Description
A summary of archaeological teamwork along the Dhofar plateau and its backslope into the Nejd of Southern Oman, this book documents survey and excavation of small-scale stone monuments and pastoral settlements. Whether used as burial places, as landmarks, as mnemonic devices, or for other purposes, monuments are the enduring and prominent traces of desert pastoralists. In Dhofar, pastoralists constructed monuments in discrete pulses over 7500 years. Recognizing the dynamic ecosystems and climate regimes of Arabian prehistory, the author suggests that mobile pastoralists used monuments to link dispersed households into broader social communities. Furthermore, the range of practical adjustments to monuments as a consistent means of messaging among mobile people showcases the adaptive strength of Dhofar's prehistoric inhabitants over time. A singular episode of settlement during a particularly arid period highlights the longer tradition of pastoral people on the move. With fictional vignettes to imagine the people who used these monuments, the chapters introduce archaeological analysis of the social identities, patterns of resource access, contacts, aversions, and exchanges with neighboring groups. Finally, the book underscores the rich heritage of persistent pastoralism within contemporary Oman.
About the Author
Joy McCorriston is an anthropological archaeologist who has conducted multi-disciplinary research in Southern Arabia since 1996. She earned a PhD from Yale University in 1992, then a Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship to study early food production. Her multi-national team identified Neolithic pastoral specialization and social practices, which she published in Pilgrimage and Household in the Ancient Near East and (with Michael Harrower) Landscape History of Hadramawt. She authored numerous articles and a textbook, World Prehistory and the Anthropocene. She teaches at The Ohio State University, where she is director of the Middle East Studies Center.
Book Information
ISBN 9781803274539
Author Joy McCorriston
Format Paperback
Page Count 162
Imprint Archaeopress Archaeology
Publisher Archaeopress
Weight(grams) 633g
About the Author
Joy McCorriston is an anthropological archaeologist who has conducted multi-disciplinary research in Southern Arabia since 1996. She earned a PhD from Yale University in 1992, then a Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellowship to study early food production. Her multi-national team identified Neolithic pastoral specialization and social practices, which she published in Pilgrimage and Household in the Ancient Near East and (with Michael Harrower) Landscape History of Hadramawt. She authored numerous articles and a textbook, World Prehistory and the Anthropocene. She teaches at The Ohio State University, where she is director of the Middle East Studies Center.
Book Information
ISBN 9781803274539
Author Joy McCorriston
Format Paperback
Page Count 162
Imprint Archaeopress Archaeology
Publisher Archaeopress
Weight(grams) 633g
