128 research outputs found
Long collective graves LCG-1 and LCG-2 at Daba Musandam Governorate, Sultanate of Oman
No full textThe site of Daba is a burial complex of great importance formed by numerous large collective graves containing hundreds of individuals each, accompanied by thousands of valuable goods. Daba is located on the east coast of Musandam Peninsula (Oman) and is surrounded by several Iron Age sites including both settlements and burial complex, as Tel Abrak, Masafi and Hili as settlements, Jebel Buhais, Shimal and Asimah as burial complex.
The Daba site is, to date, represented by two Large Collective Graves (LCG1 and LCG2), by a later Parthian grave and by several pits used as ritual offering. Unlike other sites of the area, Daba collective graves are very well preserved and quite undisturbed. The archaeological evidence suggests that the whole area could have been a monumental tribute to tribal alliance dating to the end of II millennium BC. Besides the results of the preliminary geophysical prospecting point out us that in the area of the site there are at least other five collective graves of the same importance and magnificence
The first burial monument is of rectangular shape, with a length of about 14 m and a width of 3,5 m. LCG1 returned human remains referable at least to 188 individuals and nearly 2000 precious goods, including bronze and steatite vessels, daggers, bracelets, arrowheads, decorated shell medallions and numerous beads and necklaces made in various materials (Genchi 2013; Genchi & Caputo 2013; Frenez & Genchi 2017).
LCG2, continuously used from the Late Bronze Age (1600-1350 BC) until the Iron Age II/III Period (around 600 BC), is bigger than the first one (23 meters in length and 6 in width, included the outer arrangements). Thousands of objects have been recovered during the exploration of the grave, frequently associated to human remains referable to 28 individuals from primary burials and a minimum number of 250 individuals from secondary depositions (Genchi 2015; Genchi et alii 2017).
Many phases of frequentation have been recognized, as well as different phases of restoration and reorganization of the building
Elia Ovazza, Professor of TMM in Palermo Around the End of the 19th Century
No full textIn this paper, the figure of Elia Ovazza, professor of TMM in Palermo
around the end of the 19th century, is presented, along with his valuable legacy in
regard to his activities in teaching, research, design and technology transfer. Short
biographical notes outline his foremost life events and an illustrated survey explains
his contributions
La grotta. Lo spazio sacro. Il rito. Nuove evidenze dai livelli neolitici di Grotta San Biagio
No full textTra i materiali provenienti dai livelli di Grotta San Biagio (Ostuni-BR), indicatori di varia natura avvalorano l’ipotesi che il sito fosse frequentato per scopi cultuali e rituali in un periodo compreso tra la metà del VI e la metà del III millennio. In questa comunicazione si presentano alcuni dati riferibili alla frequentazione neolitica della grotta acquisiti durante i recenti scavi condotti dall’università di Bologna. Le ricerche hanno consentito di individuare, oltre alla presenza di focolari e buche, un grande recinto di pietra -sulla scorta dei noti esempi di Cala Scizzo e Grotta Pacelli. La presenza della raffinata ceramica di facies serra d’Alto, in associazione con i già noti oggetti estranei alla sfera del quotidiano come la pintadera, l’idoletto a testa di papero e le accettine in pietra verde, insieme al nuovo rinvenimento di un pozzetto di carattere rituale, costituiscono una chiara testimonianza dell’utilizzo della cavità a scopi cultual
The Iron Age collective graves of Daba,
No full textIl complesso funerario di Daba è attualmente costituito da due grandi tombe collettive (LCG1 e LCG2), da una tomba partica e da diverse fosse rituali ricche di oggetti in bronzo, pietra, ceramica. I due grandi monumenti funerari sono stati utilizzati in un arco di tempo che va dal Bronzo Tardo (1600- 1350 a.C.) fino all’Età del Ferro II/III (circa 600 a.C.). Le evidenze archeologiche suggeriscono che tutta l’area funeraria possa essere stata utilizzata come tributo monumentale ad alleanze tribali risalenti alla fine del II millennio a.C. Le tombe collettive sono state indagate durante cinque campagne di scavo (dal 2013 al 2018)
Le tombe collettive a corridoio della necropoli di Dabā: origine e diffusione di una struttura a carattere funerario sulla base delle evidenze del sud-est della penisola arabica
No full textThis paper takes as its starting point the exploration of two collective tombs of the corridor shaped type, also known as ‘long-chambered’, identified in the 2nd/1st millennium BC necropolis at Dibba al-Bayah, on the east coast of the Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman. The spread of this type of tomb is limited to the northern region of the Oman Peninsula, and to the period between the middle/late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (first half of the 2nd millennium BC - first half of the 1st millennium BC). These tombs are of monumental character with a corridor chamber, usually semi-subterranean, that can reach a length of up to 30 m. The focus is therefore on the diffusion confined to the northern area of south-eastern Arabia, comparing the investigated specimens, and describing similarities and differences in order to hypothesise construction patterns. Furthermore, light is shed on the origins of this phenomenon, which are probably to be found in Iranian Luristan, on the basis of some similar architectural choices linked to funerary aspects and on the presence of objects of clear Iranian derivation among Dibba findings
