Archaeology Lecture Series Presents Sara Pizzimenti

The Department of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology presents Sara Pizzimenti (University of Pisa) with “Between Mountains and the Sea: The Umm an-Nar Settlement at Al-Tikha/Rustaq, Oman."

The site of al-Tikha, situated in the al Batinah region of Oman, lies 42 km southwest of the coastline and at the eastern foothills of the Al-Hajar mountains. Positioned strategically along the main road between inland sites and the coastal area, it occupies a significant geographical location. Initially identified and surveyed as part of the "Rustaq-Batinah Archaeological Survey" project, a collaborative effort involving Durham University and Sultan Qaboos University, al-Tikha has been under investigation since 2022 by a new joint project between the University of Pisa and the Sultan Qaboos University, under the supervision of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The ongoing archaeological investigations have unveiled a large settlement dating back to the Umm al Nar period (3rd millennium BC). This settlement encompasses a large domestic area featuring a warehouse, a small structure designated for ritual purposes, three towers, a metallurgical workshop, and necropolis, representing. the first discovery of an Early Bronze Age settlement in South Al Batinah.

Refreshments will be provided at 12 p.m. outside of OL224.