Hugh Thomas, Jane McMahon, Lauren Swift, Daniel Franklin, Fahad Bagdadi, Rudolph Alagich, Melissa Kennedy
{"title":"The Bronze Age Tombs of Northwest Arabia: A Chrono-Typological Study From AlUla and Khaybar, Saudi Arabia","authors":"Hugh Thomas, Jane McMahon, Lauren Swift, Daniel Franklin, Fahad Bagdadi, Rudolph Alagich, Melissa Kennedy","doi":"10.1111/aae.12267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12267","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Northwest Arabia is marked by tens of thousands of monumental burial structures, most of which appear to have been built during the Bronze Age. These funerary features range from simple cairns and tower tombs through to large ‘pendant’ burials with elaborate tail constructions. Yet despite their clear presence across the landscape, comparatively little analysis of these structures has been undertaken to date. This paper presents results from the Aerial Archaeology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Project (AAKSA) and the Prehistoric AlUla and Khaybar Excavation Project (PAKEP) and offers the first chrono-typological study of the Bronze Age funerary landscape from the counties of AlUla and Khaybar, northwest Saudi Arabia.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"52-69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aae.12267","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Towards a New Reference Dataset for Northwest Arabian Pottery: A Preliminary Characterization of the Fabrics, Techniques, Shapes and Decoration of the Pre-Islamic Pottery From Dadan (Third Millennium bce–Early First Millennium ce)","authors":"Shadi Shabo, Jérôme Rohmer, Francelin Tourtet","doi":"10.1111/aae.12265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12265","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The site of Dadan, in the al-ʿUlā valley, is one of the major and longest-settled ancient oasis settlements in northwest Arabia. As part of the Saudi-French Dadan Archaeological Project (CNRS/RCU/AFALULA), a study of its pre-Islamic ceramic assemblage has been underway since 2020. This article presents the preliminary results obtained during the autumn 2021 and spring 2022 field seasons. Based on a macroscopic examination of excavation and survey material, 16 different macrofabrics were identified and characterized, and first clues to their associated manufacturing techniques and morphological/decorative repertoire were collected. Using stratigraphic data and regional comparisons, broad chronological ranges can be proposed for each of these productions, and five ceramic horizons, characterized by both local productions and imports, can be tentatively outlined, extending from the late third millennium <span>bce</span> to the early first millennium <span>ce</span>.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"138-196"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aae.12265","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Epigraphical and Archaeological Analysis of an Ottoman-Arabic Commemorative Inscription at the Military Museum in Ṣanʿāʾ, Yemen","authors":"Mohamed Enab","doi":"10.1111/aae.12266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12266","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study presents a comprehensive archaeological and historical investigation of a commemorative inscription preserved at the Military Museum in Ṣanʿāʾ, Yemen. Originally located above the entrance of al-Qurāḍīn cemetery in the city of Ṣaʿdah, northern Yemen, the inscription references the Treaty of Daʿʿān (1329 H/1911 <span>ad</span>), a pivotal agreement between the Ottoman Empire and Imām al-Mutawakkil Yaḥyā Ḥamīd al-Dīn. The research sheds light on the intricate relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Zaydī imams before and after the treaty, providing critical insights into the political and cultural dynamics of Yemen during the late 19th and early 20th centuries <span>ce</span>. Through an in-depth analysis, this study underscores the inscription's value as a historical source, elucidating Ottoman-Zaydī interactions in the context of the Daʿʿān agreement. The analysis is organized around two principal aspects. First, it examines the formal characteristics of the inscription, including the script type, textual arrangement and recorded content. Second, it explores contextual elements such as the inscription's purpose, date, references to specific Yemeni cities, and the military ranks and titles mentioned. Additionally, the study investigates the influence of visual elements on the overall design, particularly their role in shaping the writing style and script selection. It further analyses the textual layout, languages employed and engraving techniques, emphasizing their functionality in ensuring legibility from a visual distance. This multidisciplinary approach highlights the inscription's historical, artistic and cultural significance, offering new insights into the interaction between visual, textual and contextual elements in commemorative inscriptions of this period.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"350-365"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Unpublished Inscription From the ʾAwām Sanctuary of ʾAlmaqah: New Evidence for a Royal mqtwy and Sabaean Campaigns in the ‘Land of the Abyssinians’","authors":"Justine Potts","doi":"10.1111/aae.12262","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12262","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article presents an unpublished Sabaic inscription from the ʾAwām sanctuary of ʾAlmaqah, near Maʾrib. The inscription sheds new light on the mid-third century <span>ad</span> adventures of a <i>mqtwy</i> (‘officer’) of the Sabaean kings already known from epigraphic evidence: <i>Whbʾwm Yʾḏf</i>. It attests to him waging previously unknown campaigns in ‘the land of the Abyssinians’ (<i>ʾrḍ Ḥbs</i><sup><i>2</i></sup><i>t</i>) alongside his own <i>mqtwy</i>, who subsequently dedicated the inscription, with a bronze statue, in thanksgiving to the deity. This is the only military, rather than diplomatic, Sabaean mission abroad to the <i>land</i> (<i>ʾrḍ</i>) of the Abyssinians so far attested. Wider evidence invites us to reconstruct <i>Whbʾwm</i>'s extraordinary career and identify an overlooked religious dimension to the <i>mqtwy</i>'s function. The inscription shows that divine thanksgiving from <i>mqtwy</i> for monarch took identical form lower down the social hierarchy, adumbrating not only the reciprocity and ritual that underpinned Sabaean elite society, but also the impact of Abyssinian hostilities at a pivotal moment in the twilight of Sabaean history.