Al‐Ghoryeen: An Early Bronze Age settlement in central Oman peninsula

Abstract

This paper presents the results of survey and excavations carried out at an Early Bronze Age (Hafit [c. 3400-2700/2600 BC] and Umm an-Nar [c. 2600/2500-2000 BC]) site called al-Ghoryeen. The area within which this site is located is known as the Wadi Andam region to the east of Izki and south of Samā'il in the Northern al-Sharqiyah Governorate of Oman; around 95 km southwest of Muscat (Figure 1). Topographically, al-Ghoryeen is located on the southern fringes of the so-called eastern Hajar Mountains. It is part of a larger extension of settlements or wadi villages that are predominantly scattered along and near wadis, such as the large Wadi Andam. These areas have limited available agricultural land and some access to surface and underground water. The area where these settlements are located is characterised largely by high, rugged mountains and rocky hills with very steep slopes (Al-Jahwari, 2008). The al-Ghoryeen settlement is located on a wadi terrace of the western bank of Wadi Mahram, at the point where that wadi meets the larger Wadi Andam, close to the current village of al-Ghoryeen from the southwest and the village of Mahleya from the northeast (Figure 1). The wadi terrace rises up to around 10 m above the bed of the Wadi Mahram. Al-Ghoryeen represents a well-preserved site that yields important information on the nature of Umm an-Nar settlement more generally (Al-Jahwari & Kennet, 2010). The site consists of an Umm an-Nar round tower, a cemetery consisting of around 49 tombs and a largely preserved domestic occupation area. Visible on the surface are stone alignments marking the location and layout of walls and buildings of different sizes and plans. The northeastern part of the site is occupied by Late Iron Age tombs that overlie earlier Umm an-Nar remains. 1.1 | Site discovery and history of research This Umm an-Nar settlement came to light in 2004 during the course of the Wadi Andam Survey (designated Site CS.2.52) and was published briefly in a few places (Al-Jahwari, 2008,

The nature of third‐millennium settlement: The example of al‐Tikha (Rustaq) an Umm an‐Nar site on the Batinah coast of Oman

“…This is suggested by the presence of Hafit cairns on surrounding ridges at numerous sites; Bat (Cable, 2012), Bisya (Orchard, 2000, pp. 168–169), Hili, less than 2 km away at Jabal Haqla (Cleuziou et al, 2011; Figure 3), and Ghoryeen (al‐Jahwari et al, 2020, p. 284) are all good examples of this model. By contrast, a few Umm an‐Nar sites do not seem to have been preceded by Hafit‐period activity, at least so far as the absence of Hafit tombs in the vicinity indicates—the recently discovered site of Dahwa in the Northern Batinah is an example of this much less common model (al‐Jahwari et al, 2018), as are the coastal sites of Tell Abraq and Umm an‐Nar island itself.…”

“…2). There is a hint of a similar structure at Ghoryeen, where it is possible—though far from certain—that the Period II (Umm an‐Nar) structures are separated into two distinct areas north and south of the round tower ‘M.1’ (al‐Jahwari et al, 2020, fig. 3).…”

“…Simplified layouts of round‐towers and domestic stone building/cemetery areas at al‐Tikha (top left), Ghoryeen (top right, after al‐Jahwari et al, 2020, fig. 3) and Dahwa (bottom, after al‐Jahwari et al, 2018, fig.…”

“…Ghoryeen is approximately 15 ha in total, stretching along the terrace of a large, inland wadi on the south‐western side of the Hajar Mountains. It has recently been excavated, which demonstrated the presence of two main periods of occupation: one late Hafit and one Umm an‐Nar (Al‐Jahwari et al, 2020). The layout of the Umm an‐Nar phase of occupation is largely visible on the surface.…”

“…It is possible to suggest that the Umm an‐Nar period occupation (Period II) extended over around 5 ha, while the earlier, late Hafit occupation, may have covered a slightly larger area. The Umm an‐Nar settlement included a round‐tower, a cemetery of 49 tombs to the southeast, most of which are quite small and apparently relatively early, and between 18 and 28 rectilinear stone‐built domestic structures (based on Al‐Jahwari et al, 2020, p. 297 & fig. 30).…”