Dhofar Through the Ages
Subtitle: An Ecological, Archaeological and Historical Landscape
Publisher: Archaeopress Archaeology
Published: Jun 30, 2019
Language: eng
Format: paperback
Number of pages: 148
ISBN-13: 9781789691603
Description: Dhofar, the southern governorate of Oman, lies within a distinctive ecological zone due to the summer Southwest Monsoon. It is home to numerous indigenous succulent plants, the most famous of which is frankincense (Boswellia sacra). The region, tied in the past to both Oman and Yemen, has a long and distinguished archaeological past stretching back to the Lower Paleolithic ca. 1.5 my BP. Dhofar is also home to a distinctive people, the Modern South Arabian Languages speakers (MSAL) since at least the last 15,000 years. Ancient Zafar (Al-Habudi), now called Al-Baleed, and its successor Salalah was and is the province's largest city. From the seventh century onwards until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1504 AD Al-Baleed dominated the central southern Arabian coastline politically and economically. Archaeological surveys and excavations in the governorate, beginning in 1954, have brought to light Dhofar's ancient past.
Notes: Source title: Dhofar Through the Ages: An Ecological, Archaeological and Historical Landscape (The Archaeological Heritage of Oman)