A Bronze Age town in the Khaybar walled oasis: Debating early urbanization in Northwestern Arabia

Recent exploration of the Khaybar oasis by the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (AFALULA-RCU-CNRS) has led to the discovery of an exceptional Bronze Age fortified site called al-Natah. For the first time in Northwestern Arabia, the characteristics of a third/second-millennium-BCE settleme...

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Published in:PloS one 2024-10, Vol.19 (10), p.e0309963
Main Authors: Charloux, Guillaume, Shabo, Shadi, Depreux, Bruno, Colin, Sylvain, Guadagnini, Kévin, Guermont, François, Dupuy, Sabine, Bussy, Mylène, Bec Drelon, Noisette, Poulmarc'h, Modwene, Albukaai, Diaa, Alshilali, Saifi, Crassard, Rémy, AlMushawh, Munirah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Arabia
Archaeology
Archaeology and Prehistory
Biology and Life Sciences
Book publishing
Bronze Age
Decision making
Deserts
Discovery and exploration
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Engineering and Technology
History
History, Ancient
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Natural history
Nomads
Oases
Research and Analysis Methods
Residential areas
Social Sciences
Surveys
Urban development
Urbanism
Urbanization
Urbanization - history
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Summary:Recent exploration of the Khaybar oasis by the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (AFALULA-RCU-CNRS) has led to the discovery of an exceptional Bronze Age fortified site called al-Natah. For the first time in Northwestern Arabia, the characteristics of a third/second-millennium-BCE settlement can be assessed over a large area. Preliminary archaeological survey and soundings have revealed a fortified 2.6-hectares town built around 2400-2000 BCE which lasted until at least 1500 BCE and possibly 1300 BCE-but with possible interruptions-, functionally subdivided into a residential area, a probable decision-making zone and a necropolis. The nucleated dwellings were constructed following a standard plan and were connected by small streets. By comparison with neighboring oasis centers, we suggest that Northwestern Arabia during the Bronze Age-largely dominated by pastoral nomadic groups and already integrated into long-distance trade networks-was dotted with interconnected monumental walled oases centered around small fortified towns. And by comparison with the contemporary situation in the Southern Levant, we also envisage that the archaeological record bears witness to a 'low urbanization' (or 'slow urbanism'), indigenous to North Arabia, evidencing weak but increasing social complexity through the Early and Middle Bronze Ages.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0309963