Archaeological Survey of Sīnīya Island, Umm al-Quwain

The preliminary results of a comprehensive survey of Sīnīya Island in the Khawr al-Bayḍāʾ of Umm al-Quwain are presented here. The onset of human occupation remains to be confirmed, with scarce evidence for limited activity in the late pre-Islamic period (LPI, c. 300 BC – AD 300). The first major phase of occupation dates to the seventh and eighth centuries (early Islamic period) when a monastery and settlement were established in the north-east of the island. Probably the peak occupation falls between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when the stone-town of Old Umm al-Quwain 1 was built, followed by the eighteenth to early nineteenth century when the settlement moved to neighbouring Old Umm al-Quwain 2. The town was destroyed by the British in 1820 and moved to the facing tidal island, where Old Umm al-Quwain 3 (the modern city of the same name) developed. This resulted in an emptying of the landscape, and Sīnīya Island was little visited in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, except for the estate of the ruling Āl Muʿallā represented by the Mallāh Towers.The preliminary results of a comprehensive survey of Sīnīya Island in the Khawr al-Bayḍāʾ of Umm al-Quwain are presented here. The onset of human occupation remains to be confirmed, with scarce evidence for limited activity in the late pre-Islamic period (LPI, c. 300 BC – AD 300). The first major phase of occupation dates to the seventh and eighth centuries (early Islamic period) when a monastery and settlement were established in the north-east of the island. Probably the peak occupation falls between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when the stone-town of Old Umm al-Quwain 1 was built, followed by the eighteenth to early nineteenth century when the settlement moved to neighbouring Old Umm al-Quwain 2. The town was destroyed by the British in 1820 and moved to the facing tidal island, where Old Umm al-Quwain 3 (the modern city of the same name) developed. This resulted in an emptying of the landscape, and Sīnīya Island was little visited in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, except for the estate of the ruling Āl Muʿallā represented by the Mallāh Towers

Neolithic occupation of the Neolithic Hormuz Strait: coastal survey and first typology of sites, Umm al Quwain, United Arab Emirates

International audienceIn the southeastern part of Arabian Gulf, evidence of Neolithic human occupation was reported after the 1990’ first surveys carried out in the early 1990s (Uerpmann and Uerpmann, 1996). A substantial investment in a multi-year program of excavation was required, as it represents he only realistic means of documenting a detailed stratigraphic and cultural sequence and to establish a first typology of sites, from simple way stations to encampments and possibly more sedentary sites. For such a demanding task to be accomplished, extensive planimetric excavations were necessary instead of small trenches, combined with the study and accurate drawing of relevant sections. This strategy was applied by different teams of the French Archaeological Mission in the UAE (FAM-UAE) at Akab, UAQ36, and more extensively at UAQ2, today the major Neolithic site known in the Umm al-Quwain Emirate (18 surveyed sections document 146 linear meters of stratigraphic sequences overall). Small-scale excavations were also carried out at UAQ17 (a Neolithic site), and UAQ52 (a site occupied from Neolithic to the Iron Age). The two latter sites are unpublished yet, but can be mapped together with the other sites surveyed by the FAM-UAE in order to gain a perception of the diffuse Neolithic human occupationin the area. In late 2018, a new stratified site was excavated following the same methodology at UAQ38, a shell midden located c. 2 Km from UAQ2, with the aim of collecting further data to compare and contrast with the results obtained from the UAQ2 (2011-2014, 2017) and UAQ36 (2017-2018) excavations. Over the last almost thirty years, archaeological investigations have shown that the Neolithic occupation in the coastal area of the Umm al-Quwain Emirate can be dated back to the middle of the 6th millennium. The mentioned projects carried out at Akab in the 2000s, and more recently at UAQ2 and UAQ36 also started to shed some light on the nature of the 5th millennium human presence in the same area. While radiometric analyses of charcoal and shell samples are awaited, which will help to more solidly ground the absolute chronology of the site, the preliminary results of UAQ38’s excavation will be presented here, as they add significant data for the discussion of Neolithic human occupation in the region

Ras al-Hadd HD-5 e la Pesca nel Neolitico | Ras al-Hadd HD-5 and Fishing in the Neolithic

