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Project VirtuHalban investigates an Early Bronze Age funerary site at Halban, on an elevated coastal terrace where the Al Batinah coastal plain meets the Hajar Al Gharbi mountain ridge. These well-preserved monumental tombs, some reaching heights of over four metres, are significant markers of their era. Research suggests that the Halban tombs may span two distinct periods: the Hafit period (c. 3100-2600 BCE) and the Umm an-Nar period (c. 2600-2100 BCE), indicating a transition in tomb design during the Bronze Age. The project also investigates building techniques and materials employed in tomb construction, potentially having cultural or chronological significance. Excavation of tomb HAL021 during the 2023 season yielded valuable insights into its contents, including small beads and human remains, providing potential clues about the people buried in the tomb and their cultural practices. To enhance documentation, the researchers used 3D/virtual recording techniques, allowing for precise spatial mapping and the creation of 3D models and panoramas.

In the western Jabal Akhdar Dome of northeastern Oman and within the Neoproterozoic Huqf Supergroup, well-exposed sedimentary formations span the Cryogenian to Ediacaran periods. These rocks bear the marks of the distant Cadomian Orogeny. Among these formations, the youngest corresponds to the diverse Ediacaran Fara Formation, partly time-equivalent to the Ara Group in the subsurface of Oman. Our study extensively examined the Fara Formation’s lithologies, stratigraphy, and syndepositional deformation features to shed light on the Late Ediacaran geological evolution of eastern Arabia. Through meticulous analysis, several key findings and confirmations of previous research emerged from our investigation: (1) the Fara Formation can be categorized into three distinct members (in ascending vertical succession FA1, FA2 and FA3); (2) while FA1 and FA2 members display signs of Cadomian D1 deformation, FA3 Member does not show any evidence of D1 deformation; (3) the first description of the fossil Palaeopascichnus assigns an Ediacaran age to the entire Fara Formation; (4) the volcaniclastic rocks within the Fara Formation are geochemically similar to Hormuz’s volcanics from the same period; and (5) carbonates and siliciclastic rocks of FA1 and FA2 formed within a probably NW/SE-striking back-arc basin associated with Cadomian subduction, while FA3′s siliciclastic rocks unconformably overlie the latter members.

The project aims at enriching the debate on the nature of the settlement sites, the emergence of socio-economic complexity and the human-environment relationships in the Southern foothills region of Oman in the Early Bronze age. It is based on an extensive survey, a geoarchaeological and hydrological study in the region comprised between Al Arid and Bat (UNESCO site), and excavations at the recently discovered site of Al Arid (15 km NW of Bat). The approach is holistic and interdisciplinary and relies on specialists from the CNRS and universities, post-doctoral researchers and students. The team is composed of archaeologists, geoarchaeologists, hydrologists, biological anthropologists, geophysicist, archaeobotanist, specialists of pottery (formal typologies, physico-chemical and petrographic analyses of pastes), Geographic Information Systems and photogrammetry. After four seasons of work, we know that Al Arid was inhabited during two main phases: in the Early Bronze age and the Late Islamic period. In the Bronze age, the site appears as a regionally important centre. The discoveries are varied and sometimes exceptional: 7 towers concentrated on 25 ha, a material, local and exogen, including a superb copper alloy axe; from the beginning of the Bronze Age it seems: a copper metallurgical workshop, a canal for diverting the course of the wadi and 99 Hafit-type tombs among them two have been excavated ; dated to the Umm an-Nar period: a settlement sector (including a house that has been completely excavated), 9 tombs. These discoveries allow us to consider that communities lived there, on a recurrent, if not permanent basis, very early in history, relying on irrigation, a mastery of copper technology and exchanges with the coastal region and Mesopotamia. The mission is also heavily involved in the protection and enhancement of the region’s heritage, working alongside the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism on the Visitor Centre project of Bat.

Bologna University has a long tradition of research activities in the Sultanate of Oman, with investigation in the coastal area of Sharqiyah and more recently in the project of Al Khutm tower in the area of Bat (Al Dhahirah Governorate). The fieldwork of the campaign 2022-2023 was carried out at Al Khutm investigating the outer area of the tower characterized by a monumental stone wall. The archaeological complex appears now more valuable with a unique outline of defensive and entangled structures. Several finds, including pottery, softstone and metal, are defining the starting of the construction at the end of 3rd mill. BCE. At Ras Al Hadd the Italian team is currently involved in the excavation of the early 3rd mill. BCE cemetery around the settlement of HD-6. Several clusters of cairns as part of two main cemeteries named HD-7 and HD-10 were identified in previous research. Among dozens of burial structures, the current investigation concerned the group 12 of HD-7 cemetery and three cairns were excavated. The preliminary results show the regional character of cairns with specific size, architectural features and ritual customs.

