Omani Ceramics and Central Asia: Bronze Age Trade

Description

MERY, Dophie. Les céramiques d'Oman et l'Asie moyenne. Une archéologie des échanges à l'âge du Bronze. Paris, 2000. 314 pp. Today, the Omani peninsula remains a pioneering terrain for protohistoric archaeology. Over the past twenty years, research has multiplied in the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman, both in oases and along the coasts of the Arabian-Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. These findings integrate with studies of Mesopotamia and Indus civilization, extending beyond Central Asian relationships. Major themes include oasis formation and processes of social complexity during the Bronze Age. Local ceramic production appeared late in the Omani peninsula compared to other Central Asian regions, attested only in Early Bronze Age (late 4th millennium BCE), a period of significant technical mutation with probable transfer of certain pyrotechnologies from Indo-Iranian borders. Ceramic production remained relatively modest until the Iron Age (ca. 1300 BCE), giving terra cotta vessels considerable exchange value. This study combines three methodological approaches: chronological and spatial context, functional and stylistic analysis (forms, decoration, technical traits), and petrographic and chemical characterization. Multiple local and regional productions were distinguished from imports from Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan. The author identified potential ceramic production zones and revealed exchange patterns among geographically diverse cultures. Methods established ceramics as significant markers of production organization and trade in Bronze Age Oman. Fine copy.