Funerary evidence and reuse practices: the cairn burials at Al-Jamma in the south Batinah foothills (Sultanate of Oman)

The rescue excavation carried out in 2016 along Package 2 of the Batinah Expressway in the Sultanate of Oman led to the recovery of 25 funerary structures, arranged in two main clusters (the Al-Jamma foothills and the Wadī Banif). The research area is located in the southern Batinah plain, at the foot of the Al-Hajar Mountains. Preliminary surface investigations led to the identification of the two groups of tombs that were excavated with stratigraphic method and documented with modern surveying and data recording techniques, including sampling of human remains. The most interesting and best-preserved groups of cairns are located in inland-Al-Jamma (Ar-Rustāq), on the top and on the slopes of low hills, or on the terraces and beds of the valleys. The investigation of the tombs, in addition to the preliminary analysis of the architectural elements, building techniques, and burial practices, allowed the identification of the structural types and the description of tomb use, reconstruction, reuse and pillaging activities, as well as insight into rituals and funerary practices. Confirmation of the custom of reusing earlier tombs, that persisted over the centuries, often modifying the original appearance of the structure and altering its content, represents the most evident result of the research. The necropolis appears to have been used from the Bronze Age, probably Hafit period, up to the PIR period (Pré Islamique Récente), as evidenced by the grave goods that are composed mainly of personal ornaments – such as pearls, rings and earrings – and metal weapons and tools – such as swords, arrowheads and a flat axe. The purpose of this paper is primarily to provide original data on the funeral practices, including the custom of reusing pre-existing tombs, and to illustrate the results of the highway rescue excavations.