Rock art survey in the ancient oasis of Salūt (northern Sultanate of Oman): a variegated iconographic record

Abstract

The systematic survey of petroglyphs in the area of the ancient oasis of Salūt, in central Oman, highlighted a rich repertoire of representations that are here discussed against the background of Arabian rock art in general. The region displays an extremely rich number of engravings along the slopes of the Jabal Hammah, north of the main site of Salūt. The majority of the petroglyphs find abundant fitting comparisons in the region. The notable exception of the motif of the "man with halberd" is presented, as it appears to be significantly rare and underlines interpretative issues concerning the so-called T-shaped signs, ubiquitous in Arabian rock art. One of its occurrences was radiocarbon dated to before the mid-first millennium BCE. This and other, relative hints for reconstructing the chronological context of the petroglyphs are discussed, indicating that engravings can be broadly dated from the second millennium BCE onwards.

Iconographic and archaeometric studies on the rock art at Musayqira, Al‐Quwaiyah Governorate, central Saudi Arabia

“…Anthropomorphs are frequently shown with daggers or swords, indicating a creation during the Bronze Age or later, or as riders on horses and camels, which places them in the Iron Age or Historic Period. The T-shaped object frequently found at the waist of human figures has generally been interpreted as a dagger or sword (e.g., Figure 2f), but there is at least one instance, element 22 on the EP, where such an object is held the on an outstretched hand and gripped where the blade would be (Figure 2e), similar to the "man with halberd" described from Salut, Oman, by Degli Esposti, Cremaschi, and Zerboni (2020). Alternatively, they could be herder's sticks or ceremonial staffs, such as those still used today in Ethiopia.…”

“…Of some special interest is the T‐sign with a rounded top, which can occur attached to the waist of humans likely representing a dagger, but also as isolated elements. Various interpretations have been put forward for this icon, such as weapons or ceremonial sticks, but it should also be noted that it has been used as a wasm by tribes in the Hail, Taif and Tatlith areas (Degli Esposti, Cremaschi, & Zerboni, 2020; Khan, 2000).…”

“…The D Mn on the EP suggest an origin in the Bronze Age, which is fully consistent with the representational style of these elements. They are shown with lunate pommel-handled swords or daggers at their waist or holding T-shaped objects (Figure 2e, f), a motif that occurs all across the Middle East and in Egypt (Aksoy, 2017;Degli Esposti, Cremaschi, & Zerboni, 2020;Newton & Zarins, 2000). Its earliest occurrence has been dated at around 4400 BP in the Middle Bronze Age (Aksoy, 2017).…”

Life-sized Neolithic camel sculptures in Arabia: A scientific assessment of the craftsmanship and age of the Camel Site reliefs

“…However, as archaeological research in Arabia intensifies, large numbers of new rock art sites are recorded every year (see for example Arbach et al, 2015;Bednarik and Khan, 2017;Degli Esposti et al, 2020;Monchot and Poliakoff, 2016;Olsen, 2017).…”

First dating of a rock painting in Ẓufār (Sultanate of Oman): Low energy plasma oxidation radiocarbon sampling

“…In the 2000s, Angelo Fossati undertook a detailed study of the rock engravings of Jebel Akhdar (Fossati, 2015a(Fossati, , 2015b(Fossati, , 2017(Fossati, , 2019, and a few thematic syntheses have emerged, for example, on ibex hunting, ostrich or camel figurations (ElMahi, 2000(ElMahi, , 2001(ElMahi, , 2010. To date, the vast majority of published sites are located in the northern or central parts of the country (Al-Jahwari and ElMahi, 2014;Degli Esposti et al, 2020;Insall, 1999;Yule, 2013;Zerboni et al, 2021), but there are also some in the south (Yule, 2001). In the south-west, from the early 1990s, Ali Aḥmed Maḥāsh al-Shaḥrī undertook a systematic exploration of Ẓufār, in order to record the decorated caves.…”