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Dating Persistent Short-Term Human Activity in a Complex Depositional Environment: Late Prehistoric Occupation at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai
Abstract
The archaeological site of Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, presents a long sequence of persistent temporary human occupation on the northern edge of the Rub’ al-Khali desert. The site is located in active dune fields, and evidence for human activity is stratified within a deep sequence of natural dune deposits that reflect complex taphonomic processes of deposition, erosion and reworking. This study presents the results of a program of radiocarbon ( ¹⁴ C) and thermoluminescence dating on deposits from Saruq al-Hadid, allied with studies of material remains, which are amalgamated with the results of earlier absolute dating studies provide a robust chronology for the use of the site from the Bronze Age to the Islamic period. The results of the dating program allow the various expressions of human activity at the site—ranging from subsistence activities such as hunting and herding, to multi-community ritual activities and large scale metallurgical extraction—to be better situated chronologically, and thus in relation to current debates regarding the development of late prehistoric and early historic societies in southeastern Arabia.
... The site consists of more than a square kilometer of discontinuous occupation deposits incorporated within dunes up to 6 metres deep, with complex assemblages of archaeological materials spanning the Neolithic to early Islamic periods, ca. 10,000-1,000 BP, and evidence for small-scale occupation continuing into recent centuries [1][2][3][4][5][6]. ...
... Material remains indicate that these deposits span the Umm an-Nar to early Wadi Suq transition, with modelled radiocarbon dates of ca. 2000-1750 BC [4]. The stone artefact assemblage was recovered from a dense bone midden, labelled Horizon IV (Fig 2), which was deposited across the Wadi Suq period to Late Bronze Age transition, ca. ...
... The stone artefact assemblage was recovered from a dense bone midden, labelled Horizon IV (Fig 2), which was deposited across the Wadi Suq period to Late Bronze Age transition, ca. 1750-1300 BC [4]. The bone layer measures at least 750 square metres and is up to 1 metre thick [5,32,33]. ...
Excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, UAE, discovered a stone tool technology with backed microliths dating to the Wadi Suq period and Late Bronze Age (ca. 1750-1300 BCE). The stone technology is a contemporary with metal production in the region, and the assemblage was recovered from a thick bone midden deposit at this multi-period site on the edge of the Rub' al-Khali Desert. Small cobbles of chert were imported to the site and were reduced into flakes by hard-hammer percussion. Cores were frequently rotated during knapping and the reduction strategy was ad hoc, lacking hierarchical reduction stages. Flake tools were used as-is or modified by retouching. Some flakes were selected for backing into geometric microliths, and backing techniques often reflected high levels of stoneworking skill to produce stylised scalene shapes. A review of contemporary archaeological evidence, and the context of the Saruq al-Hadid assemblage, suggest that microliths may have been made as stone armatures for arrows despite the contemporary use of copper-based arrowheads.
... From the charcoal samples collected from the interior of these pits we could date most of them from between 1000 to 800 BC, with one which chronology extends from the 1200 to 1000 BC and another from the eighth to the sixth centuries BC 21 . Adding to the absolute chronologies provided by the charcoal in the pits, were abundant fragments of ceramic and soft stone sherds that are similar to examples found in other Iron Age II assemblages of 19 Weeks et al. 2017;Weeks et al 2019;Casana, Herrmann & Qandil 2009;Contreras et al 2016. 20 In the Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate, "Inland sabkhas form where the water table lies very close to the surface. ...
... © Anna Zuber (Sanisera Archaeology Institute).40 Genchi, Giardino & Castelluccia 2013: 56-57.41 Weeks et al. 2019Weeks et al. : 1066Weeks et al. -1068.42 Genchi, Giardino & Castelluccia 2013: 16. ...
... Kennet 2002. 32 Weeks et al. 2019: 1066-1068 ...
Within five years of excavations in Area 2A and G of Saruq al-Hadid, several pit-like structures used in combustion activities were found whose purpose is still unclear. Near these, a rich collection of metal objects from the Iron Age II was gathered, along with evidences of their production at the site. Frequent identification of raw materials and working tools, mainly for jewellery production, suggests that the site was also a production centre for these kind of objects, as well as a site with religious connotation as suggested by the votive objects discovered, such as copper anthropomorphic figurines, snakes, miniature weaponry, and soft stone and ceramic vessels with parallels in other places of worship.
... Four important evidences about the site come to mind. First of all, it seems the site has been part 12 Weeks et al. 2019Weeks et al. : 1059Weeks et al. -1060. 13 Secondly, it appears that this whole area was still empty of the present sand dunes, or at least this was an inter-dune area where people could live and perform their activities protected from the major wind currents. ...
... From the charcoal samples collected from the interior of these pits we could date most of them from between 1000 to 800 BC, with one which chronology extends from the 1200 to 1000 BC and another from the eighth to the sixth centuries BC 21 . Adding to the absolute chronologies provided by the charcoal in the pits, were abundant fragments of ceramic and soft stone sherds that are similar to examples found in other Iron Age II assemblages of 19 Weeks et al. 2017;Weeks et al 2019;Casana, Herrmann & Qandil 2009;Contreras et al 2016. 20 In the Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate, "Inland sabkhas form where the water table lies very close to the surface. ...
... © Anna Zuber (Sanisera Archaeology Institute).40 Genchi, Giardino & Castelluccia 2013: 56-57. 41 Weeks et al. 2019Weeks et al. : 1066Weeks et al. -1068.42 Genchi, Giardino & Castelluccia 2013: 16. ...
Within five years of excavations in Area 2A and G of Saruq al-Hadid, several pit-like structures used in combustion activities were found whose purpose is still unclear. Near these, a rich collection of metal objects from the Iron Age II was gathered, along with evidences of their production at the site. Frequent identification of raw materials and working tools, mainly for jewellery production, suggests that the site was also a production centre for these kind of objects, as well as a site with religious connotation as suggested by the votive objects discovered, such as copper anthropomorphic figurines, snakes, miniature weaponry, and soft stone and ceramic vessels with parallels in other places of worship.
... However, the picture of early iron use in southeastern Arabia has been dramatically altered by the recent archaeological excavations of the site of Saruq al-Hadid in southern Dubai (Fig. 1), which has produced more than 200 kg of ferrous remains in the form of fragments and complete weapons from Iron Age contexts dated to c. 1250-800 BCE (Al-Khraysheh and An -Nashef, 2007;Nashef, 2010;Weeks et al., 2019bWeeks et al., , 2017. This unprecedented assemblage casts a new light on the scale and access to iron technology in early Iron Age southeastern Arabia, and its analysis offers a unique opportunity to scientifically explore the nature and origins of the earliest iron used in the region. ...
