Abstract
Abstract. The archaeological record of the Sultanate of Oman speaks of the use of mudbricks (adobes) and mud plaster as key building materials over a long chronological range from the Early Bronze Age (late 4th / 3rd millennium BC) to the Late Iron Age at least (first centuries BC). Traditional earthen architecture perpetuated this scenario until modern times when the discovery of oil brought along deep transformations in the local economy and way of living. This long-lasting tradition has provided the necessary means to cope with the problem of mudbrick structures conservation on the prominent archaeological site of Salūt, in central Oman, where substantial mudbrick walls were discovered, dating to the second half of the second millennium BC and beyond. In fact, exploiting the life-long experience in mud-based masonry of a local mason turned out to be the best (and arguably only) way of consolidating and protecting the ancient structures. This strategy not only is definitely a sustainable one, as only readily accessible and largely available natural materials were employed, but it also helps to revive a locally rooted skill that seriously risks being forgotten due to the lack of interest in younger generations. With this aim in mind, a survey and recording of the local terminology connected with the tools and techniques of mud-based masonry were also carried out. This paper will account for the various stages of the work that led to the final restoration and conservation of the site. The use of different media – pictures, drawings, videos – reflects the comprehensive approach towards this fundamental issue. The recent development of the project included the preparation of mud plasters made following different procedures in order to achieve a better visual impact and a lower static load on the structures.
Highlights
The prominent Iron Age (c. 1300-300 BC) site of Salūt, in central Oman, has been the focus of the research of the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) of the University of Pisa from 2004 to early 2019
We accurately documented the work of our local mason by recording some interviews and shooting videos of every step of the production process, taking care to detail the use of the different tools together with the local terminology associated with them
Despite mudbrick structures being recognized as very difficult to preserve, at Salūt the apt strategy to handle this problem was set up involving traditional skills deeply rooted in local house building, using local and sustainable materials and plastering the walls with fresh mud prepared near the site, using the same sandy clay used for the original mudbricks and mud plaster
Summary
The prominent Iron Age (c. 1300-300 BC) site of Salūt, in central Oman, has been the focus of the research of the Italian Mission to Oman (IMTO) of the University of Pisa from 2004 to early 2019. Located in the heart of the Oman Peninsula, the ancient oasis of Salūt bears witness to 5000 years of human occupation at the least and hosts evidence related to the main periods of SE Arabian history (Degli Esposti, 2015; Degli Esposti et al, 2018) As such, it offers the possibility of examining the evolution of earthen architecture throughout this long time frame. At Salūt, after a few centuries of apparent abandonment, the establishment of a prominent Early Iron Age site on and around one small hill in the middle of the plain involved the extensive use of mudbrick features, which were the focus of the restoration programme discussed here. Later, during the Islamic period, testimony of earthen architecture is only provided by graves, while domestic features are lost
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