Funerary archaeology at Salut (Oman) 2017-2018. Insights on Middle Bronze Age grave’s architecture and a possible new type of third millennium grave.
M. Degli Esposti, P. Ramorino, S. Spano, E. Tagliamonte
Excavations at Salut in the Al Dakhiliyah region of Oman, near Bahla, targeted a number of funerary structures disseminated over the plain which hosts the remains of the prehistoric occupation of the oasis, and on the slopes of nearby hills. The majority of these tombs fits the widely known models of prehistoric burials in South East Arabia, although some structural features deserve mention, as does the discovery of a sealed, small Wadi Suq grave, an exceptional happenstance for the region. Moreover, two excavated tombs represent what appears to be an unprecedented type for the region. In fact, they are built with huge squared boulders, arranged in order to form a rectangular stone chamber, partially emerging aboveground. Despite ancient robbing, the scarce materials discovered inside one of these “stone-cist” graves can be safely dated to the local Early Bronze Age. The peculiar layout of these tombs deserves description as it can also provide helpful reference during surveys, when similar orthogonal walls can easily be misunderstood as portion of non-funerary structures.
Click here for the grave gallery: