During the Classical Period (300 BC-400 AD), the Indian Ocean emerged as one of the largest hubs of ancient international trade. For a long period, these contacts were described from a Rome-centric point of view, looking at the connections between Rome and India. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the Roman-Indo connection was only one of the vast medium and short distance trade routes involving numerous regions and populations, exchanging goods and culture. Current archaeological investigations have demonstrated that several minor trade dynamics formed the primary connective tissue of the Indian Ocean. This study attempts to trace these mid-range connections by focusing on the transport of torpedo jars, recently found in several settlements throughout the Indian Ocean. Two archaeological sites were considered: Al Hamr al-Sharqiya 1 (Inqitat, southern Oman), and the port of Alagankulam (southern India). An analytical protocol based on thin sections analysis, SEM-EDS, XRD and GC/MS was applied to a selection of fragments from the two archaeological sites. The analytical investigation carried out on these vessels identified three different ceramic compositions, which distributed differently in the two sites, characterized by a black coating due to a similar bitumen source. The location of the production sites and comparative studies between these vessels and reference materials available in the literature enabled us to cast new light on the routes followed by the torpedo jars, from Mesopotamia to India and Oman.

This article presents and discusses a corpus of worked and decorated shell discs from recently excavated archaeological sites in southern Arabia, including Dibba (northern Oman), Saruq al-Hadid (UAE) and Sumhuram/Khor Rori (southern Oman). The artefacts are compared to a wide range of shell discs from controlled excavations in Arabia and the broader Near East in order to better understand their date, manufacture and use. The comparative study highlights the wide distribution of decorated shell discs across the ancient Near East, particularly during the early Iron Age, and the complex economic and cultural connections that underpinned the collection, crafting, exchange and significance of such items.

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The city of Sumhuram (300 BC-AD 500) is the most important pre-Islamic settlement in Dhofar, southern Oman. Since the time of its discovery it was evident that its commercial vocation placed it within a complex system of exchange between India and the Mediterranean. Sumhuram was a key site of the kingdom of Hadramawt, built in a place that was geographically strategic to control the most important Indian Ocean trade routes. The importance of the site made the bead assemblage exceptionally rich in materials, technologies used in the production, and provenance. The study of the relationship between materials and shapes, necessary for the creation of a specific typology, has revealed a number of trends. These, in connection with the reference stratigraphy have, in some cases, enabled the identification of differences on a chronological basis. Furthermore, it is possible to detect different uses of materials in different areas of the city. The variety of imported products (raw materials and products) once again underlines the importance of this city-port in the international maritime trade and its strong connections with India.

Archaeological campaigns conducted during 2016 and 2017 at the site of Inqitat (Al Hamr al-Sharqiya), in the area of Khor Rori (Dhofar), produced an interesting assemblage of jewellery of various materials. The characteristics of the site are exceptional because they show traces of occupation from (prehistoric times)/ Prehistory right up to the Islamic period. Its geographical position(location), near Sumhuram, and its socio-political situation explain why bead assemblage here is so important. The use of particular stones indicates the presence of links with the area of the Persian Gulf and the Eastern part of the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, the discovery of some tools used for the production of the beads demonstrates a local production of some of these. The long life of the site could help to identify typical materials of each period thus allowing for a more complete comprehension of Dhofar and of the international connections of the area.