A First Definition of the Dhofar Coastal Culture: Archaeological Exploration on the Inqitat Promontory in the Khor Rori Area (Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman)

Archaeological investigations in coastal Dhofar, southern Oman, have extensively documented the presence of South Arabian occupation, but local settlements during the Iron Age remain poorly understood. Recent surveys and excavations along the Dhofar coast have revealed a site that could provide significant data on the Iron Age in the region. On the Inqitat promontory, in the area of Khor Rori, archaeological investigations have revealed continuous human settlement from the 8th-7th century BC to the 1st-2nd century AD. The stratigraphic evidence highlighted climatic changes and different uses of the promontory during its occupation. In particular, a previously unattested indigenous tradition with a specific material culture and socio-economic organisation —labelled Dhofar Coastal Culture —has been documented at the Iron Age site Al Hamr al-Sharqiyah 1 (HAS1), which partially overlapped with the occupation of the nearby South Arabian city of Sumhuram.