Defining the Early Bronze Age landscape: a remote sensing-based analysis of Hafit tomb distribution in Wadi Andam, Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

High-resolution, freely available Google Earth software was successfully utilised in a remote-sensing survey to locate and map thousands of Hafit tombs in a study area centring on Wadi Andam in the Sultanate of Oman. This dataset was refined for reliability with ground-based fieldwork, and was analysed in the landscape using GIS software. The tombs are not randomly distributed across the study area; rather, the hydrology of the area appears to have been a dominant determining factor in the location of the graves. The structures were constructed in elevated, highly visible locations, possibly in an attempt to mark ownership of the landscape. The distribution of Hafit tombs is likely to provide some insight into the utilisation of the landscape in this period, with the evidence from Wadi Andam tentatively suggesting the presence of a nomadic pastoralist population. The development of this rapid, accurate and cost-effective methodology has the potential to greatly facilitate the survey and analysis of Hafit tombs across the Oman peninsula.