Dilmun and its Gulf Neighbours
Dilmun and its Gulf Neighbours
£41.00
GBPHarriet Crawford presents a scholarly account of the archaeology of the Arabian Gulf from c.4500–1500 BC. It offers an interpretation of the structure of society in the Early Dilmun period (c.2000–1500 BC) using material from the excavated site of Saar on the main Bahrain island. The urban, centralized and probably literate society in Dilmun is contrasted with the contemporary societies in Oman and the Emirates. Here there is evidence from buildings and graves for a loosely knit, apparently tribal society. Both societies were greatly influenced by their participation in the complex trade routes which linked them with ancient Mesopotamia to the north and the Indus Valley to the south east, but developed their own distinctive cultures. The reason for their divergent development seems to relate to the fact that Dilmun was an entrepot, while the Oman peninsula was a source of raw materials.
- A readable account of Dilmun civilisation, a key topic in Middle Eastern archaeology, same formula and approach as author's successful Sumer and the Sumerians
- Incorporates and interprets the latest archaeological research
- Reconstructs the economic and social structures of the ancient peoples of the Arabian Gulf
- Will be essential for courses on the archaeology of the Middle East
Reviews & endorsements
'Crawford's survey is pioneering.' The Times Higher Supplement
'Like her previous Sumer and the Sumerians (CUP, 1991), Crawford's new book is above all directly intended for a student public that she knows well; many who are not specialists in this topic will commend her for it. Even more importantly, both the thorough updating of all the available information and the richness of her remarks and working hypothesis have resulted in a very stimulating contribution for her own colleagues in the field. American Journal of Archaeology
Product details
March 1998Paperback
9780521586795
188 pages
246 × 189 × 10 mm
0.42kg
49 b/w illus. 5 maps
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. The setting
- 2. The earliest settlements
- 3. The development of Dilmun
- 4. The expansion of Dilmun: settlement and architecture
- 5. Dilmun: graves and artefacts
- 6. The Oman Peninsula: settlement and architecture
- 7. The Oman Peninsula: graves and artefacts
- 8. Dilmun: development and decline. An overview.