... Saruq al-Hadid, located in the dune fields on the southern border of Dubai ( Fig. 1), flourished as a centre for (multi-)community gatherings and ritual activities during the late second and early first millennia BCE (Weeks et al., , 2019b. The site is best known for the abundant material assemblage associated with these activities, including thousands of artefacts in copper alloy, gold, ceramic, shell, bone, wood, as well as an exceptional abundancec. ...
... 1000-800 BCE) and more rarely in Horizon III (c. 1250-1000 BCE) as complete objects occurring with artefacts in other materials, including numerous ceramic vessels and copper-base objects incorporating snake imagery (Weeks et al., , 2019bStepanov et al., 2019a). Recent macroscopic and archaeometric analyses of material from all excavations at the site to date Weeks et al., 2019a) suggest that the ferrous remains from Horizon I are residues from late or post-Iron Age scavenging and re-processing to assess the metal content of complete objects, including long iron swords, that were originally ritually deposited earlier in the Iron Age (Horizons II and III). ...
... Saruq al-Hadid is located 40 km from the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates, in the dune fields of the Rub' al-Khali desert (Fig. 1). Programmes of survey and excavation undertaken at the site have identified persistent, temporary occupation from the Early Bronze Age, locally known as the Umm an-Nar period, through to the early Iron Age (c.2000-800 BCE), with evidence for periodic later activities through to the Islamic Period (Casana, Herrmann, & Qandil, 2009;Contreras et al., 2016;Herrmann, Casana, & Qandil, 2012;Karacic, 2016;Karacic, Boraik, & Qandil, 2017;Nashef, 2010;Weeks et al., 2017Weeks et al., , 2018Weeks et al., , 2019b. This activity is represented by a deep stratigraphy of interspersed cultural and natural layers in the central area of the site (Weeks et al., 2018: 8, fig. ...
... This activity is represented by a deep stratigraphy of interspersed cultural and natural layers in the central area of the site (Weeks et al., 2018: 8, fig. 3;2019b), that can be divided into five archaeological "horizons". An extensive programme of absolute dating (Weeks et al., 2019b) has allowed broad date ranges to be assigned to these horizons, as shown in Table 3. ...
... 3;2019b), that can be divided into five archaeological "horizons". An extensive programme of absolute dating (Weeks et al., 2019b) has allowed broad date ranges to be assigned to these horizons, as shown in Table 3. ...
Marine resources were an integral and consistent component of subsistence strategies employed in south‐eastern Arabia throughout late prehistory. Of particular interest is the movement of these resources from the coast to interior sites and the implications of this movement for transhumance and trade in the region during this period. Marine species were frequently identified in the faunal assemblage from the inland site of Saruq al‐Hadid, dating from the Bronze Age to Early Iron Age (c.2000–c.800 BCE). This included marine fish species, along with two cormorant species (Phalacrocorax sp.) and several fragments of dugong (Dugong dugon). Twenty‐seven families of marine shell were also identified in the remains recovered from the site. The presence of these remains at this inland site demonstrates that resources were frequently moved from the coast to the interior throughout Saruq al‐Hadid’s occupation, indicative of their enduring significance in subsistence strategies employed at the site. This paper presents the results of zooarchaeological analysis of these remains and discusses the significance of their presence at Saruq al‐Hadid, with reference to subsistence, craft production and intra‐regional exchange during the Bronze and Iron Ages.
... Recent excavations at Saruq al-Hadid in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Fig. 1), have identified a backed microlith technology utilized during the occupation of the site in the second millennium BC. The backed microliths are part of an assemblage of c.9100 stone artefacts recovered from the site's Horizon IV deposits (c.1750-1300 BC; Weeks et al. 2019), which span the Wadi Suq period and Late Bronze Age. Backed microliths are small flakes, under 50 mm long, that are steeply retouched ('backed') on one margin, opposite a sharp unmodified edge, or 'chord' (Fig. 2). ...
... The site is characterized by spatially discontinuous occupation remains spread over an area of more than 1 km 2 and incorporated within dunes up to 6 m deep. Excavations have revealed complex assemblages of archaeological materials spanning several millennia (Herrmann, Casana & Qandil Since 2014, the site has been a focus of work by the Saruq al-Hadid Archaeological Research Project (SHARP; Weeks et al. 2019Weeks et al. , 2018Weeks et al. , 2017, among others. Saruq al-Hadid and its immediate vicinity witnessed human occupation as early as the Neolithic period, as attested by the discovery of Neolithic stone tools as surface finds at the site (Al-Khraysheh & An -Nashef 2007: 96-102;Boraik Radwan 2018: 34-39) and in large concentrations at the site of Al-Ashoosh 2, located 8 km to the east (Casana, Herrmann & Qandil 2009). ...
Excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, have recovered a large assemblage of stone artefacts, including backed microliths, from a dense midden of animal bone deposited during the mid-second millennium BC. Stoneworkers at Saruq al-Hadid combined simple core reduction methods with sophisticated backing techniques to produce the microliths. Unstandardized flake blanks were backed directly, or were truncated into segments which were subsequently backed. The final stage of backing was carefully controlled and was probably accomplished using a pressure technique; the backed surface on many microliths is distinctively domed in profile. Most microliths are asymmetrical in shape and many display a distinctive scalene triangle morphology. The microliths probably functioned as armatures for arrows, although other functions are possible. Here we contextualize microlith production at Saruq al-Hadid through a review of late prehistoric microlith traditions in southeastern Arabia and neighbouring regions of Asia and Africa. This raises intriguing but unresolved issues related to preceding technological traditions, cultural connections, and group identity.
... Glennie, 2001: Fig. 1;Pain and Abdelfattah, 2015), indicate that it is appropriate to consider Saruq al-Hadid to be an 'inland-site' during the occupation discussed in this paper. Programmes of survey and excavation undertaken at the site have identified persistent, temporary occupation from the late Early Bronze Age, locally known as the Umm an-Nar period, through to the early Iron Age (c.2000 -800 BCE), with evidence for episodic earlier use in the Neolithic period and later activities through to the Islamic Period (Casana et al., 2009;Nashef, 2010;Herrmann et al., 2012;Contreras Rodrigo et al., 2017;Karacic et al., 2018;Weeks et al., 2017Weeks et al., , 2018Weeks et al., , 2019. Recent excavations undertaken by the Saruq al-Hadid Archaeological Research Project (SHARP) identified 1200 years of concentrated activity at Saruq al-Hadid, represented by a deep stratigraphy of interspersed cultural and natural layers in the 'Central Sector' of the site (Weeks et al., 2018, p. 8, Fig. 3). ...
