges and hills at the northern edge of the Arabian Arch, which runs from northern to southern Saudi Arabia. A great variety of knappable materials are found in this area, most common are grey fine grained chert, quartzite and quartz. While the grey chert is of good quality and flakes very well the knapping properties of the quartzite and the quartz are more difficult to control. Middle Paleolithic sites with Nubian Levallois technology in Al-Kharj have mainly been found on the Rufa Graben area. This beige bioclastic limestone graben bears several quartzite outcrops. The quartzite is highly variable in quality and ranges from fine grained and well silicified to course and heterogeneously silicified. Based on technological analysis and core reconstructions the effect of the different available raw materials at each of the highlighted regions on the Nubian Levallois chaîne opératoire will be demonstrated.
For the past four years the Dhofar Archaeological Project (DAP) has conducted survey and excavati... more For the past four years the Dhofar Archaeological Project (DAP) has conducted survey and excavations across the Governorate of Dhofar southern Oman. The majority of the discovered sites are surfaces localities devoid of sediments and therefore lacking clear chronological attribution; or so one is thought to think. Using three dimensional piece plotting, technological attribute analysis, and observations on the diverse patination states of artifacts found on the surface we show that some degree of “horizontal stratigraphy” and therefore relative chronology can be grasped at the majority of surface localities across the Nejd Plateau. Based on local geomorphology we suggest that this horizontal stratigraphy is, to a greater part, associated with the availability of raw material, which sequentially crops out from low inselbergs. These low inselbergs are remnants of larger surfaces that are more resilient to the aggressive erosion to which the Nejd plateau is subjected. Across the quaternary, so our data suggest, phases of erosion have occurred that in turn made available fresh raw material, which in turn was exploited by the diverse hominid groups that inhabited the South Arabia across the Pleistocene and Holocene. Our methodology is far from original, however, its application and generated theory enabled us to suggest a relative chronology, which is also enforced by our data from stratified and dated sites. This methodology and theory can and should be applicable to other comparable geomorphological environments.
Studies of Mitochondrial DNA conducted on Southern Omani and Yemeni non Arabic-speaking groups re... more Studies of Mitochondrial DNA conducted on Southern Omani and Yemeni non Arabic-speaking groups reveal that a substantial portion of the present South Arabian gene pool derives from an indigenous population(s) that occupied the region prior to the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM). These populations experienced a bottleneck release at approximately 12,000 before present (BP). Diverging lithic technologies span the Pleistocene/Holocene divide, marking the possible archaeological imprint of these above-mentioned populations across Dhofar, southern Oman. This paper summarizes the current state of palaeogenetic and archaeological research and addresses human settlement in across Southern Arabia postdating the LGM in light of changing climatic conditions
Studies of Mitochondrial DNA conducted on Southern Omani and Yemeni groups reveal that a substan... more Studies of Mitochondrial DNA conducted on Southern Omani and Yemeni groups reveal that a substantial portion of the present South Arabian gene pool derives from an indigenous population(s) that occupied the region prior to the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM). These populations experienced a bottleneck release at approximately 12,000 before present (BP). At the base of the phylogenetic tree researchers have identified the R0a haplogroup, the most frequent and widespread haplogroup in Arabia. Haplogroup R2, on the other hand, is found in its highest concentration in South Arabian. Both haplogroups, R0a and R2, present a high internal diversity within southern Arabia, as opposed to the greater Near East, bolstering the notion of a relatively long local population development.
Diverging lithic technologies span the Pleistocene/Holocene divide, marking the possible archaeological imprint of these above mentioned populations across Dhofar, southern Oman. While the Late Paleolithic (approximately 14,000 to 8.000 BP) is characterized by a blade based semi-tournant core technology, tanged projectile points, burins, endscrapers and pseudo-backed knifes, the succeeding early Neolithic represents a break from a technological and typological point of view. In Dhofar, the early Neolithic tool kit consists of a variety of pressure-retouched projectile points and a plethora of endscrapers, sidescrapers, burins, perforators and bifacial implements.
This paper seeks to combine the data obtained by geneticists and archaeologists working in southern Arabia, in order to shed light on past population dynamics. Shifting climatic regimes and their impact on both landscape and its inhabitants will also be addressed, in order to provide possible interpretations of the available data.
