Macroscopic analysis of the bead assemblage from the South Arabian port of Sumhuram, Oman (seasons 2000–2013)

Abstract

The city of Sumhuram (300 BC-AD 500) is the most important pre-Islamic settlement in Dhofar, southern Oman. Since the time of its discovery it was evident that its commercial vocation placed it within a complex system of exchange between India and the Mediterranean. Sumhuram was a key site of the kingdom of Hadramawt, built in a place that was geographically strategic to control the most important Indian Ocean trade routes. The importance of the site made the bead assemblage exceptionally rich in materials, technologies used in the production, and provenance. The study of the relationship between materials and shapes, necessary for the creation of a specific typology, has revealed a number of trends. These, in connection with the reference stratigraphy have, in some cases, enabled the identification of differences on a chronological basis. Furthermore, it is possible to detect different uses of materials in different areas of the city. The variety of imported products (raw materials and products) once again underlines the importance of this city-port in the international maritime trade and its strong connections with India.

Discovering fire events in the HAS1 settlement on the Dhofar coast (Oman) by a multi-methodological study of mollusk shells

“…cuccullata , Ostrea sp., A . uropigimelana , Babylonia spirata (e.g., Carenti and Wilkens, 2008), other as ornaments, such as Oliva bulbosa , Conus spp., Naria spp., Purpura panama (e.g., Carenti and Wilkens, 2008; Lischi, 2018, 2020). We also did not find a relationship between the number of burned shells and species.…”

“…The settlement is dated to the Meghalayan (Upper Holocene) and based on archeological findings, was inhabited from at least the fourth century BC until the first to second century AD (Late Iron Age and Classical Period; Lischi, 2018). The entire settlement was probably destroyed by a fire, and later, the structures were obliterated by wind accumulation.…”

“…Number of burned shells found in stratigraphic unit US30 in circular structure B5, and stratigraphic unit US54 in circular structure B9, divided by species. Bold numbers = number of burned shells; numbers in brackets = total number of specimens for each species found in the two structures; * indicates taxa used for food consumption; other taxa were used for other purposes, such as ornaments (Carenti and Wilkens 2008;Lischi, 2018) sample was not enough to fill the standard sample holder, the powder was deposited on a zero-background plate. The X-ray tube (Cu Kα wavelength) was set at 40 kV and 40 mA, and data were collected between 5°2θ and 90°2θ, with a step size of about 0.02°2 θ and a counting time per step of 30 seconds.…”

Water and power in South Arabia: the excavation of “Monumental Building 1” (MB1) at Sumhuram (Sultanate of Oman)

“…The IMTO excavations only unearthed a possible bone bead (B60) and a bronze ear‐ring from wall M20. At Sumhuram, beads represent a quite common find, with 510 beads discovered between 2000 and 2013 (see Lischi, 2018). It is worth pointing out their concentration in the temple of Sīn (Sedov, 2008b; Lischi, 2018: 79) and in the small shrine (Pavan & Degli Esposti, 2016: 11, 30, 53–54) at Sumhuram, where they could be interpreted as votive offerings for the deities.…”

The Elemental Analysis of Glass Beads

“…Recent excavations at the port site of Sumhuram, Oman (300 BCE -500 CE) yielded a number of beads featuring the same characteristics as the beads found at Kish: they are small monochrome drawn and rounded beads. However, the color range is slightly different: although it includes similar opaque green, translucent turquoise and black beads like at Kish, other colors such as opaque yellow, opaque red and translucent dark blue are also present (Lischi 2018). Small shiny monochrome drawn and rounded beads with a dark color, very similar to the black beads from Kish, were published by Morrison (1991) reporting on beads and seals of Shabwa in Syria (13th century BCE to 3rd century CE).…”