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.

In 2023, a new project on rock art in Eastern Arabia, with special focus on the Al Sharqiyah North Governorate started. It aims at recording the spatial and chronological distribution of rock art as well as its integration into the natural and anthropogenic landscape. In the first field season from February to April 2023, over 4,000 rock art images have been recorded at the sites of Al Tasawir, Lizq, Al Khashbah and Al Rakhi. This encompassed digital sketches of the rock art panels, photography of the individual rock art images, taking of UTM coordinates, and vectorising the photographs on a computer later on. In addition, 3D models of all recorded sites were generated by structure-from-motion (SfM). As a citizen science component of the project, a smartphone application (Rock Art Oman) was developed that allows everyone to support the project by documenting rock art in an easy manner. This does not only provide more data for research but also help to foster the awareness of people in Oman for their rock art heritage.

The Omani-Italian Archaeological Expedition at Al Tikha, a joint project between the Sultan Qaboos University and the University of Pisa started in 2022 with the aim to investigate the archaeological site of Al Tikha, strategically located in the Batinah plain, near modern city of Al Rustaq. The 2023 excavation season focused on seven distinct areas: settlements (Mound A, Mound B, Building S1, Building S2), a metallurgical site (Mound C), and the necropolis (T1, T2).

This paper presents the main results of the 2023 excavations at Site 73 / 66 in the Liwa hinterlands (northern Oman) undertaken by the WAJAP team. Excavations focused on domestic buildings dating to the Umm an-Nar and Wadi Suq period. Here, the buildings and the deposits found within them will be discussed.

In March 2023, an international team of archaeologists, anthropologists and geologists led by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague successfully completed the second season of the ARDUQ (Archaeological landscape and environmental dynamics of Duqm and Nejd) expedition. Researchers from ten countries took part in fieldwork in two regions of the Sultanate. The first team, based in Duqm (south-central Oman), carried out fieldwork at Nafūn, excavating a Neolithic collective burial and documenting extensive rock art sites, both unique in south-east Arabia. Small test trenches for lithic studies were also carried out. ARDUQ’s investigations reveal a rich archaeological landscape at Duqm with long-term occupation. The second team worked in Dhofar (southern Oman). The team discovered seven Lower Palaeolithic sites in the Rub’ Al Khālī desert, with a high concentration of handaxes. Test trenches on the Nejd plateau revealed stratified Middle Palaeolithic artefacts of Nubian Complex, and samples were taken for optical stimulated luminescence dating. A systematic study of the flint raw material was also initiated. Research at Dhofar will shed new light on the early hominin and anatomically modern human dispersal Out of Africa, a topic of global importance and interest.

After about 5-year of survey in Al Ṣalaylī valley, conducted by the Heidelberg University team, in November 2022 have started the proper archaeological excavation at the site. The documented archaeological evidence which characterized the site of Al Ṣalaylī, span from the Iron Age to the Late Islamic periods. Despite the high number of hut tombs, may be dated to the (Late?) Iron Age period, the 2022 season of archaeological excavation focused on that area of the site previously labelled “Persian Village”. The excavation confirmed that part of the site was inhabited and exploited during the Islamic period. Due the different typology of structures put in evidence in the partially excavated Trench 1, the area has been renamed as “Settlement / Workshop”. The first season of archaeological excavation was made possible thanks to the Beatrice de Cardi award funded by the Society of Antiquaries of London.

The stratigraphic investigations on tomb LCG-2 led to the identification of the phase of use of the tomb floor, which, on the basis of radiocarbon dating and archaeological material, seems to refer to a final phase of Iron Age III. The research of our last exploratory season focused on the continuation of the investigation of this homogeneous phase identified at the base of the corridor. The base is characterized by a clay path running through the centre of the corridor, bordered by elongated pits containing burials and objects and informing us of how the bottom of the structure was used. This contribution focuses on the description of the last burials exposed at the bottom.