... The SHARP excavations recovered a substantial assemblage of animal bone. The majority of deposits excavated by SHARP were Table 1 Dates for the five occupation horizons identified by the SHARP excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, following Weeks et al. (2019). It is important to note that the SHARP excavations identified ephemeral evidence of occupation dating to the late Umm an-Nar period (cf. ...
Excavations at Saruq al-Hadid, a late prehistoric (c.2000 BCE – c.800 BCE) site located in the Emirate of Dubai, U.A.E., have recovered several tonnes of animal bone. Due to a thorough sieving and retention strategy the remains of a range of taxa were collected, from camels to rodents. Within this wealth of material several dozen fragments of a variety of bird species were identified that have given a unique insight into human activity in the interior of southeastern Arabia; from sea birds (an unexpected find, given that the site is 40km away from the current coastline), to a fragment of raptor that might reflect early hunting practices. The presence of certain bird species in the remains may also be indicative of the site’s past environment and suggests it was likely different to the sparsely vegetated mobile dune field it is today. This paper outlines these remains, from their excavation to their analysis. The insights they provide into the nature of the occupation at Saruq al-Hadid are discussed, thereby demonstrating the great utility of studying even a relatively small assemblage of archaeological bird remains.
... Recent excavations at Saruq al-Hadid in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Fig. 1), have identified a backed microlith technology utilized during the occupation of the site in the second millennium BC. The backed microliths are part of an assemblage of c.9100 stone artefacts recovered from the site's Horizon IV deposits (c.1750-1300 BC; Weeks et al. 2019), which span the Wadi Suq period and Late Bronze Age. Backed microliths are small flakes, under 50 mm long, that are steeply retouched ('backed') on one margin, opposite a sharp unmodified edge, or 'chord' (Fig. 2). ...
... The site is characterized by spatially discontinuous occupation remains spread over an area of more than 1 km 2 and incorporated within dunes up to 6 m deep. Excavations have revealed complex assemblages of archaeological materials spanning several millennia (Herrmann, Casana & Qandil Since 2014, the site has been a focus of work by the Saruq al-Hadid Archaeological Research Project (SHARP; Weeks et al. 2019Weeks et al. , 2018Weeks et al. , 2017, among others. Saruq al-Hadid and its immediate vicinity witnessed human occupation as early as the Neolithic period, as attested by the discovery of Neolithic stone tools as surface finds at the site (Al-Khraysheh & An -Nashef 2007: 96-102;Boraik Radwan 2018: 34-39) and in large concentrations at the site of Al-Ashoosh 2, located 8 km to the east (Casana, Herrmann & Qandil 2009). ...
... However, there have been recent discoveries of Wādī Sūq sites with nonfunerary and nonsedentary characteristics, such as those on deserts and hillslopes, as well as a camel butchering site, which were previously unknown (de Vreeze et al., 2020;Gruber et al., 2005;Weeks et al., 2018Weeks et al., , 2017Weeks et al., , 2019. This implies variations in spatial use and mobility during the Wādī Sūq period. ...
This paper reports the results of excavation at Mugharat al‐Kahf (WTN01) in Wādī Tanūf, North‐central Oman. It also provides information on the nonmortuary and nonsedentary activities in central Oman during the Wādī Sūq period (2000–1600 BCE), as the subsistence and social arrangements of this period are the subject of much debate. Previous surveys had discovered a substantial amount of Wādī Sūq pottery at the site. This project took forward the excavation for further exploration. The excavation at Test Pit 1 identified Layers Ia and Ib, wherein pottery sherds, charred date stones and other samples for radiocarbon dating were discovered. These prove the cave's occupation during the early third millennium BCE, early second millennium BCE and the Islamic period. The analysis of artefacts and floral remains provided insights into the sojourn, storage and consumption of dates in the cave, and the mobile lifestyle in central Oman.
The settlement—a place on a landscape where a human group lives and interacts—has become such a fundamental social and material concept in archaeology that it is rarely explicitly defined. The breadth of meaning built into the term allows it to transcend regional, temporal, and contextual differences in site form, size, and composition. However, just as this combination of versatility and implied meaning makes settlement applicable to archaeological studies worldwide, it also creates conditions in which the term’s social significance may be overlooked or where it may be misapplied in ways that lead to false equivalencies and mischaracterizations. Through a literary review of research on Umm an-Nar period (UaN; ca. 2700–2000 BCE) sites of the Oman Peninsula, this paper examines the ways in which broad (mis)applications of the term ‘settlement’ can deeply impact scholarly understanding of an ancient society. Inconsistencies in UaN settlement identification—born of regional variations in the archaeological record, coarse temporal clarity, and the history of scholarship in southeast Arabia—are shown to have significant ramifications for how UaN society is analyzed, interpreted, and characterized in archaeological literature. It is argued that settlement-focused archaeological studies would universally benefit from explicit definition(s) of the term and greater precision in its application.
Fishing is known to have been an integral component of life in prehistoric coastal communities in southeastern Arabia and the recovery of fish bones from sites away from the coast indicates that fish were also an important resource at inland sites in this area. Recent excavations undertaken at the late prehistoric (c.2000–c.800 BCE) site of Saruq al-Hadid, UAE, a desert site located c.40 km away from Emirate of Dubai's coastline, have recovered a large assemblage of fish remains including a substantial number of sagittal otoliths from a variety of marine species. In this paper, we present the results of Laser Ablation ICP-MS analysis of the chemical composition of 143 sagittal otoliths recovered from Saruq al-Hadid and use the data to make preliminary inferences regarding the provenance, season of capture and method of preservation of these fish. We tentatively suggest that the otolith chemistries observed in this study indicate that fish from both the Persian Gulf and Omani coast are present at Saruq al-Hadid. Additionally, we are also able to rule out salting as a preservation method for the fish represented by these otoliths. However, we also highlight the extensive array of variables that may influence these data and acknowledge that the nature of the dataset prevents any firm conclusions being drawn regarding these topics at this stage in the study. Despite the limitations of this preliminary study, we argue that the otoliths from Saruq al-Hadid have significant research potential and conclude by outlining methods that might be employed to take this study further in the future.
