Al-Ḥurḍah, an Early Islamic settlement horizon in the oasis of Khaybar
Keywords:
Early islamic period, Khaybar, agricultural estate, Abbasid, oasisAbstract
The archaeology of agricultural landscapes remains little explored in the Ḥijāz, despite textual sources attesting to processes of development during the first centuries of Islam. Following the battle of Khaybar, the first territorial conquest by the prophet Muḥammad, agricultural land seems to have been a major politico-economic issue. In this respect, the area of al-Ḥurḍah, located adjacent to the oasis of Khaybar, offers a window on this period, allowing the archaeological data to be compared with the textual sources. Located on the periphery of the oasis and its springs, this area stands out as an entity in its own right. Early research shows extensive agricultural practices, which extend beyond the centre of the oasis, but also the development of settlements in the Abbasid period. The ensemble appears to constitute a true multi-component site, associating agricultural and pastoral activities, which is completed by the discovery of khan-like structures.
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