The Central Oman Paleolithic Survey: Recent Research in Southern Arabia and Reflection on the Prehistoric Evidence

Abstract

The principal objective of the Central Oman Paleolithic Survey (COPS) program is the exploration of the earliest human occupation in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula. The COPS, organized by the Institute for Prehistory and Archaeological Science (IPAS) of the University of Basel (Switzerland), was carried out in 2007, in the Huqf area of the Sultanate of Oman. This project is complementary to the ongoing research of the IPAS in Syria which has been operating for more than 20 years (Le Tensorer and Hours, 1989; Le Tensorer, 1996, 2004; Le Tensorer et al., 1997, 2001; Le Tensorer et al., 2007). During 5 weeks of field work, a tremendous amount of information was collected shedding new light on Omani prehistory. A total of 623 sites were surveyed for information on prehistory and geology. In total, 369 archaeological sites were recorded. Even though the main goal of the survey was to discover Early Paleolithic sites, the preliminary results of the COPS survey are astonishing in the array of archaeological sites that were identified. The 2007 discoveries revealed a significant and diverse prehistoric legacy in Central Oman reflecting a proliferate population unexpected in an arid area.