Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy最新文献

Stamp seals of the Dilmun type have kept their characteristic shape and boss decoration of three lines and four dotted circles for several 100 years. Although the carving of the shape of the seal and the design on the obverse normally reveal a confident experience, the cutting of the three lines on the reverse is generally irregular and clumsy. It is suggested that the former was in the hands of a professional seal carver, whereas the latter was carried out by the seal owner, perhaps as a sign of allegiance to the king.

This study makes the argument for the presence of a category of small-sized ritual buildings at the Umm an-Nar (2700–2000 BC) sites of Dahwa 1 (DH1) and Dahwa 7 (DH7). These buildings are DH1.S20 and DH7.S1. The architectural features and associated finds point to their ritual function. Building DH7.S1 will be the focus while presenting arguments for its ritual role. Besides domestic buildings within a clustered settlement system and a monumental tomb dating to the Umm an-Nar period, the site might give unique evidence of a form of small buildings that served a ritual purpose. These buildings have no clear parallel in the excavated Umm an-Nar period settlements so far but adhere to the principles of cultic structures from elsewhere around the Near East that support their interpretation as cultic buildings.

Four rock-cut tombs have yielded nine Nabataean inscriptions or fragments of inscriptions, five of which are already published (Nehmé, 2015, pp. 51–52). They were all photographed either by L. Nehmé in 2005 or during the surveys undertaken in 2017 and 2018 by the al-Badʿ Archaeological Project (Charloux et al., 2021; Bigot-Démereau et al., 2024). They are presented below according to the tomb to which they belong, the number of which is the one given by the al-Badʿ Archaeological Project, followed, when relevant, by the number in Philby's Land of Midian (1957).

The worship of baetyls in antiquity is well documented in the Near East and the Mediterranean, archaeologically as well as historically. While such practices were also common in South-East Arabia, the archaeological information on it is still very limited. A boulder carved with a ‘trident’ (a mark familiar from local Abiel coin issues), which came to light at the site of Mleiha, has a circular cavity on the side similar to those visible on stones and on an eagle statue from contemporary ed-Dur. This association suggests a religious context for the Mleiha petroglyph and, thus, a possible identification as a baetyl. The archaeological evidence for stone worship and associated cult practices from the SE-Arabian Mleiha/PIR A-C period (3rd century bce–3rd century ce) is reviewed and compared with ethnographic parallels and information from, among other sources, the Kitāb al-aṣnām (Book of Idols) by Hishām ibn al-Kalbī (737–819 ce).

The Nabataean monumental rock-cut tombs in the oasis of al-Badʿ are the main heritage and tourist attraction of the Madyan peninsula, in the heart of the Neom region in Saudi Arabia. Through an analysis of their architectural and decorative features, this study provides, for the first time, a thorough overview of the 35 tombs in the necropolises of Mughāyir Shuʿayb and al-Aṣīfir. A multiscalar examination sheds light on the processes used in their realisation, assesses the investments required for their execution and the status of the sponsors, and thus reveals a social and spatial ranking of the Nabataean necropolis. The study also reveals a ‘cultural’ standardisation of the tombs in terms of the techniques used to cut and decorate them, as well as a local particularity dependent on topography, geomorphology, culture and personal choices. The presence of these impressive funerary monuments at al-Badʿ confirms the siteʼs major economic, political and cultural role within the Nabataean world, as well as the importance of the caravan route leading from the Red Sea ports to the major urban centres of the southern Levant, including Petra.

Excavations at the site of QA 21 near the village of ʿAyn Banī Saʿdah in the Qumayrā microregion yielded new information on Iron Age (IA) II settlement in the Hajjar mountains. Located halfway between the modern towns of Yanqul and Buraymī, in an area with little-known Iron Age occupation, QA 21 is a c. 2 ha open site scattered with the remains of numerous buildings. The pottery found on the surface is largely of IA II date even though some of the structures can date from a later, possibly Late Islamic period. Excavations of a large IA II house provided a rich and well-stratified collection of pottery, some stone tools and marine shells. Analysis of the finds’ distribution and the building's construction details revealed functional differences between certain areas of the house. The entire structure can be interpreted as a large village household with domestic, storage and food-processing areas. The provenance of the ceramic assemblage associated with this household is both regional and local, as indicated by geochemical analysis of the pottery, suggesting that the settlement participated in regional exchange networks.

This study examines four tombstones associated with significant figures in Yemen's history during the early Qāsimī State era: ʿAlī b. Imām al-Muʾayyad Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim (1013–1078 Hiǧrī (h)/ad 1603–1617) and his brother al-Qāsim b. Imām al-Muʾayyad Muḥammad b. al-Qāsim (1024–1127 h/ad 1632–1715). The research sheds light on their biographies and historical roles. It aims to document and study these stone artefacts from both archaeological and artistic perspectives, providing a detailed description and analysing the inscriptions in terms of form and content. The inscriptions contain valuable historical information, religious and historical titles and supplicatory phrases. The researcher employed a descriptive–analytical approach and an inductive method by describing the four artefacts, reading their written texts, analyzing their contents and referencing various archaeological evidence sources and historical references. The study emphasises the importance of preserving these artefacts due to their significant archaeological and cultural value amid the ongoing armed political conflict in Yemen.

The 3-month excavation conducted in Area G at Sarūq al-Ḥadīd yielded novel insights into the historical occupation, abandonment and utilisation patterns of the site. The archaeological strata unearthed during our excavation dating span a significant timeframe, ranging from the fourth to the first millennium BC. Employing a stratigraphical approach, we systematically established a relative chronological sequence for the area supported by C14 absolute dating. This methodological framework enabled us to discern the temporal evolution of the site, unveiling pertinent information regarding the nature of occupation, the construction phase of the well and its temporal utilisation and the occurrences of natural phenomena such as climatic disruption, alluvial processes and sand accumulation.

Qaryatum dhāt Kāhilim (‘the City of [the god] Kahl’) is the Ancient South Arabian name of the modern site of Qaryat al-Fāw. This compound refers to the tutelary deity of the city, in this case, a god called Kahl. However, the identity of this Kahl is obscure. Who is this god that makes his appearance in history towards the end of the second half of the first millennium bc? Despite his name being recorded in various texts and inscriptions on numerous objects that confirm his role as the city's patron god, scant information exists regarding his attributes or sphere of influence. Nonetheless, clues on some of his characteristics can be gleaned from coins bearing his likeness. This serves as a springboard for exploring potential connections with iconographies seen in petroglyphs, statues and paintings from the region, suggesting that Kahl may fit within the archetype of the smiting or menacing god, a prevalent motif in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region.

Investigations into everyday food practices during the Umm an-Nar period (c.2700–2000 bc) in the Oman Peninsula are limited. We studied lipid residues in pottery from Salūt-ST1, an Umm an-Nar stone tower in central Oman, to understand domestic practices and vessel use in locally-produced Sandy Wares, regionally-produced Fine Red Omani Wares and imported Indus Black-Slipped Jars between c. 2460–2150 bc. Degraded animal fats were found in a majority of the vessels, and we report the first direct detection of dairy products in Umm an-Nar vessels. The use of non-ruminant fats, plants and/or mixtures of different products is also suggested. Variations in lipid concentrations and contents of Fine Red Omani Wares and Sandy Wares suggest different uses for these vessel categories. Finally, the detection of a range of products (ruminant meat, dairy fats, non-ruminant fats and mixtures) in Indus Black-Slipped Jars from the site indicates vessel multifunctionality and reuse of the vessels.