We explore two identical metal artifacts from Oman and how researchers figured out what they were. In this post, you will find the YouTube video exploring these artifacts, and a full video transcript (with relevant sources and links).

YouTube Video

YouTube Video Transcript

Here, you will find the complete transcript of the video in the previous section with hyperlinked references/citations.

Intro

Imagine that you’re excavating a small square building in Oman. You then happen to uncover two identical metal objects. They’re stacked one on top of the other, and they’re circular. You’ve never seen anything like that, and you’re wondering, “What are they?”

Hi! I’m Dr. Smiti Nathan, and I’m an archaeologist. In this video, we’re going to explore these two identical metal artifacts from Oman and how researchers figured out what they were, and the answer might surprise you.

The Discovery

This pair of metal objects was excavated from the site of Dahwa 7 (DH7) in the northern Al-Batinah region in northern Oman. These artifacts are equal in size and identical in shape. They’re circular, with a diameter of 13.8 cm, and no visible surface damage. Their embossed middles are both perforated in the center with 4.2 mm-diameter holes. The artifacts are thin and their combined weight is only 254.3 g.

As an archaeologist who works in Oman, I can attest that these artifacts are a rare find for the region.

Now when a rare object is excavated, how do we go about figuring out what it was? Well archaeologists often act like detectives and we look at the clues available. With artifacts, we typically start our investigation with three things: 1. Document and extract as much information we can from the artifact 2. Look for similar artifacts elsewhere in the archaeological record and 3. Analyze the context in which our artifact was found. 

So let’s do all three! 

Clue #1 – The Object

Let’s start with the artifact Itself

When it comes to the artifact itself, we can see that it’s made of metal. We also can use scientific techniques like, portable x-ray fluorescence, to analyze artifacts to learn what they’re made out of and where they might have come from.

When it comes to their composition, they’re essentially made of copper alloys. In fact, the levels of arsenic and nickel that were found are actually more consistent with copper objects from the Bronze Age in this region, as opposed to the Iron age, which partly helped with dating.

When it comes to where the materials came from, that is a little more complicated. Certain aspects of the chemical signature point to copper sources near Dahwa itself. But other elements, specifically high levels of arsenic, antimony, and lead, suggest copper sources from around 170 km to the southwest, near modern-day Muscat. 

So whether it comes from nearby or further away, we currently don’t have evidence of similar objects from the Bronze Age in Oman, or Arabia for that matter. 

Clue #2 – Comparatives

So it’s time to go to clue two: let’s look for similar artifacts elsewhere in the archaeological record.

As we mentioned, we don’t have similar objects from this time period in Arabia; however, we know that Bronze Age societies in this region exchanged goods and ideas with one another, and sometimes across very long distances. 

According to the scholars analyzing the Dahwa artifacts, the closest match that lines up with the time period comes from the Indus Valley site of Mohenjo-daro, located in modern-day Pakistan. These copper objects date to roughly the same period as the Dahwa finds and are very similar in shape. They’re circular, with an embossed center, and have similar brims. 

We still can’t confirm what these Indus objects were used for. However, the theories surrounding them contributed to interpreting the Dahwa artifacts. We’ll talk about these theories soon, but for them to make sense we need the next clue. 

Clue #3 – Context

So clue number three: context

The Dahwa objects were found inside Building S1. This is a small rectangular stone structure (4.4mx 3.3m).

Its location is a bit interesting. It sits at the highest point of the entire settlement and is also a bit isolated and separate from other buildings at the site.

This building is also packed with many built-in stone and plaster features on the inside and out. In fact, four such features take up most of the interior space, which means that only a handful of people would have been able to fit inside the building at one time. Scholars think that people likely convened outside of the space, which also had its fair share of built-in features. 

The building also shows two distinct phases of use. In the first phase, a hard plaster floor was laid and the internal built-in features were installed. During the second phase, the interior was deliberately filled in and raised with a thick layer of clay and stone. It was in this intentional fill layer that the Dahwa objects were found. The fill layer also contained a couple of charcoal fragments, two of which were radiocarbon dated to around 3800 years ago, so Bronze Age for the region. Then a paved stone floor was installed atop this fill layer in the interior and exterior of the building.