Rescue excavations along Package 2 of the Batinah Expressway
No full textThe rescue excavation carried out in 2016 along Package 2 of the Batinah Expressway in the Sultanate of
Oman led to the recovery of 25 funerary structures, arranged in two main clusters (the Al-Jamma foothills
and the Wadī Banif). The research area is located in the southern Batinah plain, at the foot of the Al-Hajar
Mountains. Preliminary surface investigations led to the identification of the two groups of tombs that were
excavated with stratigraphic method and documented with modern surveying and data recording techniques,
including sampling of human remains. The most interesting and best-preserved groups of cairns are located
in inland-Al-Jamma (Ar-Rustāq), on the top and on the slopes of low hills, or on the terraces and beds of the
valleys. The investigation of the tombs, in addition to the preliminary analysis of the architectural elements,
building techniques, and burial practices, allowed the identification of the structural types and the description
of tomb use, reconstruction, reuse and pillaging activities, as well as insight into rituals and funerary practice
Early iron age metal axes from the LCG-2 corridor-shaped tomb in Daba al-Bayah (Sultanate of Oman)
No full textThe contribution aims to present a remarkably homogeneous and well-preserved assemblage of metal axes found within the LCG-2 tomb at Dibbāal-Bayah, dating back tothe Early Iron Age (1350-300BC).These weapons formed part of the grave goods of the deceased and were often found in association with the burial. They represent typical local production of metal axes and currently constitute the largest group of axes from an Iron Agefunerary contexton the Arabian Peninsul
The collective corridor-shaped tombs of the Daba Al Bayaah necropolis (Musandam, Oman): the origin and spread of a funerary structure based on evidence from South-East Arabia
No full textThis paper takes as its starting point the exploration of two collective tombs of the corridor-shaped type, also known as ‘long-chambered’, identified in the 2nd/1st millennium BC necropolis at Daba Al Bayaah, on the east coast of the Musandam Peninsula in the Sultanate of Oman. The spread of this type of tomb is limited to the northern region of the Oman Peninsula, and to the period between the middle/late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (first half of the 2nd millennium BC - first half of the 1st millennium BC). These tombs are of monumental character with a corridor chamber, usually semi-subterranean, that can reach a length of up to 30 m. The focus is therefore on the diffusion confined to the northern area of south-eastern Arabia, comparing the investigated specimens, and describing similarities and differences in order to hypothesise construction patterns. Furthermore, light is shed on the origins of this phenomenon, which are probably to be found in Iranian Luristan, on the basis of some similar architectural choices linked to funerary aspects and on the presence of objects of clear Iranian derivation among Dibbā findings
Seashell discs from the Early Iron Age graves of Daba (Dibbā, Sultanate of Oman)
No full textDiscoveries of shell discs from Daba, Sultanate of Oman (c.1500–800 BC) will allow a detailed and comprehensive description of a group of poorly understood artefacts. All such discs were perforated on the back sides with a series of converging holes, while a few of them were decorated with a combination of incisions and carvings. Only rarely have similar objects been discovered in contemporaneous and later archaeological contexts in eastern Arabia. The research for this poster paper explored the meaning of both the function and origin of these seashell discs, combining morphological and stylistic descriptions with archaeo-metric analyses and experimental studies
The Iron Age metallurgic site of ‘Uqdat Al-Bakrah in the Rub al-Khali
No full textThe excavations carried out at As-Safah putted in light many indication of a local metal workshop, with the characteristic of a large activity area where a large spectrum of manufacturing activities were performed together.
These evidences were provided not only by the large number of items related with metallurgy (ie. stone and bronze tools, scrap, casting jet, casting residues, etc.), but also by the remains of facilities devoted to the metallurgical activities. This is a very lucky situation, that very rarely occurs in an archaeological excavation. Looking at these data, it is possible to examine the all stages in the metal production. The site was in fact very well preserved by its location, in the sands of the Rub’ Al-Khali, far away from possible damaging circumstances and where the dry desert environment contributed to the good preservation of the metal items
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