Maria Pia - Maiorano | Institute of Archaeology, Czech Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Conference Presentations by Maria Pia - Maiorano

53rd Seminar for Arabian Studies, Leiden, Netherlands, July 13th, 2019., 2019

First two excavation field missions of TSMO (Trilith Stone Monuments of Oman) project placed rese... more First two excavation field missions of TSMO (Trilith Stone Monuments of Oman) project placed research on trilith monuments and their chronology on a sound footing. Preliminary results are divided into three themes: excavations and sampling of trilith-associated fireplaces across Oman for 14C dating; results of surveys in al-Duqm area (new trilith sites, multi-period occupation shell midden site, middle Palaeolithic sites); and relocation of endangered trilith monument from al-Duqm to The National Museum in Muscat. The 14C dating sample collection across Oman produced extensive dataset representing different geographical locations; fireplace types and generations; and different stratigraphic context. The results of AMS 14C analyses and respective dating ranges allowed chronological tracing and provided critical inputs for re-assessment of triliths chronology.The next TSMO seasons will continue on research on triliths and other archaeological evidences in Duqm, with plan to use OSL and cosmogenic nuclide dating methods.

Lithic projectile points are popular objects of analysis as they reflect both aspects of social i... more Lithic projectile points are popular objects of analysis as they reflect both aspects of social identity as well as adaptation as weapon system and hunting strategies. Their abundance in the Neolithic assemblages of the Arabian Peninsula, together with the paucity of stratified datable sites, always conferred to these lithic implements an important diagnostic value. Given the limited comparability and flexibility of traditional arrowhead typology all the projectile points will be analysed with a new systematic description and the adoption of quantitative analytical methods. A new univocal, systematic description of projectile points is proposed based on the observation of technological and morphological change through time and space. This approach also makes it possible to establish whether similarities between individual arrowheads, or groups of arrowheads, can be explained by the rise of different lineages as opposed to historical continuity and functional convergence.

The Ad-Duqm area (al-Wusta region, Sultanate of Oman) is located in eastern-central Oman and it i... more The Ad-Duqm area (al-Wusta region, Sultanate of Oman) is located in eastern-central Oman and it is marked by a relatively flat topography (Quaternary sedimentary cover) with some residual hills (mostly Upper Cretaceous to Lower Tertiary). In November-December 2015 an Italian team, headed by Dr. Francesco Genchi, surveyed the whole area covered by the Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZAD) with a focus on the assessment of the archaeological potential and related risks; identification of the new sites and validation of the existing sites in a previously investigated region. The team recorded about 900 archaeological evidences, ranging from a single earth to clusters of tumuli tombs, from flint scatters to a complexes of triliths and stratified open-air sites. The archaeological evidence belong to a wide chronological interval, at least from Late Pleistocene, with some earlier more dubitative evidences, to the early I millennium AD. The huge amount of data, all conveyed in a GIS database, will be used both for the investigations on land-use modalities, resources acquisition strategies, population dynamics and as an analytical tool the MOHC (Ministry of Heritage and Culture) will use in all the phases of the archaeological valorisation of this Region. Data will be also used for preservation of the archaeological heritage within the SEZAD economic zone.

Papers by Maria Pia - Maiorano

Documenta Praehistorica, 2024

Sharbithat 10 (SHA-10) was discovered in 2017 during the first extensive survey of the northern p... more Sharbithat 10 (SHA-10) was discovered in 2017 during the first extensive survey of the northern part of the Dhofar region. Located on a vast mesa surrounded by wadi deltaic branches and abundant sources of flint, SHA-10 is characterized by flint scatters, dwellings, and cairns. Initial test trenches revealed a single period stratification sequence, highlighting a rich marine faunal composition and intense flintknapping activity. The fishing equipment, typical of coastal sites from this period, accompanies a distinctive lithic industry comprising blades, backed pieces, and tanged points. Through the study of technological processes leading to the manufacture of these artefacts, analysis of the points’ morphological variability, and examination of the prevalence of backed bladelets, new hypotheses regarding coastal subsistence strategies and chronological issues have emerged. However, the potential co-occurrence of different facies complicates a chronological definition which can be partly clarified
by radiocarbon data results. In this communication, we present a preliminary study of this unique assemblage, discuss its chrono- typological implications, and explore their significance within the framework of South Arabian prehistory.

