Beyond Tombs and Towers

Book excerpt: The Umm an-Nar period (2700-2000 BC) in Eastern Arabia is a time of fundamental changes in subsistence, resource exploitation, and social complexity. In terms of material culture, this epoch is primarily known for its collective graves and monumental buildings, so-called towers, which were the focus of previous archaeological research. Domestic architecture, however, received much less attention. Therefore, in October 2016, the conference "Beyond Tombs and Towers - Domestic Architecture of the Umm an-Nar Period in Eastern Arabia" was held at Leiden University in the Netherlands with the aim of addressing this research gap. The fourth volume of the Arabia Orientalis series publishes the conference proceedings and includes participation from scientists based in the Netherlands, Germany, France, the USA, and Oman. The manifold contributions of the individual authors offer, for the first time, a comprehensive synopsis of Umm-Nar period domestic architecture in Eastern Arabia. The proceedings cover the sites of Umm an-Nar Island, Wadi Jizzi, Dahwa, Bat, Al-Zebah, and Ras al-Jinz, as well as addressing overarching aspects surrounding domestic architecture in the region such as chronology, subsistence, and the degree of sedentism of the population. Thus, this volume provides important insights into the way of life during this critical epoch on the Oman Peninsula.