International Association for the Study of Arabia (IASA) patterns related to changes in the water temperature and in the precipitation-evaporation balance. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the water in the ditches was most likely not stagnant but continuously recharged with freshwater, e.g., groundwater. The data concerning terrestrial gastropods (Zootecus insularis) are mainly used to reconstruct vegetation. Here it can be clearly distinguished from the δ13C data that the gastropods dated to the Bronze Age mainly consumed C4 plants, while those dated to the recent oasis primarily fed upon C3 plants. More information can be found on the project’s website: https://www.archaeoman.de/en/the-joint-research-projectumweltwandel/.
An Iron Age necropolis (KR-N1) in the area of Khor Rori: new discoveries about the coastal culture of Dhofar Silvia Lischi (University of Pisa – DHOMIAP project), Matteo Vangeli (University of Pisa) The DHOMIAP project’s initial focus on the study of the HAS1 settlement at Inqitat, with the aim of defining the characteristics of the coastal culture of Dhofar, has turned its interest to investigating the surrounding area with the intention of studying the distribution of archaeological evidence in the area of Khor Rori. The project involves fundamental and continuous collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of Oman. This systematic survey identified an area of ca. 22 hectares, just to the north of the promontory of Inqitat, scattered with archaeological structures of different shapes and sizes, and which appear to be exclusively related to funerary use. Among the numerous phases, the Iron Age is the most represented.
Some structures revealed a kind of lithic ‘box’ where the dead were laid.
Figure 2. a. View of the structure before excavation; b. Some human bone remains in situ; c. Distribution of the cluster to which the excavated structure belongs; d. The structure during excavation. Three structures in different areas of the necropolis were excavated; the state of preservation of the human bones is very compromised, probably due to the presence of postdepositional processes linked to the climate (arid in winter and monsoonal in summer) and the acidity of the soil. These investigated structures were subjected to photogrammetric 3D modelling. The same work has been carried out with the human skeletal remains to preserve them and to avoid continuous manipulation that would cause further fragmentation. The burials within the last excavated tomb were multiple (the osteological remains of the other tombs were so poorly preserved that it was impossible to determine the depositional context) and located in an open space. No selection of human remains is noted, but it is evident that special attention was given to the crania, which were carefully collected in a specific area of the tomb, arranged on the sagittal side. Two bronze hooks, from one of the tombs, represent the only grave good object.
Figure 3. This graph collects the radiocarbon dates obtained at some of the major sites in the area and highlights their contemporaneity. Figure 1. Location of the area of interest and the three sites discussed. The necropolis of KR-N1 consists of approximately 700 structures covering the upper part of the promontory and its slopes facing the sea. Some structures arranged in clusters are also present at the base of the promontory. The structures are composed of megalithic stones arranged vertically around a burial chamber supporting a covering consisting of two or more stone slabs. In the best-preserved structures there is an opening of varying size placed directly under the covering slabs, without a preferred orientation. 16
The determination of sex, age and disease is under study. The radiocarbon dating between 409 and 373 BCE confirms the use of this necropolis during the Iron Age and the cultural connection with the HAS1 settlement on the top of the Inqitat promontory, and the less structured settlement (KR-FS) at the foot of the promontory, which was probably dedicated to fishing. Although this is a preliminary study, it does provide knowledge that the area was inhabited during the Iron Age and brings us increasingly nearer to a complete understanding of the customs characterizing the coastal culture of Dhofar. Project's website: https://dhomiap.cfs. unipi.it/