The Italian archaeological mission of L’Orientale in the Dhofar region was established several years ago and has carried out some short surveys and two excavation campaigns (December 2021-January 2022 and December 2022-January 2023). The main objective of the mission is to continue research at the archaeological site of Al Baleed (ancient Ẓafār) –located in the Salalah area, which has been the subject of numerous archaeological investigation since the middle of the last century. The site covers more than 1.5 km × 800 m, but a large part still remains unexplored, and questions concerning its foundation, stratigraphic sequences and the materials that have been brought to light still require in-depth investigation. In order to gain a deeper knowledge of the occupation of the area in the medieval Islamic period, it is considered equally necessary to undertake research and study of the numerous burial spaces in the Salalah area. Within this context, the mission began a survey aimed at documenting the large cemeteries located in the western part of the site of Al Baleed (outside the boundary wall) and at Al Robat, two areas which, on preliminary investigation, appear to preserve the oldest funerary evidence.

The ArWHO project’s 2023 season focused on the Iron Age and early Islamic Periods, specifically concentrating on mapping settlement architecture and exploring trade in softstone and copper resources in Yanqul Wilayat. The ArWHO team mapped architecture at four Iron Age sites, discovered an ancient softstone (chlorite) quarry, and tested an autonomous Ground Penetrating Radar system. Additionally, the project engaged local residents by organising a Yanqul Community Archaeology Day to share findings and promote awareness of archaeology. Our work clarifies the histories of ancient societies, their environment, architecture, and trade activities contributing to deeper understanding of the ancient past.

Beginning in the spring of 2014, the Archeological Research Institute (ARI) has been involved in archaeological investigations in the Khor Kharfot Archaeological Reserve of Dhofar, Oman. A three-year excavation contract was signed with Sultan Qaboos’s advisory council in 2015. In 2022 the excavation permit was granted a five-year renewal with the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. This article summarizes the efforts of Campaigns 6 and 7 during 2022 and 2023 to expand an appreciation of Wadi Sayq’s ancient environment and its early Paleolithic through Islamic period occupations and extensive architecture. This summary of Campaigns 6 and 7 excavations contains ARI’s recent discoveries at five separate loci: site II-4 (Neolithic and Iron Age occupation site), site IV-1 (Neolithic Kharfot Mound Site), site IV-3 (Neolithic-Iron Age-Islamic Period Alcove Site), site IV-4 (Neolithic Upper Platform), and site IV-5 (Neolithic Walkway).

The Department of Archaeology at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT), has conducted the 3rd season (December 2022) of intensive excavations at the site of Al Ghoryeen in Wadi Andam region on the southern fringes of the eastern Hajar Mountains in the Northern Al Sharqiyah Governorate of Oman. It was excavated under the direction of Professor Nasser S. Al-Jahwari and Dr Khaled Douglas. Participants included colleagues and MA students from the Department of Archaeology at SQU (Dr Mohamad Hesein, Dr Nasser Al-Hinaei, Yaqoob Al-Rahbi, Yaqoob Al-Bahri, Al-Reem Al-Alawi, Suad Al-Harasi, Wajd Al-Zakwani, Buthainah Al-Ghofaili and Huda Al-Daihani) and the German Archaeological Instiute in Berlin (represented by Dr Kristina Pfeifer). The results of the excavation discovered the first and largest settlement in Oman dating back to the Early Bronze Age of Hafit period (ca. 3400-2700 BC).

The French Archaeological Mission in Central Oman (FAMCO) studies the diachronic settlement of Bisya, one of the Oman peninsula’s main archaeological zones, in the Hajar mountains foothills. This region, which benefits from a location at the confluence of several wadis and local mineral resources, has been populated since the Paleolithic. It experienced a particularly prosperous development in the Early Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The first aim of the mission is to identify the development of human communities through survey and excavation. The Palaeolithic program investigates the first settlements of the Arabian Peninsula, determining the presence or absence of Neanderthal populations and their relationship to the arrival of modern Homo sapiens between the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic. The central part of the mission focuses on the Early Bronze Age to understand the beginnings of the oasis agrosystem, the domestication of the date palm, the first irrigation systems, the development of monumental domestic and funerary architecture, and the appearance of local crafts (pottery, copper metallurgy). Our research aims to provide new evidence on the role of Oman (Land of Magan in the Mesopotamian texts) within the Middle East during the Bronze Age, particularly its relations with Lower Mesopotamia (Sumerian country), Iran (the region of Fars and Makran) and the Indus Valley.

