The International Association for the Study of Arabia was kind enough to award me a Small Research Grant to conduct research in Oman as preparation for a future PhD trajectory regarding archaeological shells. This grant allowed me to travel to Oman to conduct the research and to buy the materials necessary for the project. This preliminary study was concerned with identifying areas for future research regarding molluscan remains as important components of the archaeological record. As a part of this, I conducted the analysis of shell materials excavated at the site of Burj Huraiz.
In January of 2024 the Wadi al Jizzi Archaeological Project (WAJAP) excavated for its second season at the site of Burj Huraiz in the Al Batinah North Governate of Oman. Extensive surveys of the area had been conducted in the years before, with the goal of mapping an area that had previously largely been neglected in archaeological research of Southeastern Arabia. While the oasis sites in the mountains and the settlements on the coast have been surveyed extensively, the Batinah piedmont had been considered not to have much in terms of archaeological remains. The WAJAP has been fundamental in changing this narrative, highlighting the importance of the landscape as a whole for prehistoric populations in Oman. While Neolithic and Iron Age sites have also been found during the surveys (Düring, 2022), the excavations focused on the Umm an-Nar and Wadi Suq structures. Over the two excavation seasons six structures have been excavated, of which two dated to the Umm an-Nar and four to the Wadi Suq period.
In the first excavation season it became clear that these domestic Bronze Age sites provide a unique perspective especially on Wadi Suq lifeways (Olijdam et al., 2025). A combination of straight-walled beakers and cups, as well as coarser storage jars were excavated from the buildings. Aside from ceramics, a large amount of shells were excavated from these contexts, as well as caprid remains that seemed to have been buried underneath the foundation of the building. Unfortunately, not enough collagen could be extracted from the remains to be able to say much more about this unique find. The analysis I conducted on the shell remains concluded that the most common species found at the Wadi Suq contexts at Burj Huraiz were of the giant mangrove whelk Terebralia palustris. The ubiquity of Terebralia in the Wadi Suq structures aligns with the narrative of the mangrove whelk being increasingly exploited during this period (cf. De Vreeze et al., 2024). The fragments found at the site align with the taphonomic markers as outlined in the article by de la Fortuna Müller García and Nebelsick on Terebralia morphology and taphonomy (Müller García & Nebelsick, 2024), suggesting mass consumption of the whelk. The nearest source of Terebralia is 20 kilometres from the site, at the Liwaʾ mangrove. Shells that were likely not used for subsistence were also found, though in much smaller quantities. A few shells were found that show possible signs of perforation, showing that they might possibly have been altered for the purposes of personal adornment of some kind. One example from this structure is the Umbonium vestiarium. While these can be eaten, they bolster a variation of beautiful patterns on the outside, as well as a nacre interior. An oval aperture is located within the first whorl, allowing for the wearing of this shell with a cord passing through this aperture and the operculum, if it was indeed used as such.
Less malacological material was excavated in the Umm an-Nar buildings of the site. In general, there is much less evidence for the consumption of Terebralia during the earlier period, though it remains the dominant species. Instead of shells for consumption, the majority of shells from Umm an-Nar contexts are for purposes other than consumption. One notable example include Anadara shells packed with green malachite (Braekmans, 2024), similar to those found at other Bronze Age sites in Oman and beyond (eg. from the site of RJ-2, see Cleuziou, 2009).
In addition to the shells that were brought to Burj Huraiz by their Bronze Age inhabitants, a plethora of naturally occurring gastropods were collected for further study. Melanoides tuberculata and Zootecus insularis have been identified to be useful proxies for past climate reconstructions (Schmitt et al., 2024). M. tuberculata is a fresh water snail that can only occur in the presence of non-stagnant water. Oxygen isotopes from this shell can provide information on changes in the temperature of ambient water and precipitation. Like M. tuberculata, oxygen isotopes of the terrestrial gastropod Z. insularis can be used to reconstruct levels of precipitation, though it is best used for its carbon isotopes to identify the dominance of C3 or C4 plants in the environment (Schmitt et al., 2022). The analysis of these gastropods are an exciting development for the archaeology of Arabia as it opens up many new avenues for research. It allows us to gain a more detailed insight into the conditions in which prehistoric people lived. The snails collected during this field season and the one before will hopefully be used for future isotopic study as part of a PhD trajectory. As these snails occur on most archaeological sites they offer a useful proxies even if the preservation of botanical and zoological material in Oman often does not allow for this type of detailed study.
All of the preliminary research I have been able to carry out as a result of receiving the Small Research Grant provides a solid foundation of a future PhD project. While excavations at Burj Huraiz have halted for the time being, the volume of archaeological sites discovered as part of the WAJAP surveys allow for much future research, and I hope for research to continue in this
I would like to thank the International Association for the Study of Arabia as they granted me the opportunity to carry out the abovementioned research. I would also like to thank prof. Dr. Bleda Düring for assisting me with my research, and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism of Oman for their support.
Zoë van Litsenburg IASA Grant recipient 2023
Bibliography
Braekmans, D.J.G. (2024). X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS OF PIGMENTS IN SHELL (WAJAP).
Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, The Netherlands (unpublished report).
Cleuziou, S. (2009). Extracting wealth from a land of starvation by creating social complexity: A dialogue between archaeology and climate? Comptes Rendus. Géoscience, 341(8–9), 726–738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2009.06.005
De Vreeze, M., Kennet, D., & Deadman, W. M. (2024). Karstic Aquifers and Climate Refugia: A Preliminary Outline History of Water-Management Strategy in Bronze and Iron Age Southeast Arabia. Open Quaternary, 10, 5. https://doi.org/10.5334/oq.144
Düring, B. S. (2022). Beyond dots with dates: A landscape approach to the Sohar hinterlands. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 33(1), 170–177. https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12219
Müller García, I. D. L. F., & Nebelsick, J. H. (2024). Morphology and taphonomy of the gastropod Terebralia palustris from an iron age site in the Arabian Peninsula. Facies, 70(4), 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-024-00688-9
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Schmitt, K. E., Beuzen-Waller, T., Schmidt, C., Proctor, L., Lindauer, S., Gey, C. J., Pietsch, D., & Schöne, B. R. (2024). Melanoides tuberculata and Zootecus insularis gastropod shells provide a snapshot into past hydroclimatic conditions of arid environments: New perspectives from Oman. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 655, 112542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2024.112542
Schmitt, K. E., Walliser, E. O., Schöne, B. R., Gey, C. J., & Schmidt, C. (2022). Environmental reconstructions based on aquatic and terrestrial snails originating from the Early Bronze Age and the Late Islamic Period– A stable isotope case study from the Al-Khashbah archaeological Site, Sultanate of Oman. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 45, 103620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103620