This paper presents an integrated approach to the identification of complex reprocessing operations of ancient ferrous artefacts from the multi-period site of Saruq al-Hadid, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Spatial and morphological studies and a range of archaeometric analyses-optical microscopy, X-Ray diffraction, Micro-Raman spectroscopy, neutron tomography-are used to identify various processing markers preserved in these heavily corroded objects and to distinguish two groups of differently processed fragments. The main analytical focus is the investigation of corrosion layers preserving traces of hot oxidation and forging of metallic iron, along with reheating of previously formed rust layers. The collected evidence suggests that the numerous iron artefacts ritually deposited of at the site in the early Iron Age were subsequently retrieved and re-forged into semi-products as a part of larger scheme of recycling operations, in which Saruq al-Hadid was a first node.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00438243.2018.1491324 • In this paper, the authors use the site of Saruq al-Hadid-a 'persistent temporary place' located in the mobile dune fields of the north eastern edge of the Rub' al-Khali desert-as a lens to focus discussion on the variable nature of temporary sites and mobile adaptations within the archaeology of southeastern Arabia, the relationships between temporary sites and permanent settlements, and the evidence for collective events and gatherings from later prehistory into the Islamic period. They discuss evolving arguments regarding sedentary and mobile sites and groups in Arabia from the Neolithic period to the Iron Age, and summarize the material record of human activity at Saruq al-Hadid. This research emphasizes the site's changing significance as a temporary place and its emergence, in the early Iron Age, as a locus for periodic interaction between multiple community groups.
On April 1st, 2012, in the desert sand three tourists stumbled onto what they interpreted as the remains of an ancient battlefield. In reality they discovered the remains of an ancient metal melting site ‒ an ancient crime scene. Most of the finds consisted of weapons fashioned from copper-alloy, especially daggers. They were mostly grave-goods. Everything about this find was unusual. How and when did it get there, just inside the Empty Quarter. Why should it be here, distant for markets and roads? The editors combined an international team which consisted of the original archaeologists at the site and experts on metal-finds.
The text begins with an introduction from Sultan al-Bakri in which he explains the discovery from the point of view of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, which sponsored the field-work. Clearly the true site toponym is ʿUqdat al-Bakrah, although the first archaeologists on the site called it by other names.
In the first chapter Gösta Hoffmann explains the geology of the area, in order to get an idea of the pre-requisites for placing the site here. Important is water and fuel availability.
Roman Garba tells the story of the discovery from first-hand experience. He also worked in the area prior to the find.
Francesco Genchi and Claudio Giardino present the documentation of the excavations and find recovery made a few weeks after the finds were first sited. They establish the site dating and character.
Paul Yule updates the chronology for metal-finds in south-eastern Arabia for the time from 3000 to 300 BCE. A main hurdle is to identify heirloom pieces and update the find chronology.
Claudio Giardino and Giovanni Paternoster examined the metallic finds by means of energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and therewith characterise the chemical composition and technology available to the ancient metallurgists.
Their results correlate nicely with the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy of Julie Goy.
Guillaume Gernez synthesises the results of the different studies based on his expertise in metallic weaponry. His independent opinion is designed as a final representation of the find and its cultural importance.
It was deemed essential to make an exhaustive catalogue study of the find with the intention that it would not be necessary to document any of the finds again. That is why they are drawn and described. A the end concordances order the finds first by catalogue and then by find number. Except for arrow-heads, the finds are drawn 1:3 in scale.
The nature of the relationship between humans and wild terrestrial animals has been little discussed in Bronze Age and Iron Age south‐eastern Arabia, largely due to a relative paucity of their remains in contemporary faunal assemblages. In this paper we present the results of analysis of animal bone recently excavated from Saruq al‐Hadid, a late prehistoric (2200–800 BC) site located in the desert interior of the UAE. Wild terrestrial animals, particularly oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and gazelle (Gazella sp.), were the predominant taxa identified, suggesting long‐term, frequent exploitation of these species. Here we use these remains to examine the implications of this wild animal exploitation for subsistence strategies and social formation at the site and in the region, alongside late prehistoric use of the desert zone and the complexities of the relationship between humans and wild animals that occur in this environment. A reassessment of the zooarchaeological evidence from south‐eastern Arabia highlights the potential economic and social significance of wild animals to late prehistoric societies in the region, and the necessity to factor this importance into considerations of concurrent social developments.
Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies
Recent excavations near Adam (Oman) yielded new data about the margins of the desert in Central Oman during the early and late Iron Age periods. After nine campaigns of excavations and surveys in the area of Adam, only several graves had been identified during the surveys and the excavations of two graveyards (Adam North and South) but settlement sites were scarce and it seemed that the area was not highly occupied during this period, unlike the situation observed in the major site of Salut, only 45 km northwest of Adam. However, the discovery of an enigmatic Iron Age site near Adam leads to reconsider this first impression. The site consists of a group of structures located on the eastern tip of Jabal Mudhmar, near Wadi Halfayn. The main stone building contains unique copper weapons (real size, reduced models and miniatures) including arrows, bows, quivers and daggers that could be used for ritual purpose. One other building was excavated, and the micro-regional topography and survey brought further data about the function of the site. From its geographic location and its unusual content, the site could have several functions: a meeting place linked to social, political or religious use, and a relay on the ancient road between Adam and Sinaw.
In September 2014, the University of New England (UNE), Australia, began a three-year programme of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation analyses focused on the site of Saruq al-Hadid. In this paper, we present the initial results of our current field and laboratory research particularly related to site stratigraphy and formation processes, relative and absolute chronology, and the preliminary results of various programmes of post-excavation analyses including archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, ceramic and archaeometallurgical studies. These studies provide new data to build into the archaeological understanding of Saruq al-Hadid that has, to date, focused largely on intensive excavation.
The archaeological site of Al-Ashoosh is a third-millennium BC settlement located in the Rub al-Khali Desert (or Empty Quarter), 70km south of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Figure 1). This site provides an excellent example of the type of occupation of the inland deserts of the Oman peninsula during the period following the Holocene Climatic Optimum. Between November 2015 and May 2016, the Dubai Municipality and the Sanisera Archaeology Institute conducted excavations at the site of Al-Ashoosh. This site was discovered during two seasons of survey in 2002–2003. This survey work, undertaken by the Dubai Municipality and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, identified 33 archaeological sites ranging in date from prehistory to the late Islamic period. In 2006–2007, more-detailed archaeological investigations of the area of Al-Ashoosh were conducted, including survey, excavation and geological sampling (Casana et al. 2009; Herrmann 2012; Contreras & Carcacer 2016).
