Taming the Great Desert: Adam in the Prehistory of Oman

By (author) Guillaume Gernez By (author) Jessica Giraud

Book cover: Taming the Great Desert: Adam in the Prehistory of Oman

Extent: 146 pages

Publisher: Archaeopress Publishing

Subjects: Ancient Near East

Series: The Archaeological Heritage of Oman

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(April 2019)

ISBN: 9781789691801

8.27 x 11.69 inches

Price: $48.00

In stock

This is the first monograph to present research at the Adam oasis, located at the margins of the Rub Al-Khali desert, Oman. Major periods are described, with evidence of Palaeolithic occupation, Neolithic settlements, Early and Middle Bronze Age necropolises, and Iron Age ritual sites. An ethnographic study of traditional water shari


Located at the margins of the Rub Al-Khali desert, a place of interactions between settled and nomadic populations, the Adam oasis occupies a pivotal role in the history of Oman. However, almost nothing was known about its foundation and early developments. In 2006, the French Archaeological Mission in Central Oman began the exploration of the area. After ten years of field research using innovative methods and technologies, much is now revealed about the importance of Adam in the prehistory and early history of Oman. This is the first monograph about the research carried out at Adam and it includes seven chapters written by specialists directly involved in the field activities. Each major period is described in detail, including evidence of Palaeolithic occupation, Neolithic settlements, Early and Middle Bronze Age necropolises, Iron Age ritual sites and also an ethnographic study of the traditional water sharing within the oasis.

List of illustrations
Acknowledgments
Archaeology in Adam from the first steps to the latest discoveries and methods. Ten years of research - by Guillaume Gernez
Geoarchaeological investigation in the Adam region. A regional study of past human-environment interactions - by Tara Beuzen-Waller and Guillaume Gernez
Palaeolithic period in the Sufrat Valley. The first inhabitants of Adam - by Stéphanie Bonilauri, Tara Beuzen-Waller and Guillaume Gernez
Neolithic sites near Jabal Salakh - by Marion Lemée, Guillaume Gernez, Jessica Giraud and Tara Beuzen-Waller
The new funerary landscape during the beginning of the Early Bronze Age in Adam, Jabal Salakh and Jabal Qarah - by Jessica Giraud and Guillaume Gernez
A tale of two graveyards. The excavations of protohistoric funerary sites in Adam - by Guillaume Gernez and Jessica Giraud
The Iron Age in Adam. The discovery of a ritual complex near Jabal Mudhmar - by Guillaume Gernez, Anne Benoist, Mathilde Jean
Water-sharing techniques of Falaj Al-Māleh in Adam - by Julien Charbonnier
Prehistoric and protohistoric heritage in Adam. A challenge for the future - by Guillaume Gernez
Bibliography
Index
  • By (author) Guillaume Gernez
  • By (author) Jessica Giraud