Nothing but Towers? The Early Bronze Age Landscape of Central Oman

• Applicant: Dr. Stephanie Döpper
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 406621686

• Final Report Year: 2023

Final Report Abstract

The Al-Mudhaybi Regional Survey was initiated to gain insights into settlement patterns, their development, and the causes of significant social changes in Central Oman, particularly during the 3rd millennium BCE. This was achieved through a combination of survey methods (remote sensing based on satellite imagery with ground-truthing and intensive systematic surveys in north-south transects) as well as small-scale excavations. The results challenged the previous notion of traditional settlement hierarchies and a predominantly sedentary, agriculture-based society in Central Oman, especially during the Early Bronze Age (Umm an-Nar period). Instead, a complex network of temporary sites emerged, utilized at various times and for different activities. Another significant finding is that the interior of Oman was more heavily frequented during the Neolithic period than previously believed. Additionally, contrary to prior assumptions, the Middle Bronze Age (Wadi Suq period) does not represent a period of decline and shares similarities in its development with the northern regions of the Omani Peninsula. These findings can contribute to raising awareness of the diversity of human lifestyles overall, particularly highlighting the cultural achievements of mobile communities.

Publications

• Nothing but Tombs and Towers? Results of the Al- Mudhaybi Regional Survey 2019. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 50, 157–169.
  Döpper, S. & Schmidt, C.
  
• Archäologischer Survey in der Region Al-Mudhaybi, Sultanat O- man. Einblicke in die Siedlungsgeschichte des Zentraloman, Alter Orient aktuell 18, 4–9
  Döpper, S.
  
• The Al-Mudhaybi Regional Survey. The IASA Bulletin 26, 18–20.
  Döpper, S.
  
• The Middle and Late Bronze Age in Central Oman: New Insights from Tawi Said, Al‐Mudhairib and the Wilayat al‐Mudhaybi. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 32(S1), 313-327.
  Döpper, Stephanie
  
• Survey methods and biases in the Al‐Mudhaybi Regional Survey, Sultanate of Oman. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 34(S1).
  Döpper, Stephanie
  
• Walk the Line: The 2020 field season of the Al-Mudhaybi Regional Survey, Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 51, 157–167.
  Döpper, S.
  
• Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, Special Issue: Surveying Oman
  Döpper, S.
  
• Mud-Brick Villages and Open-Air Mosques: The Late Islamic Landscape of the Al-Mudhaybi Region in Central Oman. Proceedings of the 12th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, 945-956. Harrassowitz Verlag.
  Döpper, Stephanie
  
• The Al-Mudhaybi Regional Survey: Field Seasons 2021 and 2022, Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 52, 107– 121.
  Döpper, S.; Kluge, J. & Maiorano, M. P.
  
• Landmarks of Identity: Bronze Age Towers of the Oman Peninsula. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd.
  DÖPPER, STEPHANIE