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"277-298"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aae.12262","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Minaeans at Ḥimā: The Epigraphic Corpus and Its Historical, Linguistic and Cultural Implications","authors":"Alessia Prioletta, Mounir Arbach","doi":"10.1111/aae.12261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12261","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study explores over 150 inscriptions and graffiti left by Minaean traders in Ḥimā, a key stopover on the trans-Arabian caravan route. The inscriptions provide valuable data on Minaean onomastics, revealing the use of individual names and lineage indicators. They also suggest varying levels of literacy and linguistic adaptation among the authors, who used writing closely mirroring their spoken language, distinct from formal urban inscriptions. The study addresses the authors' literacy and social status, indicating the presence of notable individuals with higher ranks or specific roles within the trading caravans. It situates the inscriptions within the broader context of ancient trade routes and cultural interactions in the Arabian Peninsula, emphasizing the integration of Minaean families across different regions and the significant role of trade in their social organization.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"253-276"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Safaitic–Greek Graffito by a Shepherd in the Black Desert of Jordan","authors":"Hani Hayajneh, Rafe Harahsheh, Julien Aliquot","doi":"10.1111/aae.12263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12263","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A newly discovered bilingual rock-cut graffito from Qāʿ Raʿd is presented here. This Safaitic–Greek inscription recalls the stay of a shepherd and his flock in the basaltic desert of northeast Jordan. Although numerous documents have largely confirmed the presence of nomadic pastoralists in the same area, proven bilingual examples are exceptionally rare. This discovery once again raises questions about the role of the Greek language among the populations living on the outskirts of the Roman province of Arabia.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"299-305"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Archaeological Geology of Jurash, ʿAsīr Province, Southwestern Saudi Arabia","authors":"James A. Harrell","doi":"10.1111/aae.12259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12259","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Jurash archaeological site is located on Wādī Bīshah near the city of Khamīs Mushayt in southwestern Saudi Arabia. It has a fort and other remains from the pre-Islamic period (third century <span>bc</span> to early seventh century <span>ad</span>) and a settlement with two mosques from the Early Islamic period (early seventh to early 11th centuries <span>ad</span>). A survey was conducted for the purposes of identifying the building materials and determining their geographic sources, and also investigating the building methods. It was found that all materials were locally derived and that the fort's outer wall is a typical example of South Arabian fortifications of the first millennium <span>bc</span>. An examination of the site stratigraphy revealed that Jurash has been repeatedly inundated by destructive flash floods from Wādī Bīshah. The timing of these events was largely controlled by global climatic fluctuations, including the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"230-244"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aae.12259","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Two Anthropomorphic Stelae Connected With a Platform-Like Structure in the Area of Ḥimā (Saudi Arabia): New Data From Southwestern Arabia","authors":"Silvia Lischi, Jérôme-François Haquet, Jérémie Schiettecatte, Alessia Prioletta","doi":"10.1111/aae.12260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12260","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Since 2020, the Saudi-French Archaeological and Epigraphic Mission to Najrān (MAFSN) has been conducting additional archaeological surveys and small-scale excavations in the Ḥimā area, providing a wealth of data from different historical periods. Preliminary analysis of the structures and artefacts discovered revealed a complex landscape characterised by patterns of continuous human activity from the Palaeolithic to modern times, underlining the historical importance of this area as a transit hub along the caravan routes. The identification of various structures has made it possible to establish a basic typology and enabled a distribution study of the human presence, allowing comparisons with neighbouring regions. This paper presents the discovery of two anthropomorphic stelae associated with a platform-like structure excavated in November 2021 on the eastern side of Jabal al-Kawkab, al‑Gharaziyyāt area. The documentation of these stelae lays the groundwork for a re-evaluation of the Bronze Age occupation of the area.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"36 1","pages":"39-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aae.12260","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145335770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bond of allegiance? The three lines on Dilmun seals","authors":"Flemming Højlund","doi":"10.1111/aae.12257","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aae.12257","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Stamp seals of the Dilmun type have kept their characteristic shape and boss decoration of three lines and four dotted circles for several 100 years. Although the carving of the shape of the seal and the design on the obverse normally reveal a confident experience, the cutting of the three lines on the reverse is generally irregular and clumsy. It is suggested that the former was in the hands of a professional seal carver, whereas the latter was carried out by the seal owner, perhaps as a sign of allegiance to the king.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"35 1","pages":"61-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142209432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khaled A. Douglas, Nasser S. Al-Jahwari, Mohamad A. Hesein, Michel de Vreeze
{"title":"A ritual building from the Umm an-Nar settlement, Dahwa 7 in al-Batinah Plain, Northeast Oman","authors":"Khaled A. Douglas, Nasser S. Al-Jahwari, Mohamad A. Hesein, Michel de Vreeze","doi":"10.1111/aae.12256","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aae.12256","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study makes the argument for the presence of a category of small-sized ritual buildings at the Umm an-Nar (2700–2000 BC) sites of Dahwa 1 (DH1) and Dahwa 7 (DH7). These buildings are DH1.S20 and DH7.S1. The architectural features and associated finds point to their ritual function. Building DH7.S1 will be the focus while presenting arguments for its ritual role. Besides domestic buildings within a clustered settlement system and a monumental tomb dating to the Umm an-Nar period, the site might give unique evidence of a form of small buildings that served a ritual purpose. These buildings have no clear parallel in the excavated Umm an-Nar period settlements so far but adhere to the principles of cultic structures from elsewhere around the Near East that support their interpretation as cultic buildings.</p>","PeriodicalId":8124,"journal":{"name":"Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy","volume":"35 1","pages":"17-40"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142209431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}