Handaxes dating back to first human migration from Africa recovered in Oman
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Roman Garba and Alžběta Danielisová, Institute of Archaeology of the CAS in Prague
In a major excavation work, archaeologists have uncovered unique finds from the less explored desert areas of Oman in Western Asia.
The discoveries include a wide range of prehistoric items, including handaxes dating back to the time of the first human migration out of Africa. Other items included thousands of year-old stone tombs containing ancient people's skeletons and a collection of unique rock engravings.
An international team led by the CAS Institute of Archaeology in Prague discovered these ancient items of archaeological significance. The findings could have significant implications for understanding prehistoric populations' cultures and how they adapted to climate change.
“Our findings, supported by four different dating methods, will provide valuable data for reconstructing the climate and history of the world’s largest sand desert. Natural conditions also shaped prehistoric settlements, and what we are trying to do is study human adaptability to climate change,” said Roman Garba, expedition leader and coordinator from the Institute of Archaeology of the CAS in Prague, in an official release.
The potential migration route
The discovery of stone handaxes from the dunes of the Rub' al Khali desert in the Dhofar province was one of the most intriguing finds of this excavation.
The handaxes date back to roughly 300,000 to 1.3 million years ago, the period marking the first human migration out of Africa.
According to the official statement, this Arabian peninsula may have served as a migration corridor for people from Africa to enter Eurasia. Some of them may have settled here, as the excavation discovered features of an old riverbed that were possibly left when the climate in Arabia was wetter.
Other interesting items recovered by the team included eggshells from extinct ostriches and a fossil dune. Some of these items were discovered buried in dunes as high as 300 meters.
Ancient tomb with dozen of skeletons
The team discovered a Neolithic tomb dating from 5,000-4,600 BCE at the Nafn site during one of the expeditions to the Duqm province of central Oman.
“What we find here is unique in the context of the whole of southern Arabia. A megalithic structure concealing two circular burial chambers revealed the skeletal remains of at least several dozen individuals. Isotopic analyses of bones, teeth, and shells will help us to learn more about the diet, natural environment, and migrations of the buried population,” said Alžběta Danielisová from the Institute of Archaeology, Prague.
According to reports, the tomb's walls were built with thin stone slabs known as ashlars, and it is one of the oldest human-made structures ever discovered in Oman.
Researchers also discovered a one-of-a-kind collection of engravings carved on 49 rock blocs near the tomb. Each block depicts a different style, which has weathered over time. Nonetheless, this pictorial record may shed more light on human settlements between 5,000 BCE and 1,000 CE.
The team used various dating methods — radiocarbon and cosmogenic radionuclide — to precisely determine the date of the finds for this study.
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