The archeological site of HD-5 is located at Ras al-Hadd on a rocky hill facing the sea. Excavations revealed two main occupation phases, one in the late Neolithic during the fourth millennium and the other at the end of the third millennium BC. In both periods, the subsistence activities focused on the exploitation of coastal resources, while the breeding and hunting of land mammals was less important. Noteworthy is, therefore, the presence in the late Neolithic levels of several domestic dogs, whose remains testify to their use for human consumption

Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Occupations at Ras Al-Hadd HD-5, Sultanate of Oman

The archaeological site of HD-5 is located at Ras Al-Hadd (Ash-Sharqiyah Governorate, Sultanate of Oman), on a rocky hill facing the sea, 1.6 kilometer north of the large Hafit site of HD-6. In four campaigns, from 2010 to 2015, an 11 x 10 m area was explored using a micro-stratigraphic approach for the excavation of the loose sandy layers that formed the deposit. The excavation revealed two main occupation phases divided by a frequentation gap, a late Neolithic one in the 4th millennium BC and the other at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. The Neolithic occupation included a series of human depositions along the northern side of the explored area

Shell fish-hook production at Ras al-Hadd HD-5, Sultanate of Oman (fourth millennium BC): preliminary archaeological and experimental studies

The paper presents the preliminary archaeological study of around 200 artefacts related to the production of shell fish-hooks made from Pinctada sp. discovered at the Neolithic coastal site of Ras al-Hadd HD-5 in 2014. The site occupation dates to the fourth millennium BC and finished shell hooks and manufacturing debris were recovered from stratigraphic contexts that included primary floors and workshop dumps. The artefacts include complete shells that were probably collected from the nearby lagoon, hammer stones and rasps made of sandstone, and all stages of the shell-hook manufacturing processes. After comprehensive documentation and study of the artefacts, experimental replications were carried out to gain a better understanding of the stages of production and factors that contributed to breakage and discard. Future studies will include the use of experimental hooks to determine their strength and durability. Excavations were conducted by a team from the University of Bologna under the auspices of the Department of Excavations and Archaeological Studies, Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Sultanate of Oman

Les premiers chasseurs-collecteurs maritimes d'Arabie (IXe -IVe millénaires avant notre ère)

