Umm an-Nar soft-stone vessel assemblage from Tomb QA 1-1 (Oman) based on finds recovered from half the tomb

Abstract

This article is devoted to the soft-stone vessels retrieved from QA 1-1, a tomb from the Umm an-Nar period in Wadi al-Fajj, Northwest Oman, as part of a joint Polish–Omani project in 2016–2018. To date, the excavations, although confined to half of the tomb’s interior, have yielded as many as 67 soft-stone vessels or their fragments, which, at least for the time being, is the second-largest collection of these items obtained from one Umm an-Nar tomb. The article primarily aims to present the current assemblage in terms of its spatial distribution within the tomb with particular emphasis on complete specimens discovered in situ. The paper aims to provide a valuable source of comparative research and thus may contribute to further discussions on the production and circulation of soft-stone vessels in the land of Magan, as well as the burial rites related to furnishing the deceased with them.