Cores, tools and blanks have been collected and analysed. Patination is homogenous and artefacts ... more Cores, tools and blanks have been collected and analysed. Patination is homogenous and artefacts show no signs of rolling by transport of any sort, indicating that, while not in situ artefacts have not been moved by post-depositional factors. Two types of chert have been used at the site for stone tool production; a bright yellow and a dark brown variant. Cores are strictly unidirectional parallel blade/bladelet cores showing intensive reduction(Fig. 2b). In general specimens have a well discernible hierarchy between working surface, striking platform and back. At the intersection of the striking platforms and the working surface, the discarded specimens show abrasive treatment, a technical feature that enhances the control over the detachment process. Striking platforms are prepared by the removal of core tablets and in few cases short hinged removals. Core working surfaces management takes shape in the preparation of ridges/crests, which are subsequently reduced (Fig. 2a). Tools collected consist of endscrapers, retouched core tablets, large flakes and some laterally retouched blades. Figure 1a. Map showing the location of identified sites Figure 1b. Google image of the sites DAJ-64, 65 and 66. Figure 1c. Photograph of discreet lithic scatter at DAJ-65 Here we present some result of the prehistoric survey campaign undertaken between 2013 and 2015 by the authors as part of the Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project at Dûmat al-Jandal (directed by G. Charloux and R. Loreto) in the Al-Jawf region of Northern Saudi Arabia. A total of 136 prehistoric sites have been located, mapped and sampled (Fig. 1a). The identification of three Upper Paleolithic (UP) sites possibly dating to the late MIS 3 is of some importance given the elusive character of this cultural period across the Arabian Peninsula. These sites have been mapped during the survey activities conducted along the Jol Ajrubah area northwest of the city of Dûmat al-Jandal. Sites DAJ-64, 65 and 66 have all been recorded along the edge of the limestone plateau (Fig. 1b). These sites have all been found directly overlooking a box canyon. DAJ-64 was submitted to a selective intensive collection of both blanks and cores. Artefacts are made of fine grained yellow and brown chert of exquisite quality. The surface sites are situated on the edge of the plateau. The site is found across an approximately 30 by 50 meter surface with artefact concentrations representing discreet knapping events (Fig. 1c). The techo-typological affinities of the lithic samples from DAJ-64, 65 and 66 suggests an affiliation of the Al-Jawf UP sites with Levantine stone tool industries, possibly the Early Ahmarian. The presence of UP industries in Al-Jawf indicate that UP pioneers ventured into the arid zones of northern Saudi Arabia, making short incursions into these territories during MIS 3 (Fig. 3). The general low density of UP sites in these areas, however, suggests that occupation was sporadic. In contrast with the high density of Middle Paleolithic sites , which suggest this region was somewhat intensely occupied. MIS 3 sites in South Arabia, Shi'bat Dihya and Jebel Faya, are attributed to the Middle Paleolithic and show no affinity with the Levantine UP or even Early UP. It is possible that the lack of similar sites across Arabia is a function of research intensity and that additional sites will be identified over the course of further research. Alternatively the Nefud Desert served as a environmental barrier, inhibiting the spread of Levantine UP into central and southern Arabia. Further research is needed to test either scenarios. The identification of UP technologies in North Arabia represents a novelty and hints at connections between this area and the Levant. Further research, however, is needed to better understand the nature of the MIS 3 archaeological record of Arabia.
Across both sides of the Red Sea archaeological sites exhibiting a specific type of Levallois red... more Across both sides of the Red Sea archaeological sites exhibiting a specific type of Levallois reduction, entitled the Nubian Method, have been reported (Rose et al. 2011; Usik et al. 2012; Crassard and Hilbert 2013). In Northeast Africa and across central and southern Arabia, this reduction method was applied for the production of Nubian Points, which are preferential blanks with predetermined elongated and convergent outlines. Distinct characteristics of this production method are: A) the preparation of the cores distal to medial guiding ridge by a combination of distal and centripetal removals administered from a specially prepared distal striking platform and; B) the predominantly triangular to sub-triangular outline of the cores themselves. The presence of the Nubian Levallois technology in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula cannot be explained by simple technological convergence or recurrent autochthonous invention. Archaeological investigations conducted across Arabia indicate a considerable amount of technological and demographic permeability between Northeast Africa, the southern and central portions of the Peninsula from the MIS 5d (115 -105 ka. BP) onward. The point of entry for expansion is yet to be determined. The Southern Dispersal Rout, via the Bab al Mandeb, cannot be ruled out, neither can an incursion through the north of the Peninsula, over Sinai, be fully rejected given the premature state of research across northern Saudi Arabia.