Bujang Valley is a well-known historical complex found in the north-west of peninsular Malaysia; more than 50 ancient monuments and hundreds of artefacts have been discovered throughout the area. The discovery of these suggests Bujang Valley to have been an important South East Asian trading centre over the period from the 10th to 14th centuries. Present work concerns thermoluminescence (TL) dating analysis of shards collected from a historic monument located at Pengkalan Bujang in Bujang Valley. All the shards were prepared using the fine grain technique and the additive dose method was applied in determining the paleodose of each shard. The annual dose rate was obtained by measuring the concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides (U, Th and K) in the samples and their surroundings. The TL ages of the shards were found to range between 330±21 years and 920±69 years, indicative of the last firing of the bricks and tiles from which the shards originated, some dating back to the period during which the historical complex remained active.
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An early-to mid-Holocene humid phase has been identified in various Arabian geo-archives, although significant regional heterogeneity has been reported in the onset, duration and stability of this period. A multi-proxy lake and dune record from Wahalah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) documents significant variations in hydrology, biological productivity and landscape stability during the first half of the Holocene. These data reveal that post-Last Glacial Maximum dune emplacement continued into the earliest part of the Holocene, with the onset of permanent lacustrine sedimentation at the site commencing ~8.5 ka cal. BP. A long-term shift towards more arid conditions is inferred between ~7.8 and
5.9 ka cal. BP, with intermittent flooding of the basin and distinct phases of instability throughout the catchment area. This transition is linked to the southwards migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and associated weakening of monsoon rains. A peak in landscape instability is recorded between ~5.9 and 5.3 ka cal. BP and is marked by a pronounced increase in regional dune emplacement. These variations are considered alongside the record of human settlement raising important questions about the interactions between population demographics, climate and environment in southeast Arabia during the Neolithic.
The IntCal09 and Marine09 radiocarbon calibration curves have been revised utilizing newly available and updated data sets from 14C measurements on tree rings, plant macrofossils, speleothems, corals, and foraminifera. The calibration curves were derived from the data using the random walk model (RWM) used to generate IntCal09 and Marine09, which has been revised to account for additional uncertainties and error structures. The new curves were ratified at the 21st International Radiocarbon conference in July 2012 and are available as Supplemental Material at www.radiocarbon.org. The database can be accessed at http://intcal.qub.ac.uk/intcal13/. © 2013 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona.
This paper describes the pedogenically altered fluvial deposits comprising the Barzaman Formation, UAE. This formation is
composed of a sequence of rocks dominated by variably cemented conglomerates thought to be middle Miocene to Pliocene in age.
The well-established descriptive scheme currently used for describing the formation is reviewed and a simple visual descriptive
lithological classification is proposed based on the three principal lithological components visible in a hand specimen: mottled
white calcisiltite matrix/cement, palygorskite rich marl and clasts derived from the Oman Mountains (gabbro, chert and weathered
ultramafic rock). Data on the mineralogy and microstructure of the rock constituents is presented and some implications for
the geotechnical characterisation of the formation are briefly discussed.
Two measured and weighed assemblages of lithic debitage were subjected to human treadage, one set on a compact sandy silt ("loam") substrate, the other on unconsolidated sand. The assemblages were excavated, plotted in three dimensions, and documented for damage. Downward migration of pieces at the loam site was minimal: fracture of small pieces was the dominant damage pattern. Most sand site pieces migrated to 3-8 cm depth; vertical distribution of pieces approximated a normal curve, and edge-damage to larger pieces was the dominant damage pattern. Vertical distribution of artifacts at the sand site approximated a pattern observed in two other trampling experiments and a number of archaeological occurrences. Factors influencing these distributions are discussed.
Regional archaeological survey in desert areas of Dubai, U.A.E., has identified numerous archaeological sites in this rapidly changing landscape. Subsurface geophysical surveys have been undertaken in concert with surface collection and test excavation to document the extent and chronology of each site. Contrary to expectations that deserts were permanently abandoned following the end of the mid-Holocene pluvial phase around 4000 BC, two sites, Al-Ashoosh and Saruq al-Hadid, show evidence of substantial occupation during the late third and early first millennia respectively. These findings suggest that the Rub al-Khali supported human settlement much later than is generally thought, challenging traditional understandings of the region’s cultural and environmental histories.
The article presents the analytical results of a study of copper-base artifacts from ed-Dur, a large site in the United Arab Emirates which was occupied principally during the 1st century A.D. In addition to identifying a number of pieces with high lead content, the analyses have contributed to an understanding of brass and brass distribtion in the Roman Near East.
The Hili archaeological complex in Al Ain (U.A.E.) is important for its wealth of third-millennium BC Umm an-Nar burial and settlement sites. Two of the most significant burial sites are Tomb N at Hili and Tomb A Hili North. The latter is a classic circular Umm an-Nar monumental grave, while Hili N is a pit-grave, one of only two Umm an-Nar period pit-graves discovered so far in the U.A.E. Both of these tombs contained the remains of hundreds of individuals, in the case of Tomb A Hili North, more than 300, while around 600 people had been deposited in Hili N. Both population groups have been the subject of anthropological and artefactual analyses and a comparison of the findings help to shed light on the chronology of the end of the Umm an-Nar period.
