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.