Ship, Raft or Camelback? Early Hellenistic Ceramic Imports of the Eastern Mediterranean From the Ancient Caravan City of Thāj, Northeast Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Five years of large-scale excavations and surveys carried out by the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and the Saudi Heritage Commission at the ancient caravan city of Thāj (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia), c. 75 km inland from the Gulf coast, produced a significant pottery assemblage of imported Mediterranean wares—particularly in the levels dated between the fourth and second c. BCE. These finds suggest strong economic connections with the centre of the Hellenistic world through long and complex communication routes. The aim of this paper is to present this unique assemblage of imported pottery and to raise a discussion over possible routes via which Mediterranean goods reached the site. This will be considered in relation to other finds of fine wares and transport amphorae at sites of the Gulf and their broader distributions in Arabia and Mesopotamia.