Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman)

Jacques Connan,Robert B Jackson,Alex Zumberge,Seth Priestman,Michael H Engel,Tom Vosmer

doi:10.3390/separations8100182

Abstract

Two samples of bitumen were obtained, one from a torpedo jar (c. 3rd–8th C. AD) from Masirah island and one from a Tunisian jar (c. 18th C. AD) from Muhut island off the central coast of Oman. Steranes and terpanes, as well as isotope data on chromatographic fractions, were used as tools to characterize the bitumen. Comparison of data with those already acquired on bitumen from torpedo jars from Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and oil seeps from Iran and Iraq allowed us to conclude that the bitumen originated from different areas of southwest Iran. Those of the Muhut jar were likely from Khuzistan, whereas those from Masirah island appear to have been sourced from Kermanshah. These findings are in keeping with other similar geochemical studies undertaken on bitumen lined vessels from across the region (see more below).

Highlights

Received: 2 September 2021Accepted: 30 September 2021Published: 12 October 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.This article is an open access articleGeochemical analyses were performed on two samples scraped from jars discovered on the nearby islands of Masirah and Muhut off the central coast of Oman (Figure 1).The analyses confirmed the presence of bitumen in both cases
Was it of local origin (Yemen?) or imported? If the bitumen was imported from distant regions, is there any relationship between the origin of the jars and the origin of bitumen? How do the bitumen origins match the known trade routes during this historical period? For that purpose, the results obtained were compared to previous data available on bitumen from torpedo jars collected in Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and on modern oil seeps from
The current analysis presented here forms part of a wider scientific investigation of torpedo jars from multiple sites, the results of which remain under analysis and forthcoming

Summary

Introduction

The analyses confirmed the presence of bitumen in both cases. The main objective of this research was to determine the source of the bitumen. Was it of local origin (Yemen?) or imported? If the bitumen was imported from distant regions, is there any relationship between the origin of the jars and the origin of bitumen? How do the bitumen origins match the known trade routes during this historical period? The results obtained were compared to previous data available on bitumen from torpedo jars collected in Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and on modern oil seeps from Was it of local origin (Yemen?) or imported? If the bitumen was imported from distant regions, is there any relationship between the origin of the jars and the origin of bitumen? How do the bitumen origins match the known trade routes during this historical period? For that purpose, the results obtained were compared to previous data available on bitumen from torpedo jars collected in Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and on modern oil seeps from

Objectives

Results

Conclusion