Archaeometallurgical study of a small assemblage of copper-alloy artefacts from Thuqeībah–al‑Madām (Sharjah, UAE)
Keywords:
south-eastern Arabia, metallurgy, Iron Age, copper alloys, metal exchangeAbstract
The site of Thuqeībah–al‑Madām, located in the Emirate of Sharjah (UAE), has since the 1980s been studied by several archaeological campaigns, that led to the recovery of several metal objects. This study focuses on the copper-base artefacts unearthed in different sectors of the site: al‑Madām 1 (AM1-Thuqeībah), an Iron Age village; al Madām 2 (AM2), an Iron Age falaj and irrigation area; and al‑Madām 32 (AM32), situated at Jebel al‑Buhaīs, which represents an offering site. The assemblage includes rings, needles, bracelets, earrings, pins, and various arrowheads. Although an initial compositional study was previously undertaken, no detailed research has yet been carried out. In this paper, we aim to inform on analysis carried out on these objects and compare them with other examples from south-east Arabia, to shed some light on the copper patterns and their uses by the inhabitants of the al‑Madām region.
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