#  Mudhmar : an Iron Age Cultic Site in Central Oman 

 



Mudhmar is located in Ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate, 15km west of the Adam oasis, at the foot of the mountain of the same name. It is an isolated cultic site from the Early Iron Age (1300-300 BCE), on the edge of the desert zones, which has yielded very rare architectural remains – including one pillared hall building, one rectangular shrine with postholes, and monumental terraces.

The terraced area is remarkable for the quantity of archaeological material it contained, including thousands of pottery sherds, over 4,000 copper/bronze arrowheads and over 40 copper snake figurines found near a water source. The posthole shrine went through several stages of use, including one in which the presence of burnt animal bones suggests banquets or sacrifices. The most important building on the site is the pillared hall building, which contained a water catchment system, miniature weapons and, in the treasure room, several successive deposits, including unfinished shaft-hole axes, daggers, arrows and unique copper bows and quivers.

This site forms part of a complex system of craft, economic, social and religious activities that developed in South-Eastern Arabia during the Early Iron Age and which, despite recent discoveries in the region, remains largely unknown.

[**Dr. Guillaume Gernez**](/people/guillaume-gernez#), specialist of the archaeology of Arabia and the ancient Near East, directed excavations at Mudhmar and is the lead researcher for this Shelby White and Leon Levy Program project.

***Please click on the images below for larger views***

   ![Mudhmar 1- Pillared hall building (Building 1), view from the east.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/whitelevy/files/1_-_mudhmar_est_-_batiment_1.jpg?itok=6FACmguV) 

 

1- Pillared hall building (Building 1), view from the east.   ![Mudhmar - 2- Postholes building (Building 2), orthophoto.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/whitelevy/files/2_-_mudhmar_posthole_bdg.jpg?itok=OybVz1FA) 

 

2- Postholes building (Building 2), orthophoto.   ![Mudhmar - 3- Copper quivers in the “treasure room” of Building 1.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/whitelevy/files/3_-_quivers_mudhmar.jpg?itok=vn2L2RWP) 

 

3 - Copper quivers in the “treasure room” of Building 1.   ![Mudhmar - 4 -	Bows, daggers, axes and arrows in the “treasure room” of Building 1.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3196/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/whitelevy/files/4_-_deposit_2_.jpg?itok=BojAS0zM) 

 

4 - Bows, daggers, axes and arrows in the “treasure room” of Building 1.

 



 

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