The pottery production at Sumhuram (Khor Rori, Sultanate of Oman): An archaeometric study

The aim of this paper is to present the preliminary results of the archaeometric characterization of a particular pottery production in the settlement of Sumhuram, in the area of Khor Rori (Sultanate of Oman), the easternmost port of ancient the caravan kingdoms, along the southern coast of Arabia (2nd cent BC – 5th cent AD). The inhabitants of Sumhuram provided to their needs through several local productive activities, as indicated by the presence of kilns and furnaces used for different purposes. In the past, few studies speculated, and partially demonstrated, the possible occurrence, at Sumhuram, of a local pottery manufacturing; however, no kilns were ever found until recent years. In 2015, archaeological investigations unveiled the first clear evidence of a local prottery production at the site through the discovery of a pottery kiln and some production wastes inside the city wall.The furnace discovered in Sumhuram is the only one suitable for firing pottery in the whole southern Arabia in pre-Islamic period. Twenty-two potsherds from the productive area have been analysed with micro- and macro-photo, and thin sections, in order to illustrate the development of the whole pottery cycle, from the treatment of the raw materials to the final products.