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Analyses of archaeological fuel remains can provide insight into pyrotechnologies, resource management, and the local environment. In this paper, we examine archaeological charcoals from Hafit period (3300–2700 BC) levels in Building V at al‑Khashbah (al-Khashaba), Oman, to understand fuel harvesting and burning preferences associated with early copper production. Building V is currently thought to be the earliest identified copper-production site in Oman based on the presence of abundant pyrotechnological remains, copper slag, and stratified radiocarbon results. Here, we build on previous anthracological work reconstructing woodland composition from the site. Anthracologists are increasingly recognising that fuelwood collection is often based on social or functional grounds rather than species availability. To that end, we have combined traditional taxonomic analysis with the application of dendro-anthracological methods to examine how intensive wood harvesting was for copper production and whether it had effects on the local vegetation. Dendrological reconstruction of wood calibre and condition at burning combined with spatial patterning of remains provides a more nuanced view of these preferences than can be achieved through taxonomic analysis alone.
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A small, newly discovered Umm an-Nar settlement close to the southern outskirts of the modern city of Ibra was investigated by a team from the University of Frankfurt, Germany between 1 March 2023 and 11 April 2023. The investigation included a detailed surface survey with find collection, as well as small-scale excavations at two of the buildings. The results of the first campaign suggest a well-planned settlement structure with specialized areas for the production or refinement of copper and copper objects. Of particular importance was the discovery of multiple plano-convex copper ingots during the excavations of one of the domestic buildings.
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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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The final field season of paleoenvironmental studies for the UmWeltWandel project lasted from 7 January–17 April 2023. It resulted in the collection of further samples of sediment, rock, charcoal, snail, plant, pollen, and water for laboratory analysis in Germany. More than 70 sedimentological sections were investigated in the vicinity of Al Khashbah to study soil and landscape formation processes. Once completed, these studies will provide important insights into climate and vegetation of the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Central Oman.
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