Sheep and Goat Variability along the Edges of the Al-Hajar Mountains in the Prehistory of South-East Arabia

The Al-Hajar Mountains, spanning the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates along the Sea of Oman, have hosted human settlement since prehistory. Over the past three decades, numerous archaeological sites have been investigated in this region. Findings from these sites reveal significant human impact on the landscape from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age, evidenced by complex settlements and extensive burial grounds. This study synthesizes recent zooarchaeological data and presents the first exploratory osteometric analysis of sheep and goats from southeastern Arabia, the most abundant and extensively exploited terrestrial mammals in the region’s prehistoric record. By examining metrical data from key archaeological sites, this paper assesses size variation patterns in these species through statistical evaluation. The study primarily focuses on documenting differences in bone size and shape, but also provides a foundation for future studies aimed at understanding broader aspects of animal management, environmental adaptation, and socio-economic dynamics among both inland communities along the Al-Hajar Mountains and fisherfolk on the Arabian Sea coast.