The ramparts of Khaybar. Multiproxy investigation for reconstructing a Bronze Age walled oasis in Northwest Arabia

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science, reports reports, 2024-02, Vol.53, p.104355, Article 104355
• Main Authors: Charloux, Guillaume, Shabo, Shadi, Chung-To, Guillaume, Depreux, Bruno, Guermont, François, Guadagnini, Kévin, Terrasse, Thomas, Bussy, Mylène, Alshilali, Saifi, Albukaai, Diaa, Crassard, Rémy, AlMushawh, Munirah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeological survey; Archaeology and Prehistory; Fortifications; Hijaz; Humanities and Social Sciences; Khaybar; Oasis
• ISSN: 2352-409X; 2352-4103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104355

•Khaybar Oasis was entirely enclosed by a rampart in pre-Islamic times, like several other large regional walled oases in north-western Arabia (Tayma, Qurayyah, Hait, etc.).•The cross-referencing of survey and remote sensing data, architectural examinations and the dating of stratified contexts have revealed a rampart initially some 14.5 km long, preserved today over just under half of the original route (41 %, 5.9 km and 74 bastions).•This rampart dates back to the Bronze Age, between 2250 and 1950 BCE, and had never been detected before due to the profound reworking of the local desert landscape over time.•This crucial discovery confirms the rise of a walled oasis complex in northern Arabia during the Bronze Age, a trend that proved to be central to the creation of indigenous social and political complexity. The multidisciplinary investigation carried out between 2020 and 2023 by the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (CNRS-RCU-AFALULA) demonstrates that the Khaybar Oasis was entirely enclosed by a rampart in pre-Islamic times, like several other large regional walled oases in north-western Arabia (Tayma, Qurayyah, Hait, etc.). The cross-referencing of survey and remote sensing data, architectural examinations and the dating of stratified contexts have revealed a rampart initially some 14.5 km long, generally between 1.70 m and 2.40 m thick, reinforced by 180 bastions. Preserved today over just under half of the original route (41 %, 5.9 km and 74 bastions), this rampart dates back to the Bronze Age, between 2250 and 1950 BCE, and had never been detected before due to the profound reworking of the local desert landscape over time. This crucial discovery confirms the rise of a walled oasis complex in northern Arabia during the Bronze Age, a trend that proved to be central to the creation of indigenous social and political complexity.