International audienceAbstract: In Arabia, the emergence of the first maritime societies of the early Holocene used to be a theme unexplored by archaeology. For the first time, a glimpse of these 9th and 8th millennium BCE communities living on the Omani shores of the Arabian Sea has recently been possible thanks to data from the Natif 2 cave. These hunter-gatherers were selectively foraging the shallow waters of the coast, where small pelagic fish (anchovies and sardines) are abundant and easily captured. Sharks, sometimes up to two metres long, were also taken. This scenario of fishing in shallow waters, clarified in the case of the 9th and 8th millennia BCE, appears to be unusual and original in Arabia. Around 6500 BCE, a major social and economic change occurred: the appearance of the first pastoral Neolithic societies. Arabia then developed an alternative subsistence model in comparison to those of the Levant and the Near East. On the coast, the most favourable areas saw the settlement and anchoring of human groups. This precocious Neolithic expansion also affected the large island of Masirah; Archéologie des chasseurs-cueilleurs maritimes. De la fonction des habitats à l'organisation de l'espace littoral Archaeology of maritime hunter-gatherers. From settlement function to the organization of the coastal zoneEn Arabie, l'émergence des premières sociétés maritimes de l'Holocène ancien est encore une thématique inexplorée par l'archéologie. Ces communautés, des IX e-VIII e millénaires avant notre ère, viennent d'être entrevues pour la première fois sur les rivages omanais de la mer d'Arabie, dans la grotte de Natif 2. Ces chasseurs-collecteurs opèrent un prélèvement dans les eaux peu profondes du rivage, où de petits poissons pélagiques (anchois, sardines) sont abondants et faciles à attraper. Les squales, parfois de plus de deux mètres sont aussi capturés. Ce scénario de pêche en eau peu profonde mis en évidence pour cette période ancienne, s'avère aujourd'hui original en Arabie. Vers 6500 avant notre ère s'opère un changement socioéconomique majeur : l'apparition des premières sociétés pastorales néolithiques. L'Arabie développe alors un modèle alternatif à ceux du Levant et du Proche-Orient. Sur le littoral, les zones les plus propices voient l'établissement, puis l'ancrage, de groupes humains. Cette expansion néolithique précoce touche aussi la grande île de Masirah, en revanche, le petit archipel des Kuria Muria n'est conquis que bien plus tard, au tournant des V e-IV e millénaires avant notre ère. Dès le VI e millénaire le littoral de l'Arabie du sud-est se couvre de puissants amas coquilliers. L'implantation de ces habitats est étroitement liée aux conditions paléogéographiques locales et micro-régionales. La proximité des anciens estuaires, lagunes et mangroves est particulièrement recherchée par les populations préhistoriques, dans une optique de complémentarité des biotopes. Le site de Suwayh SWY-1 est emblématique de cet attrait pour les milieux humides côtiers. Dès le VI e millénaire avant notre ère, le spectre de la faune marine capturée s'avère bien plus large que précédemment et touche une vaste gamme de poissons dont certains pélagiques, notamment le thon (Scombridae). Certains habitats comme Suwayh 1 semblent s'orienter vers une pêche spécialisée, celle du requin, de petites ou de grandes dimensions. En Arabie, les mammifères marins sont l'objet d'une pêche parfois assidue : le dauphin, mais aussi le dugong dans le golfe Arabo-persique. En revanche, les communautés d'Arabie ne chassent pas les grands cétacés, mais collectent leurs ossements sur les rivages Les toutes premières pêches aux perles fines dans l'Ancien Monde sont pratiquées dans les eaux du golfe et de la mer d'Arabie. Ces perles deviennent un des éléments constitutifs de l'identité culturelle des communautés d'Arabie. Les populations côtières omanaises développent aussi une culture matérielle propre, souvent dans des matériaux marins : racloir en Amiantis umbonella, ciseau en Cypraecassis Rufa, contenants en Lambis truncata sebae ou Scapharca inflata palliant l'absence de toute céramique. Au cours des VI e-IV e millénaires, le travail de la coquille marine est à son apogée en Arabie orientale. Toute une gamme d'hameçons en nacre est produite à partir de la nacre de l'huître perlière (Pinctada margaritifera). Certains sites du golfe et de la mer d'Arabie s'orientent vers la production de parures, généralement de petites perles discoïdes. L'habitat de Ra's Dah – île de Masirah – celui de l'île d'Akab et peut-être d'al-Hallaniyah réalisent un nombre de produits dont le volume excède les besoins de la communauté. Entre golfe et océan Indien, ces sociétés littorales partagent enfin des pratiques d'ordre spirituel associant certains ani-maux marins : la tortue marine et le dugon

Twelve years of the 'Arabian Seashores' project: How the extensive investigation of coastal Oman changed the paradigm of the Arabian Neolithic

International audienceFor over a decade, the French mission 'Archaeology of the Arabian Seashores' has been exploring the evolution of the Omani coastline, from hunter-gatherers to the rise of complex societies during the crucial passages from the culmination of the Pleistocene to the Early Bronze Age, passing through the Neolithic. The team extensively surveyed the land spreading from the eastern head of Arabia, Ra's al-Hadd and Ra's al-Jinz, to the last villages of Dhofar, including Masirah Island and the Hallaniyyat archipelago, covering 1000 km. Most Final Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sites were tested or excavated. A multidisciplinary approach that involves the joint work of archaeologists and geologists was chosen to include the contribution of environmental factors to modifying the equilibriums between the natural environment and human communities through the study of climatic and eustatic fluctuations. The project provided a substantive perspective on the evolution of maritime communities between 10,000 and 2000 bce. Moreover, an interdisciplinary and multiscalar approach for describing and analysing the change in the material culture of this region made it possible to transcend the traditional typology and examine the role of human communities' interaction

Les premiers chasseurs-collecteurs maritimes d'Arabie (IXe -IVe millénaires avant notre ère)

