Is the Neolithic in Oman set in stone?: What the lithic assemblage from Site 79 can tell us about the Neolithic period of northern Oman

Site 79 is a location where multiple archaeological activities have taken place over the last couple of decades. It is located in northern Oman, specifically in the Al Batinah province, inside the current city of Sohar. The site contained archaeological finds and features from multiple different periods. This thesis focuses on the lithic material from the Neolithic period that has been found at the site. This includes material from a recent surface collection in 2018 but also material that has been found there in the past. This thesis explores the different lithic industries from the Neolithic period of Oman and aims to determine the periods that are represented by the material at Site 79. This is done by comparing the material that was found to dated material from comparable sites located in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The analysis of the lithic material found at Site 79 by comparing it to dated material in the literature showed that there is material from the Early, Middle...Show moreSite 79 is a location where multiple archaeological activities have taken place over the last couple of decades. It is located in northern Oman, specifically in the Al Batinah province, inside the current city of Sohar. The site contained archaeological finds and features from multiple different periods. This thesis focuses on the lithic material from the Neolithic period that has been found at the site. This includes material from a recent surface collection in 2018 but also material that has been found there in the past. This thesis explores the different lithic industries from the Neolithic period of Oman and aims to determine the periods that are represented by the material at Site 79. This is done by comparing the material that was found to dated material from comparable sites located in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The analysis of the lithic material found at Site 79 by comparing it to dated material in the literature showed that there is material from the Early, Middle and Late Neolithic. This is because types of arrowheads can be connected to time periods in which they were mainly produced. At the site there were multiple lithic facies identified. Among them were Fasad arrowheads, trihedral arrowheads, and fusiform arrowheads. A majority of the material that could be tentatively dated pointed to the Late Neolithic, however there is enough material from earlier periods to prove that the site must have been in use more than once. Looking at the unfinished or seemingly broken nature of most of the arrowheads the site was probably a lithic workshop. This would also explain the relatively large assemblage of lithics that was found at the site compared to other Neolithic sites in Oman. The research presented here adds to a growing body of evidence on the Neolithic period of Oman and increases our knowledge about the characteristics of this period in Oman.Show less

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Is the Neolithic in Oman set in stone? What the lithic assemblage from Site 79 can tell us about the Neolithic period of northern Oman