Abstract

Ra’s al-Jinz and Failaka were two key sites of the Arabian Peninsula of 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. Arabia represented, during the Bronze Age, a marginal area with respect to the great Near East centres, even though it played a role anything but secondary as a source of supply for precious and raw materials. The Peninsula, and particularly Oman, has relevant copper ore deposits, a strategic material that has been the object of middle and long distance trades. In fact the region was incorporated in an international net of traffic directed to supply of metals the ancient Mesopotamian states. For the early copper exploitation the most promising metal ore deposits are those located in south-eastern Arabia, and in the Al Hajjar Mountains in particular. The coastal settlement of Ra's al-Jinz in Oman peninsula is placed on a low tabular promontory, marks the eastern extremity of the Arabian Peninsula and it was the first sign of the Arabian coasts for the sailors coming from India. Several constructions characterize the Early Bronze Age settlement; a quite large amount of metal items were discovered in its houses, finished objects (sometimes of exotic aspect), semi-manufactured materials and evidence of copper melting, like crucible fragments and copper prills: metallurgy played a relevant role at RJ-2. The analyses made with ED-XRF show a developed metallurgy of copper and copper alloys; there are evidences of tin alloying on the site too. Failaka is a large island situated about 20 km off the coast, at the entrance to Kuwait Bay; it blocks the entrance to the bay and it controls the mouths of the Tigris and the Euphrates, the Shatt Al-Arab. One of the main characteristics of the Failaka metal production is the large amount and the typological variability of the artefacts that were recovered during the excavations. About 90 kg of metallic finds were discovered in the Bronze Age levels. They show a large variability in shapes and types. Many functional classes of objects are represented, most of the metal items that were in use in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC in this part of Arabian Peninsula. The island had no metal ore deposits nearby, therefore it had to import ingots and scrap metal in order to feed the local industry: Failaka was in fact a relevant centre for the production and for recycling of metals, collected from different place of the region. The analyses carried out on metalwork from the site show a developed level of metallurgy.

Autore Pugliese

• Giardino Claudio

Tutti gli autori

• C. Giardino , A. Lazzari

Titolo volume/Rivista

BAR. BRITISH SERIES

Anno di pubblicazione

2014

ISSN

0143-3032

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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