During the course of a preliminary surface survey of the island of Hulaylah in Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates in 1991, it became clear that, although understanding of the ceramic sequence from the Bronze Age until about the 4th century AD in the northern Emirates was fairly good, very little was known about the sequence from the later Sasanian period until the present day. The principal aim of this book is therefore to present the classification of Sasanian and Islamic ceramics from the 4th/5th century AD to about the 20th century AD from Ras al-Khaimah as well as the evidence for a proposed chronology. The classification is based on a study of over 124,000 sherds, which includes excavated sequences from the sites of Kush and al-Mataf and numerous surface collections made in and around Ras al-Khaimah. Although reference is made to other published material from the region, on the whole the approach was to allow the Ras al-Khaimah ceramic sequence to ‘speak for itself’ before relating it to studies from other areas where chronologies and distributions may be significantly different. Chapter 5 proposes a new and more precise chronology and periodisation of Sasanian and Islamic ceramics from the Gulf for use in the dating of survey assemblages. The secondary aim of the book is to present a preliminary analysis of the combined quantified sequences from Kush and al-Mataf and to explore some of the results, especially those that have a bearing on the archaeology of Indian Ocean trade and economy. In doing this comparisons are made with the quantified sequence from Shanga on the East African coast in order to identify trends and developments that are relevant to the Arabian Sea littoral as a whole, as well as to Ras al-Khaimah. This aspect of the work is far from complete and is currently being developed into a fuller study of patterns of trade in the western Indian Ocean based on ceramic distributions and quantified assemblages. This will appear as part of the final publications of the two excavations and as individual research papers. In the meantime it was thought that a rapid and detailed dissemination of the basic data and some preliminary analysis may be of use to others working in the field and may stimulate research and open up new lines of enquiry. A basic users’ guide is provided in Appendix 4 to facilitate the identification of pottery in the field.
Temporary sites were a critical component of the prehistoric Near Eastern economy but, because of their ephemeral nature, are less frequently the focus of research than sedentary settlements. The present article presents the results of neutron activation analysis conducted on pottery from the temporary site of Saruq al-Hadid, United Arab Emirates. The results identified both continuity and change in the pottery consumed at the site in the Bronze and Iron Ages, which suggests that the peoples gathering here were integrated into economic practices observed at sedentary sites throughout southeastern Arabia.
Research recommenced at Tell Abraq in 2007, carried out by Bryn Mawr College
with an international team in co-operation with the Sharjah Archaeology Authority.
Between 2007 and 2010 fieldwork was limited to documenting sections of
the previous excavations and one small sounding while our attention focused
mainly on the nearby shell-midden site of Hamriya and the fortified Iron Age
settlement site of Muweilah. Since 2010, large-scale excavations have been
conducted which have fundamentally altered our understanding of the layout of
the settlement and its economic relations during the second and first millennia
BC. In this report, we detail the results of this work and present preliminary
interpretations.
If radiocarbon measurements are to be used at all for chronological purposes, we have to use statistical methods for calibration. The most widely used method of calibration can be seen as a simple application of Bayesian statistics, which uses both the information from the new measurement and information from the 14 C calibration curve. In most dating applications, however, we have larger numbers of 14 C measurements and we wish to relate those to events in the past. Bayesian statistics provides a coherent framework in which such analysis can be performed and is becoming a core element in many 14 C dating projects. This article gives an overview of the main model components used in chronological analysis, their mathematical formulation, and examples of how such analyses can be performed using the latest version of the OxCal software (v4). Many such models can be put together, in a modular fashion, from simple elements, with defined constraints and groupings. In other cases, the commonly used “uniform phase” models might not be appropriate, and ramped, exponential, or normal distributions of events might be more useful. When considering analyses of these kinds, it is useful to be able run simulations on synthetic data. Methods for performing such tests are discussed here along with other methods of diagnosing possible problems with statistical models of this kind.
Archaeological investigations in the Fujairah Emirate have revealed an extensive use of copper and copper alloys, witnessed on many sites of different periods. Two of these sites, Bithnah and Masafi, were extensively excavated by the French Archaeological Mission in the UAE, which discovered substantial evidence of occupation dated to the Iron Age. On the other hand, the mineralogical richness of the Emirates' territory, particularly as concerns possible copper ore-bearing veins, is evident on the geological map and is readily traceable on the ground. Following the preliminary results of a short survey conducted by A. Ploquin and M. Ohnenstetter in 2001, two more comprehensive campaigns of survey were carried out in 2009 and 2011 with the aim of recording archaeological sites showing traces of copper production. Twelve sites related to copper exploitation were visited. They indicate different steps in copper working, from mining activities to object fabrication. The results of these surveys are presented here, together with the first analytical data on the chemical signature of ingots and artefacts retrieved at Masafi, obtained by ICP-AES and XRF. These results are discussed in the light of existing comparable data on the Iron Age metallurgy in south-eastern Arabia.
Encompassing a landmass greater than the rest of the Near East and Eastern Mediterranean combined, the Arabian peninsula remains one of the last great unexplored regions of the ancient world. This book provides the first extensive coverage of the archaeology of this region from c. 9000 to 800 BC. Peter Magee argues that a unique social system, which relied on social cohesion and actively resisted the hierarchical structures of adjacent states, emerged during the Neolithic and continued to contour society for millennia later. The book also focuses on how the historical context in which Near Eastern archaeology was codified has led to a skewed understanding of the multiplicity of lifeways pursued by ancient peoples living throughout the Middle East.
This is a comprehensive guide to the flora of the UAE as of 2003, and contains discriptions and geographical locations of the ca. 800 plant species.
Since the 1960s, it has become increasingly clear that once an artifact is deposited on a surface it is subject to many different types of displacement and burial processes that come under the general heading of pedoturbation (Hole, 1961; Johnson, 1990; Wood and Johnson, 1978). Pedoturbation refers to many different soil mixing processes that can result in the displacement, movement, and burial of artifacts (Table 10.1). Bioturbation, which includes faunalturbation and floralturbation, is the common mixing agent at most sites. Equifinality of artifact burial by pedoturbation or by various forms of sedimentation is a common problem that confronts archeological survey and site investigations, particularly in loose sandy soils and sediments. The goal of this chapter is to identify and discuss techniques suited to evaluate the relative importance of pedoturbation versus sedimentation processes at sandy sites with buried components.
Permanent vegetation plots in the northern Sonoran Desert, USA, provided an opportunity to assess the effects of recent drought on desert shrubs and to examine survival in relation to rainfall variability during the past 76 years. Survival and maximum longevity of six species were determined for eight intercensus periods between 1928 and 2004. Average annual survival was Ambrosia deltoidea, 0.9167 ± 0.0415; Encelia farinosa, 0.7952 ± 0.0926; Janusia gracilis, 0.9334 ± 0.0247; Krameria grayi, 0.9702 ± 0.0270; Larrea tridentata, 0.9861 ± 0.0174; and Lycium berlandieri, 0.9910 ± 0.0077. The longest-lived species were Larrea, Lycium, and Krameria, with average maximum life spans of 330, 211, and 184 years. Janusia, Ambrosia, and Encelia were much shorter lived, with average maximum longevity of 53, 40, and 16 years. Winter rain equalled or exceeded 90% of the long-term average accumulation except during 1948 to 1959 (65% of average) and from 2001 to 2003 (49% of average). Summer rain did not drop below 90% of the average accumulation in any period. The 1950s drought caused modest declines in survival of Ambrosia, Encelia, Janusia, Krameria, and Lycium. The effects of the recent drought were much more pronounced, resulting in sharp declines in survival and maximum longevity of Ambrosia, Encelia, Krameria, and Larrea, and modest declines for Lycium. Despite heightened mortality during the recent severe drought, 72% of the deaths observed between 1928 and 2004 occurred during periods of average or better-than-average rain, providing support for the idea that demography of shrubs in arid regions is influenced by continuous as well as episodic processes.
Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for human migration and dispersal during the Late Pleistocene. Deducing the timing of humid and arid phases is critical to understanding when the Rub' al-Khali desert acted as a barrier to human movement and settlement. Recent geological mapping in the northern part of the Rub' al-Khali has enabled the Qua-ternary history of the region to be put into a regional stratigraphical framework. In addition to the active dunes, two significant palaeodune sequences have been identified. Dating of key sections has enabled a chronology of dune accretion and stabilisation to be determined. In addition, previously published optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates have been put in their proper stratigraphical context, from which a record of Late Pleistocene dune activity can be constructed. The results indicate the record of dune activity in the northern Rub' al-Khali is preservation limited and is synchronous with humid events driven by the incursion of the Indian Ocean monsoon.
Excavations were conducted in 1989 at Tell Abraq, a stratified mound in the United Arab Emirates, by a team from the University of Copenhagen. An occupational sequence running from the early third millennium through the Iron Age was revealed. This is the first time that a continuous stratigraphie sequence for this period has been found in the Oman peninsula. Many objects of great interest (e.g. two Harappan weights, two cylinder seals, soft-stone vessel fragments, painted pottery) attest to the importance of the site.
A three-dimensional model of aeolian deposits interleaved with layers of cultural materials was created from the results of a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey at Saruq al Hadid, a multiperiod archaeological site located on the eastern fringe of the Rub al-Khali desert in the United Arab Emirates. Results from this survey provide some context for artefacts collected in prior excavations and offer valuable insight into the physical processes that shaped the present manifestation of the site. Concentrations of artefacts within the dune deposits and the possible footprints of architectural installations have been located through the examination of two-dimensional time slices and three-dimensional depictions of isosurfaces. A three-dimensional model of the dune interior, paired with absolute dates from related excavations, illustrates a history of occupation and sediment accumulation recorded at Saruq al-Hadid that is consistent with chronologies of environmental change and settlement proposed elsewhere for the third through first millennia bce. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The 2008–2009 excavations conducted by the Dubai Desert Survey at Saruq al‐Hadid, Dubai, have transformed our interpretation of the site from an Iron Age bronze production centre to a site with multiple occupations over the course of more than three millennia; they underline the importance of this site for understanding land use and settlement patterns in the deserts of the Oman peninsula. Saruq al‐Hadid probably began as an oasis site where nomadic pastoralists during the Umm an‐Nar and Wadi Suq periods camped and took advantage of a relatively well‐watered landscape. In contrast, Iron Age remains at the site do not bear any definite signs of settlement per se; instead, the material culture suggests that Saruq al‐Hadid may have been one of several sites in south‐east Arabia that were dedicated to a snake cult. The site is capped by waste from an intensive metalworking operation that appears to have taken place during the later first millennium BC. Iron age and later remains from the site tie Saruq al‐Hadid to a regional network of settlement and trade centres and suggest that, like the mountain piedmont and coasts, the sandy desert expanses of the Oman peninsula held economic and ritual importance in the overall landscape.
At the beginning of the second millennium BC, a new set of pottery appears in the Oman peninsula, reflecting a new society: the Wādī Sūq culture. Hili 8 (Hilī) was the first settlement site discovered for this period and was excavated by a French team under the direction of Serge Cleuziou from 1977 to 1984. The present paper is the result of work carried out on the archives of the Hili 8 excavations. Its aim is a typological study of the pottery assemblage, based on material from the period III levels, which is published (to a large extent) for the first time in this paper. An inter-site study compares Hili 8 pottery with other contemporary sites, in order to define the pottery characteristics of the former settlement and to establish if the pottery assemblage is common to other contemporary sites.
The Liwa region of the United Arab Emirates contains some of the largest and most areally extensive megabarchanoid sand dunes on a global scale. Here we present optical dating results on samples of aeolian sediment from deep drill cores extracted from the largest dune field of the Liwa area. Optical dating of these core sediments using the single aliquot regeneration protocol indicates Mid–Late Holocene phases of rapid dune deposition, the most recent period of reactivation began at ca 2.8 ka. This event was preceded by a period of deposition at ca 5 ka. These results suggest that the dune systems of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula are closely linked to changes in Late Quaternary global climate, particularly linked to the intensity and spatial extent of palaeomonsoon rainfall. Since the last precessional maxima at ca 9 ka, at which time a peak in monsoonal rainfall has been recognised, a significant environmental transition to widespread desert conditions occurred in an apparently abrupt fashion. During the initial period of aridification, large quantities of sand were transported and deposited in the form of large and very large (up to 160 m high) scale aeolian bedforms. Following the initial phase of aeolian accumulation, the system appears to have remained in stasis.
The Wadi Suq period and Iron Age ceramics from Sharm are examined in terms of morphological, compositional and decorative features. The assemblage is typical of the second- and first-millennium BC ceramics of southeastern Arabia. The more unusual Iron Age ‘imitation soft stone’ ceramics are amply represented and the Sharm assemblage considerably expands upon this corpus of ceramics which has hitherto been less than abundant in the region. Comparisons with other second- and first-millennium sites suggest the tombs were largely occupied in the late Wadi Suq period, a pattern of occupation which again peaked in the Iron Age II period.
The excavation of several stratified settlements has transformed our knowledge of southeast Arabian prehistory from a series of snapshots to a more or less continuous exposure. In this paper we would like to explore the recently clarified period between c.1300 and 1100 BC (the Iron Age I period) (2). Although the existence of a discrete material culture horizon belonging to this period is now well established, there has been a reluctance on the part of some scholars to accept the suggestion that within this time frame there existed a settlement system which, although clearly related to that which came before and after it, marks a distinct phase in the history of human-environmental relations in southeastern Arabia (3). We present in this paper a detailed analysis of the archaeological sites of the Iron Age I period to show that this was the case and we conclude with some speculative remarks on the nature of occupation and how it related to earlier and later developments.
