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The French mission “Arabian Seashores” has been exploring the Omani coast of the Arabian Sea since 2010. The team has prospected, surveyed various sites, and conducted excavations at Khuwaymah, Masirah Island, Hallaniyat Archipelago, Sharbithat, Hasik as well as other sites along the coast. Additionally, they have explored the Jebel Qara and several rock art sites. The mission’s research focuses on the chronology of the Final Paleolithic to the Early Bronze Age, spanning the period between 10,000 and 2000 BCE. Specifically, their attention is on the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era, marking the shift from predatory societies to the first productive communities. The mission has made significant discoveries, including the Final Paleolithic cave of Natif and the Neolithic sites of Ad-Dahariz (Salalah), Hasik, and Sharbithat. Simultaneously, a project in the Rub’ Al Khali desert was carried out in collaboration with a team of geologists and paleontologists. During the latest mission in December 2022, particular emphasis was placed on research in this area, confirming the extraordinary potential of these sites. The campaign played a critical role in enhancing our understanding of cultural transfer, settling patterns, and technological innovation in Southern Arabia during the Neolithic period. Overall, the project has expanded our current knowledge of Neolithic cultures in desert locations by conducting an integrated study of the paleoenvironment and a techno-quantitative examination of the lithic industries. This work lays the foundation for future research in this field.
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Several locations north of the village of Al Khashbah have yielded Neolithic remains, most likely due to the area’s accessible chert outcrops and elevated fluvial terrace systems overlooking wadi floodplains. KHS-A, the main Neolithic site in the area, is distinguished by extensive flint scatters, isolated stone constructions, and fireplaces. In 2022, the team excavated a preliminary test trench (KHS-A.1) that yielded a high number of lithics and charcoal samples. Radiocarbon dating placed the age of the complex within the Late Neolithic Period. In 2023, further excavations at KHS-A.13 were undertaken with the goal of confirming the age dating of the site and expanding our understanding of the extent and occupational sequence of the KHS-A complex. The trench consisted of a 3 × 4 m exposure revealing multiple fireplaces, ash pits, and post holes. The investigation of the Neolithic occupations at Al Khashbah seeks to open new routes and further perspectives in the study of Early and Middle Holocene in the broad area between the mountains and the Rub Al Khali desert.
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, A newly discovered grave in Wadi Nafūn, Oman, features a unique burial structure, combining monumental architecture and the collective deposition of human remains from multiple Neolithic groups. Detailed analysis of the burial community reveals new insights into Neolithic rituals and subsistence strategies during the Holocene Humid Period in southern Arabia.