Here we discuss the implications of the newly discovered site of Al-Kharj 22 in central Arabia, an important point of reference for tracking the expansion of the Nubian Complex and Anatomically Modern Humans across Arabia. Based on technological analysis undertaken on samples from across Arabia we also suggest a revision of the original Nubian Levallois taxonomy, which was originally proposed by Guichard and Guichard (1965) and based strictly on core typology. Furthermore, possible expansion scenarios into and across the Arabian Peninsula are discussed.
Report of the archaeological and geomorphological activities of the Saudi French mission in the o... more Report of the archaeological and geomorphological activities of the Saudi French mission in the oasis of al-Kharj, 80 km South of Riyadh, in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia carried out from January 23 to February 27 2015. It includes chapters on:
- The survey and excavation of Middle Palaeolithic sites
- The archaeological survey and excavation of the bronze age necropolis of Umm al-Sa’al [in Arabic]
- The archaeological excavation of the site of al-Yamāma : Great Mosque and sounding in area K17.
- Environmental studies : archaeobotanic and archaeozoological studies in al-Yamāma; palynological study on the palaeolake of al-Hayathim.
Report of the archaeological and geophysical activities of the Saudi French mission in the oasis ... more Report of the archaeological and geophysical activities of the Saudi French mission in the oasis of al-Kharj, 80 km South of Riyadh, in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia carried out from October 24 to November 29 2013. It includes chapters on:
- The survey on the prehistoric occupation
- The archaeological excavation of a Bronze Age necropolis at Ayn al-Dila
- The exploration of the site of al-Yamāma (geophysical survey, archaeological excavation of the Great Mosque).
The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by IMTO in collaboration wi... more The excavation of the settlement at Inqitat (HAS1), conducted in 2016 by IMTO in collaboration with the Office of the Adviser to H.M. the Sultan for Cultural Affairs, produced a large quantity of lithic industry. The material culture and the radiocarbon dating suggest that the site was settled from the Iron Age (8th-7th cent. BC) to the Classical Period (1st-2nd cent. AD). Little is known about how inhabitants made use of the lithic resources available in the region. Raw material ratios are used to reconstruct lithic resource provenance while technological analysis is used to reconstruct the operative chain employed by local flintknappers to produce a vide array of blanks from which diverse drills, microliths, and other lithic implement have been manufactured. The raw materials used for tools production and jewellery at Inqitat come from local and long distance resources: serpentinite hint at transport from the Hajar Mountains, while obsidian have been quarried in western Yemen. Core reduction strategies follow a highly flexible and opportunistic exploitation of surface volume. While blades and bladelets are rare small flakes dominate the available blank assemblage. The lithic data from Inqitat provides a glimpse into how Dhofar Iron Age populations made use of an important resource.
While excavations and surveys in Dhofar have documented extensively the presence of the Islamic p... more While excavations and surveys in Dhofar have documented extensively the presence of the Islamic period and also of the South Arabian population, local settlements during the Bronze and Iron Age remain poorly documented. Results of recent surveys and test excavations in the coastline of Dhofar have revealed a site that may provide an important focus on Bronze and Iron Age. Lithics and materials studies suggest that at least a settlement at Al Hamr al-Sharqiya, in the area of Khor Rori, seems was re-occupied or re-used during the “Classical Period” (1st cent. BC – 1st cent. AD) contemporary with Sumhuram, an important south-arabian city connected with the frankincense trade. The stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental evidences point to establish the presence of climatic change and the different use of the promontory during the long life of the site (from Bronze Age to Islamic period). The site of Al Hamr al-Sharqiya seems to suggest the presence of a long life architectural tradition, and open some interesting questions about the relation between Hadrami people, that lived in Sumhuram, and the native population. Last, but not least, this site could identify the typical characteristics of each historical period allowing a more complete comprehension of Dhofar.
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Results of two archaeological field season in the oasis of al-Kharj - Saudi Arabia.
Les recherches archéologiques en cours dans la région du Dhufār, au sud du sultanat d’Oman, ont permis de cartographier plus de 800 localités et gisements préhistoriques se trouvant dans la zone montagneuse du Dhufār, les canyons du Nejd et jusqu’au désert du Rub' al Khali. Il s’agit notamment d’ateliers de taille, de sites d’activités spécialisées, de nucléus et de pointes pédonculées isolés. Les différentes chaînes opératoires identifiées représentent les étapes d’une évolution technologique depuis le Paléolithique inférieur jusqu’au Néolithique. Allant du Pléistocène jusqu’à l’Holocène, ces contextes sont soutenus par des datations absolues. Cet article explore la variabilité technologique et les schémas de distribution des sites au cours du Paléolithique. L’objectif est de synthétiser les résultats exhaustifs de deux décennies de recherches archéologiques dans le sud du sultanat d’Oman. Ces résultats permettent de contextualiser les modèles de dynamiques des populations préhistoriques au sein de paléoenvironnements extrêmement variables de l’Arabie du Sud.
Although the sites from Al‐Jawf are surface occurrences and not radiometrically dated, the finds have proven to be extremely significant, representing a southward incursion of classic naviform cores‐based technology, thus expanding the geographical distribution of this technology beyond the Levant. By addressing the lithic evidence from northern Arabia, the expansion and/or influence of PPN populations and cultural elements will be discussed.
Results of two archaeological field season in the oasis of al-Kharj - Saudi Arabia.
Les recherches archéologiques en cours dans la région du Dhufār, au sud du sultanat d’Oman, ont permis de cartographier plus de 800 localités et gisements préhistoriques se trouvant dans la zone montagneuse du Dhufār, les canyons du Nejd et jusqu’au désert du Rub' al Khali. Il s’agit notamment d’ateliers de taille, de sites d’activités spécialisées, de nucléus et de pointes pédonculées isolés. Les différentes chaînes opératoires identifiées représentent les étapes d’une évolution technologique depuis le Paléolithique inférieur jusqu’au Néolithique. Allant du Pléistocène jusqu’à l’Holocène, ces contextes sont soutenus par des datations absolues. Cet article explore la variabilité technologique et les schémas de distribution des sites au cours du Paléolithique. L’objectif est de synthétiser les résultats exhaustifs de deux décennies de recherches archéologiques dans le sud du sultanat d’Oman. Ces résultats permettent de contextualiser les modèles de dynamiques des populations préhistoriques au sein de paléoenvironnements extrêmement variables de l’Arabie du Sud.
Although the sites from Al‐Jawf are surface occurrences and not radiometrically dated, the finds have proven to be extremely significant, representing a southward incursion of classic naviform cores‐based technology, thus expanding the geographical distribution of this technology beyond the Levant. By addressing the lithic evidence from northern Arabia, the expansion and/or influence of PPN populations and cultural elements will be discussed.
Diverging lithic technologies span the Pleistocene/Holocene divide, marking the possible archaeological imprint of these above mentioned populations across Dhofar, southern Oman. While the Late Paleolithic (approximately 14,000 to 8.000 BP) is characterized by a blade based semi-tournant core technology, tanged projectile points, burins, endscrapers and pseudo-backed knifes, the succeeding early Neolithic represents a break from a technological and typological point of view. In Dhofar, the early Neolithic tool kit consists of a variety of pressure-retouched projectile points and a plethora of endscrapers, sidescrapers, burins, perforators and bifacial implements.
This paper seeks to combine the data obtained by geneticists and archaeologists working in southern Arabia, in order to shed light on past population dynamics. Shifting climatic regimes and their impact on both landscape and its inhabitants will also be addressed, in order to provide possible interpretations of the available data.
Here we discuss the implications of the newly discovered site of Al-Kharj 22 in central Arabia, an important point of reference for tracking the expansion of the Nubian Complex and Anatomically Modern Humans across Arabia. Based on technological analysis undertaken on samples from across Arabia we also suggest a revision of the original Nubian Levallois taxonomy, which was originally proposed by Guichard and Guichard (1965) and based strictly on core typology. Furthermore, possible expansion scenarios into and across the Arabian Peninsula are discussed.
- The survey and excavation of Middle Palaeolithic sites
- The archaeological survey and excavation of the bronze age necropolis of Umm al-Sa’al [in Arabic]
- The archaeological excavation of the site of al-Yamāma : Great Mosque and sounding in area K17.
- Environmental studies : archaeobotanic and archaeozoological studies in al-Yamāma; palynological study on the palaeolake of al-Hayathim.
- The survey on the prehistoric occupation
- The archaeological excavation of a Bronze Age necropolis at Ayn al-Dila
- The exploration of the site of al-Yamāma (geophysical survey, archaeological excavation of the Great Mosque).