The Ancient Socioecological Systems in Oman (ASOM) Project

Summary

The Ancient Socioecological Systems in Oman (ASOM) project examined how the environment influences human territorial behavior in pastoral ecosystems as well as how territoriality in turn shapes the environment. ASOM came from a local Jebali-language term (ʾasὑm) for a type of stone monument used for burial and other purposes in antiquity (al-Shahri 1991: 184).

We are an interdisciplinary group of scientists using archeological and ecological techniques to examine whether and how climate and vegetation change in the semi-arid region of Dhofar, Oman, are coupled with human territorial behavior. In particular, we hope to be able to reconstruct ancient environments alongside patterns of human settlements and mobility during the Bronze Age and Iron Age in the last 6000 years. We hope that this improved understanding of the coupled human-natural system in this region will lead to the development of sustainable management and rangeland practices in human environments.

Cite this Record

The Ancient Socioecological Systems in Oman (ASOM) Project. ( tDAR id: 475269) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8475269

URL: https://u.osu.edu/asomproject/


Keywords

Culture
Pastoral • South Arabian Neolithic

Material
Building Materials • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Dating Sample • Fauna • Human Remains • Macrobotanical • Shell

Site Type
Agricultural or Herding • Ancient Communal / Public Structure • Arabian trilith • Archaeological Feature • Cairn • Corral • Domestic Structures • Encampment • Funerary and Burial Structures or Features • Hamlet / Village • House • Mound / Earthwork • Non-Domestic Structures • Petroglyph • Pictograph • Rock Art • Settlements • Tomb • trilith

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Bioarchaeological Research • Data Recovery / Excavation • Environment Research • Geophysical Survey • Heritage Management • Reconnaissance / Survey • Systematic Survey

Geographic Keywords
Dhofar • Middle East • Oman • Sultanate of Oman (Country)

Temporal Keywords
Bronze Age • Iron Age • Neolithic

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: -7500 to 2023 (South Arabian pastoral prehistory through present)

Spatial Coverage

min long: 53.159; min lat: 16.983 ; max long: 54.763; max lat: 17.634 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contributor(s): Sarah Ivory

Principal Investigator(s): Joy McCorriston; Mark Moritz; Ian Hamilton

Record Identifiers

NSF Grant(s): 1617185

Notes

General Note: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number (NSF Grant Number) 1617185. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation

Source Collections

Herbarium specimens, wood, and macrobotanical reference materials in Joy McCorriston's collections at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Fossil hyrax latrines and pollen collections with Sarah Ivory (Penn State University), data to be uploaded to Neotoma repository.

Human bone, artifacts archived by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Sultanate of Oman; located in Ministry Storage, Muscat, Oman.

Resources Inside this Project (Viewing 1-5 of 5)

Datasets

  1. Monument Data Cleaned--Types, Locations, Measurements--Dhofar, Oman (2020)
  2. Radiocarbon Determinations for Small-Scale Stone Monuments in Dhofar (2020)

Coding Sheets

  1. Max Stone Size (2024)
  2. Monument color codes (2024)
  3. Monument Construction Technology (2024)