A Note on the Pre-Islamic Ceramics from the Khaybar Oasis (Saudi Arabia). First Technological and Morphological Considerations

ArchéOrient - Le BlogPre-Islamic pottery in northwestern Arabia remains little studied compared to other regions of the Middle East (Egypt, Levant, southeastern Arabia and Mesopotamia). In the oasis of Khaybar (Medina Province, Saudi Arabia), ceramic studies started in 2020 in the framework of the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (Khaybar LDAP) (Charloux et al. 2022). This short note aims to present a first characterization of the pottery assemblage of the ‘pre-Islamic period’ in a broad sense (ranging from the fourth millennium BCE [Chalcolithic] to the first-second century CE [Nabataean-Roman period]). This assemblage was collected during the first three seasons of the project in 2020 and 2021. We present here the macrofabric groups, the methodology and techniques employed, and an attempt to propose a preliminary overview of human activities in the Khaybar survey area during this timeframe