Iron Age mortuary practices in south-east Arabia: preliminary results from the Qaṭṭāra necropolis (Al-ʿAyn, UAE)
Keywords:
Iron Age, southeast Arabia, chambered shaft tombs, mortuary practices, funerary assemblagesAbstract
Recent archaeological investigations at Qaṭṭāra, Al-ʿAyn, have revealed a substantial Iron Age necropolis embedded within a broader, multi-period funerary landscape spanning the Bronze Age to the late pre-Islamic period. Initially identified during infrastructure works along the UAE-Oman border in 2021, the site has been undergoing systematic excavation since November 2024. Among the most significant discoveries is a large cluster of chambered shaft tombs, representing securely dated and well-documented examples of this architectural type. While the full extent of the necropolis remains unknown, current results provide important new insights into Iron Age mortuary architecture and funerary practices.
Despite widespread evidence of ancient disturbance, several tombs have preserved in situ funerary assemblages, including copper-alloy weaponry and vessels, soft-stone and ceramic vessels, shell containers and tools, and personal ornaments. These assemblages offer critical evidence for Iron Age funerary customs, social organization, and intra- and interregional exchange networks. The identification of skeletal material has enabled meaningful bioarchaeological and taphonomic observations that expand the current understanding of Iron Age mortuary traditions and regional complexity in south-east Arabia, and will hopefully elucidate individual life histories, kinship, and mobility.
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