The Oman Border Fence Project 2021 - A Journey through the hydraulic, agricultural and funerary Landscapes of al Ain

• Published in: Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies Vol. 52; pp. 323 - 337
• Main Authors: Sheehan, Peter, Khalifa, Mohammed, Al Ajou, Malak, Al Marzooqi, Nour, van Bellegem, Maickel, Fereira, Anabela, Al Merri, Jaber, Power, Timothee, Benoist, Anne, Purdue, Louise, Pellegrino, Maria Paola, Tagliamonte, Enrica, David-Cuny, Hélène
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Archaeopress 2023
• Series: Papers from the fifty-fifth meeting of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held at Humboldt Universität, Berlin, 5–7 August 2022
• Subjects: Archaeology and Prehistory; Humanities and Social Sciences; Iron Age cemetery; Aflaj; PIR tombs; Collective tombs; Iron Age Agriculture
• ISSN: 0308-8421

Over a six-month period from January to August 2021 the Historic Environment Department of DCT Abu Dhabi carried out archaeological monitoring and excavation along an 11.5km stretch of a project to renew the existing border fence between UAE and Oman. The project produced a wealth of new data on the development of the historic oasis landscape of Al Ain. Some of the most significant features include a monumental stone tomb from the Late Bronze Age, an apparently extensive Iron Age cemetery and high-status tombs of Pre-Islamic Recent (PIR) date. Along with this funerary landscape we have identified more than 50 ancient aflaj or underground water channels of various dates and techniques of construction, along with extensive evidence for distinct phases of Iron Age agriculture and the organization of their associated irrigation systems and agricultural plots. This paper will provide an overview of the nature and progress of the fieldwork and initial study of the finds associated with the various feature groups, including a corpus of Iron Age and PIR ceramics from both funerary and agricultural contexts, a large number of chlorite vessels, PIR iron weaponry, extensive environmental samples and information on the geology and wadi systems shaping this cultural landscape.