Études et Travaux, 2023

Over the past decade, extensive surveys have been carried out in the wider area surrounding the c... more Over the past decade, extensive surveys have been carried out in the wider area surrounding the city of Duqm (south-central Oman). During fi eldwork in 2023, research on the Neolithic encampment in the Wādī Ṣayy area was conducted. Numerous locations surrounding this large wadi have yielded evidence of Neolithic occupation. The proximity to chert outcrops and the presence of elevated fl uvial terrace systems overlooking the wadi fl oodplains likely played a pivotal role in attracting human habitation during that period. Among these sites, DUQ-25A stands out for its exceptional preservation and the abundance of fl int scatters. The excavation at the site aimed to achieve multiple objectives: validating the site's chronology, expanding our understanding of its spatial extent and occupational sequence and fi lling the gaps in our knowledge about Neolithic societies in south-central Oman. Our research aims to provide new perspectives for the study of the Early and Middle Holocene in Al-Wusṭā.

Archaeological Research in Asia, Mar 1, 2023

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology

Archaeological Research in Asia

International audienceLocated between the last fringes of the al-Wusn Region and the plain of Dho... more International audienceLocated between the last fringes of the al-Wusn Region and the plain of Dhofar (Zufar), the coastal plain of Sharbithat has been scarcely explored. With its 14 km-long shoreline, its succession of wide terraces and wadi deltaic branches, and its abundant flint sources Sharbithat represents one of the most promising Neolithic archaeological areas of the Omani coast. A first campaign in this area was therefore undertaken in January 2017 within the framework of the expedition programme 'Archaeology of the Arabian Seashores' and of the NeoArabia Project of the Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR). The Middle Holocene occupation in the surveyed terraces and low plateaus is particularly dense. Sites SHA-2, SHA-7, and SHA-10 revealed the presence of Neolithic dwellings (Late Neolithic period 2, c.4500-3100 BC). Moreover, in addition to the ordinary fishing equipment that characterizes this period, an astonishing lithic industry was also discovered. It consis...

Ministry of Heritage and Culture of Oman, Mar 1, 2014

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2021

ABSTRACTThe tempo and mode of Homo sapiens dispersal in Eurasia and the demise of Neanderthals ha... more ABSTRACTThe tempo and mode of Homo sapiens dispersal in Eurasia and the demise of Neanderthals has sparked debate about the dynamics of Neanderthal extinction and its relationship to the arrival of H. sapiens. In Italy, the so‐called ‘Transition’ from Neanderthals to H. sapiens is related to the Uluzzian technocomplex, i.e. the first archaeological evidence for modern human dispersal on the European continent. This paper illustrates the new chronology and stratigraphy of Uluzzo C, a rock shelter and Uluzzian key site located in the Uluzzo Bay in southern Italy, where excavations are ongoing, refining the cultural sequence known from previous excavations. Microstratigraphic investigation suggests that most of the deposit formed after dismantling of the vault of the rock shelter and due to wind input of loess deflated by the continental shelf. The occasional reactivation of the hydrology of the local karst system under more humid conditions further contributed to the formation of spec...

International audienceMaitan is a small desert village located to the north of the city of Al-Maz... more International audienceMaitan is a small desert village located to the north of the city of Al-Mazyunah, in the Sultanate of Oman. The village is close to the triple-border junction between Oman, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia, in the area of Shaqat Jadailah and Shaq Shuayt. During January 2019, a team of geologists and archaeologists undertook a systematic survey of the area to understand its geoarchaeological setting, following the recent discovery of grinding and tethering stones by local people. The survey revealed the presence of Late Palaeolithic, Middle and Late Neolithic sites, and new extraordinary information about the Middle Holocene peopling of this region. Comparisons with known sites in the Rub’ al-Khali Desert, scattered along its southern margins in Oman and Yemen as well as in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, show a high-density peopling of this area which today seems so inhospitable. The presence of abundant lithic artefacts together with millstones, grindstones, pestles and mortars, along with fossilized animal bones and ornaments, indicates a long occupation of the area during prehistoric times. The sediments in theregion show the prevalence of largely arid and hyper-arid conditions, with brief intervals of relatively humid conditions, during which humans and their livestock probably inhabited the region