Bowers, J. E. (U.S. Geological Survey, 1675 West Anklam Road, Tucson, AZ 85745). Effects of drought on shrub survival and longevity in the northern Sonoran Desert. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 132: 421–431. 2005.—Permanent vegetation plots in the northern Sonoran Desert, USA, provided an opportunity to assess the effects of recent drought on desert shrubs and to examine survival in relation to rainfall variability during the past 76 years. Survival and maximum longevity of six species were determined for eight intercensus periods between 1928 and 2004. Average annual survival was Ambrosia deltoidea, 0.9167 ± 0.0415; Encelia farinosa, 0.7952 ± 0.0926; Janusia gracilis, 0.9334 ± 0.0247; Krameria grayi, 0.9702 ± 0.0270; Larrea tridentata, 0.9861 ± 0.0174; and Lycium berlandieri, 0.9910 ± 0.0077. The longest-lived species were Larrea, Lycium, and Krameria, with average maximum life spans of 330, 211, and 184 years. Janusia, Ambrosia, and Encelia were much shorter lived, with average maximum longevity of 53, 40, and 16 years. Winter rain equalled or exceeded 90% of the long-term average accumulation except during 1948 to 1959 (65% of average) and from 2001 to 2003 (49% of average). Summer rain did not drop below 90% of the average accumulation in any period. The 1950s drought caused modest declines in survival of Ambrosia, Encelia, Janusia, Krameria, and Lycium. The effects of the recent drought were much more pronounced, resulting in sharp declines in survival and maximum longevity of Ambrosia, Encelia, Krameria, and Larrea, and modest declines for Lycium. Despite heightened mortality during the recent severe drought, 72% of the deaths observed between 1928 and 2004 occurred during periods of average or better-than-average rain, providing support for the idea that demography of shrubs in arid regions is influenced by continuous as well as episodic processes.
Despite the present hyper-aridity, archaeological investigations in South-east Arabia have demonstrated that the region supported extensive human communities throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age. These early populations utilised the region’s natural environment in a variety of ways, ranging from the exploitation of coastal resources to practicing pastoral and agrarian lifestyles in the interior. Palaeoclimate data suggests the corresponding period was characterised by considerable climatic variability yet, to date, few studies have attempted to investigate the relationship between climate, the environment and early human populations in the region. This paper combines new high-resolution palaeoclimate data from Awafi palaeolake, United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the region’s archaeological record from the Neolithic through to the onset of the Bronze Age. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that the environment of South-east Arabia offered different constraints and opportunities for early human occupation and subsistence. In particular, abrupt phases of aridity are demonstrated to have had a profound impact. Most notable is the change which occurred following the onset of climatic aridity at 5900 cal yr BP, when the region’s semi-nomadic, herder-gatherer populations abandoned much of the landscape and concentrated in selected environmental refugia, such as along the northern Omani coast. Human repopulation during the Bronze Age coincided with a return to more pluvial conditions under which a network of oasis agricultural settlements appeared along the piedmont zone of the northern Hajar Mountains.
Drawing on the results of the Australian Archaeological Expedition's excavation of Tell Abraq, a three-fold division of the southeast Arabian Iron Age is suggested. A re-analysis of 14C data in line with the latest agreed calibration curve together with an analysis of the foreign parallels of southeast Arabian Iron Age pottery permits the construction of a complete Iron Age sequence. The results argue for a lower chronology for the Iron II and III periods than has, up until now, been suggested.
The Rub Al Khali aeolian system of the Arabian Peninsula is the world's largest erg. While the region is presently hyper-arid, evidence for multiple past humid periods has been documented in previous studies. Radiocarbon dating of lacustrine, travertine and palaeogroundwater deposits suggests that the climate was humid at 10–6 and 35–25 ka. These phases have been associated with summer rainfall increases occurring in tandem with an intensification and northward migration of the monsoon system during Northern hemisphere precessional maxima. Published optical dating studies have focused on preserved sand dune and aeolianite deposits to establish ages for the intervening arid phases. Here we present a summary of this work and additional optical dating results for samples of aeolian sediment from a deep drill core, which provides insights into the style of barchan dune accretion in the Liwa region of the United Arab Emirates. The large dune accreted rapidly during the mid-late Holocene. The results suggest that the transitions from humid to arid conditions and resulting accumulation of aeolian sediment in the form of large bedforms occurred abruptly at around 6 ka. Further aeolian sedimentation has not been constant since that time, with initial gradual dune growth followed by rapid vertical accretion, and possible termination of accumulation around c. 2 ka.
This paper presents an overview of ANTARES operations, describing (1) technical upgrades that now allow routine 0.3–0.4% 14C precision for 1 mg carbon samples and 1% precision for 100 micrograms, (2) proficiency at 236U measurements in environmental samples, (3) new developments in AMS of platinum group elements and (4), some major application projects undertaken over the period of the past three years. Importantly, the facility is poised to enter into a new phase of expansion with the recent delivery of a 2 MV 14C tandem accelerator system from High Voltage Engineering (HVE) and a stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer from Micromass Inc. for combustion of organic samples and isotopic analysis.
Eolian dune sands commonly contain archaeological material in both surface and buried contexts. However, because of the dynamic nature of dunes, the original context of an archaeological site can be severely modified or destroyed as a result of post-occupational geomorphic processes. This paper examines a Folsom occupation associated with a buried soil in the Killpecker Dunes in southwestern Wyoming. Field and labortory data are compared to determine the likely scenario of natural site formation processes responsible for the current context of the archaeological assemblage. Two primary eolian stratigraphic units are present at the site, and are separated by the buried artefact-bearing soil. Radiocarbon and optical luminescence ages indicate that the Folsom artefacts occur across a temporal hiatus, and that the buried soil is late Holocene in age. Sedimentological data indicate that the highest frequencies of artefacts by depth are associated with an erosional contact characterized by a concentration of coarse-grained material. Thus, the Folsom assemblage appears to have been vertically displaced as a result of post-occupational erosion and deflation. This case study indicates that evaluating the context of an archaeological occupation in a dune setting is best carried out utilizing multiple lines of evidence derived from both field and laboratory work.
Thesis (doctoral)--Université de Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne, 1999.