- Università degli Studi di Bari, Archeologia, Faculty Memberadd
- Archaeology, Culture, Ancient History, Landscape Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Early Bronze Age Oman, and 9 moreArabian/Persian Gulf Archaeology, Ancient beads, Stone beads, Bead Making Technology, Archaeology of Oman peninsula, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeology of Oman peninsula, Neolithic, Neolithic Archaeology, and Carnelian Bead Productionedit
- Master's degree in "The early development of personal ornaments in the Oman Peninsula during the Neolithic period" - Master II Livello Internazionale Culture del Patrimonioedit
Research Interests:
Personal ornaments – and beads in particular – are the first artifacts produced outside the strictly utilitarian sphere in the history of mankind, with the earliest examples manufactured by Homo neanderthalensis more than 100.000 years... more
Personal ornaments – and beads in particular – are the first artifacts produced outside the strictly utilitarian sphere in the history of mankind, with the earliest examples manufactured by Homo neanderthalensis more than 100.000 years ago. Their detailed study might provide important information for the reconstruction of the socioeconomic organization of ancient populations and contribute to a more precise definition of specific cultural trajectories. In Southeastern Arabia, the archaeological definition of cultural variation during the Neolithic period (ca. 8000-3200 BCE) is based mainly on the reconstruction of subsistence strategies and lithic technologies. The research presented in this paper introduced bead production as a secondary indicator of cultural variability among the Neolithic communities of Southeastern Arabia, relying on the comprehensive study of consistent collections (more than 1000 artifacts) of stone and seashell beads from ten coastal sites, including graveyards and seasonal settlements.
This preliminary analysis is based on a detailed documentation strategy that included the systematic acquisition of a number of stylistic and morphometric data and the selective production of impressions of the perforations using inert silicone resins. The number, type and accuracy of the information collected allowed to define typological variations over the periods and across the different regions and to relate them with specific technical and technological advancements in bead production. This comprehensive approach allowed also a reassessment of comparable evidence from previous publications, considering both the functional and symbolic meaning of these important artifacts as an expression of collective and personal identity and their socioeconomic value.
This preliminary analysis is based on a detailed documentation strategy that included the systematic acquisition of a number of stylistic and morphometric data and the selective production of impressions of the perforations using inert silicone resins. The number, type and accuracy of the information collected allowed to define typological variations over the periods and across the different regions and to relate them with specific technical and technological advancements in bead production. This comprehensive approach allowed also a reassessment of comparable evidence from previous publications, considering both the functional and symbolic meaning of these important artifacts as an expression of collective and personal identity and their socioeconomic value.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This paper presents a preliminary study testing whether beads can be effectively used as marker of cultural variability among the late Neolithic coastal communities of the Oman Peninsula. Stylistic, morphometric, and technological... more
This paper presents a preliminary study testing whether beads can be effectively used as marker of cultural variability among the late Neolithic coastal communities of the Oman Peninsula. Stylistic, morphometric, and technological analysis identified intra- and inter-site variability in terms of shape, raw material, and size of the beads. The study of beads and bead making in the Neolithic coastal communities of Oman therefore testifies to the presence of rich patterns that can be used to infer diversity in productive and stylistic choices through time and space, as well as the complex dynamics of human interaction, knowledge exchange, and trade of goods.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to present the rich set of finds collected inside the grave Dibba 76/1, in the Emirate of Fujairah, during a season of rescue excavation conducted under the direction of S. Ali Hassan in 1994. The recovered... more
The aim of this paper is to present the rich set of finds collected inside the grave
Dibba 76/1, in the Emirate of Fujairah, during a season of rescue excavation conducted
under the direction of S. Ali Hassan in 1994. The recovered grave-goods include
pottery, soft-stone vessels, metal finds, personal ornaments, coins, and other
items. Although comparable with other corpuses of material excavated in south-eastern
Arabia, the material of Dibba 76/1 stands out for the inner variety of the different
artefacts’ classes and their remarkable chronological heterogeneity. The study of the
grave-goods suggests that Dibba 76/1 was reused over several centuries, showing a
strong continuity in the funerary destination of this specific place from the end of the
Wadi Suq period (2000–1600 BC) to the first phases of the late pre-Islamic period
(250 BC–AD 400), and the full integration of the area of Dibba in the succession of
the various cultural facies known during this long time span.
Dibba 76/1, in the Emirate of Fujairah, during a season of rescue excavation conducted
under the direction of S. Ali Hassan in 1994. The recovered grave-goods include
pottery, soft-stone vessels, metal finds, personal ornaments, coins, and other
items. Although comparable with other corpuses of material excavated in south-eastern
Arabia, the material of Dibba 76/1 stands out for the inner variety of the different
artefacts’ classes and their remarkable chronological heterogeneity. The study of the
grave-goods suggests that Dibba 76/1 was reused over several centuries, showing a
strong continuity in the funerary destination of this specific place from the end of the
Wadi Suq period (2000–1600 BC) to the first phases of the late pre-Islamic period
(250 BC–AD 400), and the full integration of the area of Dibba in the succession of
the various cultural facies known during this long time span.