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

Abstract This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade... more Abstract This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade) axes discovered in southern Oman (Dhofar Governorate). The research presents a first account of the geological composition and the morphological structure of such tools and it outlines a preliminary distribution network of jade axe-heads across Southern Arabia. After the discovery of the first analysed sample at Shaqat Jadailah SQJ-3, in the Rub’ al-Khali Desert (Dhofar), four other archaeological axe-adze samples collected from southern Oman, were analysed using micro-Raman Spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF). We compared the analysed samples to other nephrite axes collected in the first pioneering exploration of Gertrude Caton-Thompson (Yemen) and Wilfred Thesiger (South Oman). These objects were then correlated with nephrite raw material from the basement exposures in Yemen. Available data show that the raw material originating in Yemen reached the Neolithic groups of Southern Rub’ al-Khali and coastal Dhofar most likely during the 6th-5th millennium BC, following a similar path to the obsidian route. The colour, texture and composition, together with the presence of other classes of lithic artefacts such as the trihedral projectile points, indicate that during this period Southern Oman was fully integrated into long-distance exchange networks. The analysis of the collected samples show that they are made exclusively from nephrite, and not from other general “green stones”. Considering the high hardness and toughness of the nephrite, this fact allows the hypothesis of a deliberate choice in the selection of raw material for its durability or prestige value.

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2019

Lithic projectile points always had an important diagnostic value for documenting the development... more Lithic projectile points always had an important diagnostic value for documenting the development and expansion of Arabian Neolithic material culture (c. eighth\u2013fourth millennium BC) and subsistence strategies due to the remarkable abundance of surface assemblages. Given the limitations of traditional arrowhead typology for analysing the increasing variability emerging from archaeological research in the region, we propose here a new systematic description of Neolithic projectile points, based on the consistent observation of technological and morphological change over time and space in a number of diagnostic parameters. A quantitative exploration of variation is carried out on both published and unpublished data through a number of pattern-recognition techniques and exploratory analyses such as principal component and cluster analysis. By presenting the first application of this approach to Arabian Neolithic projectile points, the research offers a valid tool for investigating temporal and cultural trends through different phases of the Neolithic in the region of interest

53rd Seminar for Arabian Studies, Leiden, Netherlands, July 13th, 2019., 2019

Documenta Praehistorica, 2024

Études et Travaux, 2023

Archaeological Research in Asia, Mar 1, 2023

The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology

Archaeological Research in Asia

Ministry of Heritage and Culture of Oman, Mar 1, 2014

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 2019

Journal of Archaeological Science: reports, 2021

This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade) axes di... more This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade) axes discovered in southern Oman (Dhofar Governorate). The research presents a first account of the geological composition and the morphological structure of such tools and it outlines a preliminary distribution network of jade axe-heads across Southern Arabia. After the discovery of the first analysed sample at Shaqat Jadailah SQJ-3, in the Rub’ al-Khali Desert (Dhofar), four other archaeological axe-adze samples collected from southern Oman, were analysed using micro-Raman Spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF). We compared the analysed samples to other nephrite axes collected in the first pioneering exploration of Gertrude Caton-Thompson (Yemen) and Wilfred Thesiger (South Oman). These objects were then correlated with nephrite raw material from the basement exposures in Yemen. Available data show that the raw material originating in Yemen reached the Neolithic groups of Southern Rub’ al-Khali and coastal Dhofar most likely during the 6th-5th millennium BC, following a similar path to the obsidian route. The colour, texture and composition, together with the presence of other classes of lithic artefacts such as the trihedral projectile points, indicate that during this period Southern Oman was fully integrated into long-distance exchange networks. The analysis of the collected samples show that they are made exclusively from nephrite, and not from other general “green stones”. Considering the high hardness and toughness of the nephrite, this fact allows the hypothesis of a deliberate choice in the selection of raw material for its durability or prestige value.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2021

