Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn explained

Image Upright:1.2
Location:Al Dhahira region, Oman
Criteria:(iii), (iv)
Id:434
Coordinates:23.2699°N 56.745°W
Year:1988

The Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn[1] (Arabic: ٱلْمَوَاقِع ٱلْأَثَرِيَّة فِيْ بَات وَٱلْخُطْم وَٱلْعَيْن|Al-Mawāqiʿ al-Athariyyah fī Bāt wal-Khuṭm wal-ʿAyn) are a group of beehive tombs or necropolis from the Hafit period in the 3rd Millennium BC, located near a palm grove in Oman. They were declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1988, becoming only the second such Omani site after the Bahla Fort was designated world heritage in 1987.[2]

History or prehistory

See main article: History of Oman.

Studies during the last 15 years have shown the existence of numerous human settlements ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman.

Bat

The site of Bat is located inside a palm grove. Around 3000 B.C., there was an intense trade of copper (extracted locally) and stone (probably diorite) with Sumerians.[3] The necropolis consists of 100 graves and circular buildings each with a diameter of about 20m (70feet). These buildings have no outside openings, so besides the possibility of their ritualistic function, they may have been used as tanks or silos. Their precise function is as of yet unknown. In 1972, the excavations carried out by a Danish team led by Karen Frifelt showed that the area has been continuously inhabited for 4000 years.

Al-Khutm

The ruins at Al-Khutm are thought to have derived from a stone fort, with a tower made of rock with a diameter of 20m (70feet). They are located 2km (01miles) west of Bat.

Al-Ayn

Al-Ayn is a small necropolis, although it is in the best condition of the three necropolises. It is located 22km (14miles) southeast of Bat.[4]

Conservation

The sites have not been subjected to restoration or other types of conservation before the protection provided by UNESCO, so their isolation has been their only protection. One of the greatest dangers concerning the sites preservation comes from locals who take building material from the archaeological sites.

Development

A road between Oman and Saudi Arabia,[5] [6] which goes through the villages, was completed in September 2021.[7] Measuring between 700and in total, it extends from the town of Ibri in Oman to Al-Ahsa in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Omani side of the road measures approximately 160km (100miles), and the Saudi side 580km (360miles).

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Christopher P. Thornton . Charlotte M. Cable . Gregory L. Possehl . University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. . The Bronze Age Towers at Bat, Sultanate of Oman . i–vi . 978-1-9345-3607-0 . 2016 . 10.2307/j.ctv2t4ct6.1 .
  2. Web site: . Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn . 2020-02-29.
  3. Web site: UNESCO World Heritage Convention . Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn . 2015-05-15.
  4. Web site: Articles about Al Ayn . Dekanovsky . Vaclav . 2020-02-29 . The Travel Holiday . 2020-02-29 . 8 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221008132415/https://thetravelholiday.com/Oman/Al%20Ayn/ . dead .
  5. News: Al Shaibany . Saleh . Oman-Saudi road to save 16 hours travel time nears completion: New road cuts through the Empty Quarter and will be a lifeline for trade between the two countries . . 2021-07-06 . 2021-11-09.
  6. News: Al Amir . Khitam . New Saudi-Oman road to cut land travel time by 16 hours: Travel between two countries to get lot easier; road is 800km in length . . . 2021-07-07 . 2021-11-09.
  7. News: Al Shaibany . Saleh . Oman-Saudi desert road will breathe new life into sleepy villages: 700-km motorway to cut through the Empty Quarter, bringing trade to once-abandoned areas . . 2021-09-06 . 2021-11-09.