MUSCAT : The 2022-2023 season witnessed the participation of 28 archaeological missions from twelve countries; the survey and excavation work included the disclosure of important information in more than 68 archaeological sites that highlight the civilization of Oman, which dates back to the ancient stone ages.
The conference shed light on the Ministry’s efforts to protect and highlight the archaeological heritage of the Sultanate of Oman and its endeavors to maximize the use of these heritage components and to employ them as attractive tourist products.
Many important archaeological sites dating back to different periods of time have been discovered, most notably the sites of Ras al Hamra, Bat, al Khutm, al Ain, Bisya and Salut, Al Baleed, Khor Rori, Al Safa, and Qalhat. Excavations In these sites found important local and imported archaeological holdings from neighboring civilizations, which indicate the historical and cultural depth of the country.
Archaeological sites and collections are among the most prominent tourist attractions and enrich tourism in Oman through museums and the establishment of visitor centers in archaeological parks. The outputs of archaeological excavations also contribute to providing the National Museum and other museums affiliated with the Ministry with archaeological artifacts; also participate in local, regional and international exhibitions and museums.
During the past period, visitor centers have been rehabilitated and established in archaeological sites, such as the sites of the Land of Frankincense, and a visitor center for the archaeological sites of Bisya and Salut, which opened recently. Visitor centers will soon be established in other archaeological sites in the Wilayat of Dibba in the Governorate of Musandam, the sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ain in the Wilayat of Ibri, and the historic city of Qalhat in the Wilayat of Sur.
A visual presentation, held on the sidelines of the conference, indicated that the first archaeological mission was the Danish mission in 1972, which discovered the Wadi Suq cemetery (430 graves) and surveyed and excavated the Bat site. This was followed by the American Harvard University mission from 1973 to 1976, which discovered 180 sites, including the settlement of Wadi Ibra and Bahla.
The British mission in the years 1971, 1973 and 1978 discovered 79 sites and carried out excavations in Salut, Samad al-Shan and al-Missar (dating back to the third millennium BC). The Italian-French mission and the German missions worked to uncover many archaeological tombs rich in funerary artifacts and a large number of ancient settlements, sites and towers, as well as the discovery of copper mining sites dating back to the third millennium BC (the Bronze Age – the Majan Civilization period).
Archaeological surveys also revealed rock drawings of animals and people that reflect the experiences and situations that the first inhabitants were exposed to, some of which date back to the seventh millennium BC Majan. It documented the ancient defensive elements, the most prominent of which is the Laziq Castle in Samad Al-Shan, which is approximately 3,200 years old, and registered four archaeological sites in the World Heritage List.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is implementing a number of programs related to surveys and excavations, as the current season witnessed 28 missions from a number of universities from Italy, France, the United States, Germany, Spain, the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Australia, Poland, Japan and Britain, in addition to joint missions between the Sultanate of Oman and Italy and Germany.
The staff of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Omani researchers participate in the archaeological surveys and excavations carried out by these missions, as these participations play a role in refining their skills and providing them with field and specialized expertise in the field of antiquities, represented in excavations and documentation with modern equipment and the analysis and study of the archaeological holdings that are revealed.
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