International audienceAbstract: In Arabia, the emergence of the first maritime societies of the early Holocene used to be a theme unexplored by archaeology. For the first time, a glimpse of these 9th and 8th millennium BCE communities living on the Omani shores of the Arabian Sea has recently been possible thanks to data from the Natif 2 cave. These hunter-gatherers were selectively foraging the shallow waters of the coast, where small pelagic fish (anchovies and sardines) are abundant and easily captured. Sharks, sometimes up to two metres long, were also taken. This scenario of fishing in shallow waters, clarified in the case of the 9th and 8th millennia BCE, appears to be unusual and original in Arabia. Around 6500 BCE, a major social and economic change occurred: the appearance of the first pastoral Neolithic societies. Arabia then developed an alternative subsistence model in comparison to those of the Levant and the Near East. On the coast, the most favourable areas saw the settlement and anchoring of human groups. This precocious Neolithic expansion also affected the large island of Masirah; Archéologie des chasseurs-cueilleurs maritimes. De la fonction des habitats à l'organisation de l'espace littoral Archaeology of maritime hunter-gatherers. From settlement function to the organization of the coastal zoneEn Arabie, l'émergence des premières sociétés maritimes de l'Holocène ancien est encore une thématique inexplorée par l'archéologie. Ces communautés, des IX e-VIII e millénaires avant notre ère, viennent d'être entrevues pour la première fois sur les rivages omanais de la mer d'Arabie, dans la grotte de Natif 2. Ces chasseurs-collecteurs opèrent un prélèvement dans les eaux peu profondes du rivage, où de petits poissons pélagiques (anchois, sardines) sont abondants et faciles à attraper. Les squales, parfois de plus de deux mètres sont aussi capturés. Ce scénario de pêche en eau peu profonde mis en évidence pour cette période ancienne, s'avère aujourd'hui original en Arabie. Vers 6500 avant notre ère s'opère un changement socioéconomique majeur : l'apparition des premières sociétés pastorales néolithiques. L'Arabie développe alors un modèle alternatif à ceux du Levant et du Proche-Orient. Sur le littoral, les zones les plus propices voient l'établissement, puis l'ancrage, de groupes humains. Cette expansion néolithique précoce touche aussi la grande île de Masirah, en revanche, le petit archipel des Kuria Muria n'est conquis que bien plus tard, au tournant des V e-IV e millénaires avant notre ère. Dès le VI e millénaire le littoral de l'Arabie du sud-est se couvre de puissants amas coquilliers. L'implantation de ces habitats est étroitement liée aux conditions paléogéographiques locales et micro-régionales. La proximité des anciens estuaires, lagunes et mangroves est particulièrement recherchée par les populations préhistoriques, dans une optique de complémentarité des biotopes. Le site de Suwayh SWY-1 est emblématique de cet attrait pour les milieux humides côtiers. Dès le VI e millénaire avant notre ère, le spectre de la faune marine capturée s'avère bien plus large que précédemment et touche une vaste gamme de poissons dont certains pélagiques, notamment le thon (Scombridae). Certains habitats comme Suwayh 1 semblent s'orienter vers une pêche spécialisée, celle du requin, de petites ou de grandes dimensions. En Arabie, les mammifères marins sont l'objet d'une pêche parfois assidue : le dauphin, mais aussi le dugong dans le golfe Arabo-persique. En revanche, les communautés d'Arabie ne chassent pas les grands cétacés, mais collectent leurs ossements sur les rivages Les toutes premières pêches aux perles fines dans l'Ancien Monde sont pratiquées dans les eaux du golfe et de la mer d'Arabie. Ces perles deviennent un des éléments constitutifs de l'identité culturelle des communautés d'Arabie. Les populations côtières omanaises développent aussi une culture matérielle propre, souvent dans des matériaux marins : racloir en Amiantis umbonella, ciseau en Cypraecassis Rufa, contenants en Lambis truncata sebae ou Scapharca inflata palliant l'absence de toute céramique. Au cours des VI e-IV e millénaires, le travail de la coquille marine est à son apogée en Arabie orientale. Toute une gamme d'hameçons en nacre est produite à partir de la nacre de l'huître perlière (Pinctada margaritifera). Certains sites du golfe et de la mer d'Arabie s'orientent vers la production de parures, généralement de petites perles discoïdes. L'habitat de Ra's Dah – île de Masirah – celui de l'île d'Akab et peut-être d'al-Hallaniyah réalisent un nombre de produits dont le volume excède les besoins de la communauté. Entre golfe et océan Indien, ces sociétés littorales partagent enfin des pratiques d'ordre spirituel associant certains ani-maux marins : la tortue marine et le dugon