When it comes to the The Dahwa artifacts were found in situ. This means they were found in the original position in which they were last deposited in the ground. In this case, these artifacts were carefully placed one on top of the other and fitted together. Their deposition, or the way in which they were buried, along with the building itself, gives us a lot of clues regarding what objects could be. 

First, when it comes to Building S1, scholars have interpreted it as a type of ritual building, perhaps even a small temple. This is due to high and isolated spatial position at the site, its layout, and other artifacts that have been found there. What’s interesting here is that while this building is unique at Dahwa, it looks similar to other ritual buildings found in the broader region. 

Second, when it comes to the Dahwa artifacts, they also seem to be related to ritual. As we mentioned, they were found in a fill layer between construction phases; however, they also seemed to be intentionally and carefully placed there. This practice of intentionally burying objects in and around ritual spaces before new construction is well documented across ancient Southwest Asia and North Africa. It’s thought to reflect a belief that certain objects were too sacred to just throw away.

Reveal

So have you guessed what these objects are? 

If you thought pot lids, you’re not alone. Given the shape, it’s a fair hypothesis. In his 1940 book, scholar Curt Sachs suggested the similarly looking Mohenjo-Daro objects were pot lids. However, he also had another theory.

Here’s what he said about the Mohenjo-Daro objects, “Their form, however, with a central boss and a softly sloping and slightly turned up brim, is so closely related to actual cymbals…”

His musical instrument theory gained the support of later archaeologists working in Arabia, including the archaeologist working at Dahwa. So scholars think these Dahwa artifacts are cymbals. 

You might be thinking, “Huh?”

And I totally get it. But if we look back at the clues, it doesn’t feel too far-fetched. 

First off, there is the shape. They do resemble cymbals. However, if that’s all we had, we wouldn’t have much to go on. The power of the Dahwa find comes from the other clues we mentioned.

Because they were carefully and intentionally placed before burial, the objects show no surface damage. That means we have a good sense of what they originally looked like and they do look like cymbals.

Then there’s the fact that they were buried as a pair and they fit together. Cymbals are also played as a pair.

We also have examples of metal cymbals from later time periods in other parts of southwest Asia and Egypt, some of which have been restored and do produce a ringing sound. While it doesn’t seem like such a ringing test has been attempted for the Dahwa cymbals, probably due to their fragility, they give us an important glimpse into life 3800 years ago. 

First off, we know that folx in this part of Arabia were trading and interacting with communities in Mesopotamia and the Indus. Given the similarities of the Dahwa cymbals and similar artifacts in those regions, this find is yet another example of ideas being exhanged throughout these regions. 

Second, the fact that these cymbals were so carefully buried, points to not just a ritual significance, but the important role music played, and continues to play in our lives. 

This artifact is one of the only examples of a Bronze Age musical instrument being unearthed in Oman. It’s one of the few clues we have of how music might have been like during this time. The researchers also note that since this artifact was find at the highest point of the site, if it were played here, the sound could have carried to the sides of the hill and even into the valley. This means that a lot of people would have heard their sounds. 

Outro

And it turns out, the Dahwa cymbals aren’t the only musical instruments that tell us something surprising about the past.

If you’d like to learn more about music instruments from the past, we have another video looking at one from Southern Africa, which we will link below. 

This video is part of our artifact of the day series, where we take a quick look at one intriguing object from the past. If you’re interested in watching another artifact of the day video, check out the video here.

Credits

Brooke Norton: Series Lead, Co-Producer, Researcher, Scriptwriter

Noor Hanania: Lead Video Editor, Peer Reviewer, Logo Designer

Anya Gruber: Peer Reviewer

Sneh P. Patel: Peer Reviewer

Smiti Nathan: Director, Co-Producer, Support Video Editor, Researcher, Scriptwriter

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Nancy Fulton, Giancarlo Annese, Thomas Martin, Stuart A. Griffin, Tagg, Ann Brookens, Diana Madden, Cole Guinn, Seemingly Unrelated Podcast, Chris, GeometryGirl, John McGrath, Carmen Guerrero, Cris Nally

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