The Long-Term Cultural Sustainability (ISTIDAMA) Project aims to identify the eco-cultural factors of sustainable lifeways and historical landscapes of the canyons and foothills of the Hajar Mountains. To this end, the project team conducted three field activities: (1) general surveys in the Tanūf district of Ad-Dākhilīyah Governorate, (2) detailed documentation of the cemeteries in the survey area, and (3) excavations at the cave site of Mughārat Al Kahf in Wadi Tanūf. Regarding the general survey, the team documented seven archaeological sites in Wadi Tanūf and six sites in As-Suwaihiriyah in the floodplain of Wadi Al Abyad at 5 km east of Tanūf. Among these, the team documented the cemetery of WTN07, 13, and 14 in detail. These cemeteries were occupied from the Wadi Suq period (ca. 2000 to 1600 BCE) and Early Iron Age (ca. 1300–650 BCE). In the cave site, the team opened a new trench next to the last season’s one to verify stratigraphy. The team also took coprolite, date stone, charcoal, and soil sample for ancient DNA, stable isotope, and radiocarbon dating analyses.

The archaeological campaign at Khor Rori made a significant contribution to the understanding of the history and culture of the region. It focused on three main objectives: to increase knowledge of the KR-N1 necropolis, to determine the chronology and function of previously discovered structures, and to understand the land use of the Dhofar Coastal Culture and the Ancient South Arabians. To achieve these objectives, exploratory investigations were carried out in three different structures to determine their chronology, cultural affiliation, and possible use. At the same time, the study of the KR-N1 necropolis continued, with particular emphasis on dolmenic cysts and multiple cist tombs. This excavation provided valuable insights into the chronology, depositional features and mortuary practices of the Dhofar Coastal Culture. In addition, we summarise here the preliminary results of the archaeological campaign at Wadi Andhūr, part of the HELFA programme under the DHOMIAP project. The campaign aimed to explore the archaeologically rich area of Wadi Andhūr. Notable discoveries include confirmation of the South Arabian origin of the site DMa0610 and an inscribed stone of South Arabian origin. Further research is needed to answer questions about the site’s chronology, use and links with other settlements.

Project’s activities in the Sultanate of Oman, Ash-Sharqiyah North region, are directed towards the study of the Iron Age in northern Oman, in order to investigate those historical cultures known as fish-eating communities (Ichtyophagoi) from Greco-Roman sources and locally defined as Early to Late Iron Age cultural facies. From 2014 to 2018 the project focused on the study of the seasonal coastal economy of northern Oman in the Iron Age, in particular the phases of the 1st millennium BCE, between Qurayat and Ras Al Hadd, including Bamah and Tiwi as main coastal sites. Since 2018, the joint project has extended the area of research to urban oases further inland, along the Al Hajar mountain range, to define the settlement strategies between the Iron Age and the advent of Islam. These seasonal villages were in fact part of a complex socio-economic network involving the urban and agricultural oases in the interior, located along the Al Hajar mountain range, possessing their own hunting/fishing, farming and livestock economies, acted as bridges for trade between the coasts and the more inland regions, between Oman and the Emirates for at least the entire first half of the 1st millennium BCE and from the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE.

Prehistoric communities along the coasts of southeastern Arabia relied heavily on marine resources. However, dolphin remains in the zooarchaeological record remain poorly understood due to fragmentation, taphonomic changes, limited osteological collections, and the lack of a specific methodology for determination. In response to these challenges, the DExPO project aimed to develop a protocol for the analysis of osteological data from odontocetes and cetaceans from Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sites in central Oman. Agreements with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism along and support from the Natural History Museum of Oman facilitated the project. Initial implementation took place in a pilot project (2019-2020) on cetaceans in the NHM collection, and has been extended to analyse archaeological remains from key sites in Ash-Sharqiyah Governorate. Ongoing objectives include developing a methodology for identifying and documenting archaeological dolphin remains and applying these methods to large osteological collections. This is central to the study of dolphin hunting and exploitation strategies, combining zooarchaeological, material culture and environmental data, using ethnographic parallels and experimental approaches. Through the DExPO project, the enigmatic relationship between prehistoric communities and marine mammals is gradually being unravelled, providing insights into their ancient coexistence along the coasts of the Arabian Sea.