Pastoral Nomadism in third millennium BC Eastern Arabia: A view from Al-Zebah in Central Oman

Abstract

This paper introduces a new model for the reconstruction of the social organisation of 3rd millennium BC Eastern Arabia and argues for a new interpretation of the major sites of this period, including Bat, Bisyah, Hili, and Al-Khashbah, as event places of pastoral nomads. The starting point for this reading are the results of three seasons of excavation carried out recently at Al-Zebah in the Sultanate of Oman. Al-Zebah is a campground of nomads and, compared to other nomadic camps known from the Ancient Near East, exceptionally well preserved.