This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade) axes di... more This paper discusses the results of a new geo-archaeological study on the nephrite (jade) axes discovered in southern Oman (Dhofar Governorate). The research presents a first account of the geological composition and the morphological structure of such tools and it outlines a preliminary distribution network of jade axe-heads across Southern Arabia. After the discovery of the first analysed sample at Shaqat Jadailah SQJ-3, in the Rub' al-Khali Desert (Dhofar), four other archaeological axe-adze samples collected from southern Oman, were analysed using micro-Raman Spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF). We compared the analysed samples to other nephrite axes collected in the first pioneering exploration of Gertrude Caton-Thompson (Yemen) and Wilfred Thesiger (South Oman). These objects were then correlated with nephrite raw material from the basement exposures in Yemen. Available data show that the raw material originating in Yemen reached the Neolithic groups of Southern Rub' al-Khali and coastal Dhofar most likely during the 6th-5th millennium BC, following a similar path to the obsidian route. The colour, texture and composition, together with the presence of other classes of lithic artefacts such as the trihedral projectile points, indicate that during this period Southern Oman was fully integrated into long-distance exchange networks. The analysis of the collected samples show that they are made exclusively from nephrite, and not from other general "green stones". Considering the high hardness and toughness of the nephrite, this fact allows the hypothesis of a deliberate choice in the selection of raw material for its durability or prestige value.

Located between the last fringes of the al-Wusta Region and the plain of Dhofar (Dhofār), the coa... more Located between the last fringes of the al-Wusta Region and the plain of Dhofar (Dhofār), the coastal plain of Sharbithāt has been scarcely explored. With its 14 km-long shoreline, its succession of wide terraces and wadi deltaic branches, and its abundant flint sources Sharbithāt represents one of the most promising Neolithic archaeological areas of the Omani coast. A first campaign in this area was therefore undertaken in January 2017 within the framework of the expedition programme ‘Archaeology of the Arabian Seashores’ and of the NeoArabia Project of the Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR). The Middle Holocene occupation in the surveyed terraces and low plateaus is particularly dense. Sites SHA-2, SHA-7, and SHA-10 revealed the presence of Neolithic dwellings (Late Neolithic period 2, c.4500–3100 BC). Moreover, in addition to the ordinary fishing equipment that characterizes this period, an astonishing lithic industry was also discovered. It consists of lunates, backed bladelets, and points made on flakes, similar to the so-called ‘Fasad points’ dating to the Early Holocene. The latter evidence suggests the use of this point type for a period longer than previously supposed or their attribution to the Late Neolithic, raising important chronological questions that must be carefully tested. Middle Neolithic occupation (c.6500–4500 BC) has also been identified at Sharbithāt SHA-4, an exceptional site that provided stone structures, at least one burial, many bifaces, several ‘façonnage’ products, and dozens of arrowheads with trihedral-shaped distal and plano-convex mesial. These types of projectile points were already known in the Hadramawt area in contexts dated between the sixth and fifth millennium BC, but their chronological horizon in Oman must be further detailed with new dates.

Trilith Stone Monuments of Oman (TSMO): REPORT OF THE 1st SEASON 2018-2019 (Field missions TSMO 1A & 1B). Release: June 2019. Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Sultanate of Oman [UNPUBLISHED CIRCULATED REPORT]., 2019

Report from the 1st season of TSMO (Trilith Stone Monuments of Oman) 3-year archaeological field ... more Report from the 1st season of TSMO (Trilith Stone Monuments of Oman) 3-year archaeological field project in Oman focused on research of TRILITHS (stone monuments embedded in ritual/sacred spaces distributed in the landscape throughout the coastal highlands of Southern Arabia). Trilith dataset raised to 634 recorded sites, 41 trilith fireplaces were sampled and 24 samples were submitted to the radiocarbon laboratories for AMS 14C measurements and respective calibrated dating. Highlight of mission TSMO 1A was relocation of endangered trilith monument from Duqm to the National Museum in Muscat for permanent exhibit. TSMO mission also newly recorded extensive shell midden complex and several Palaeolithic sites in Duqm, central Oman.