5,000-year-old fossilised baskets, nets, discovered
Inside the houses of an Early Bronze Age settlement at Ra’s alHadd, archaeologists have discovered fossilised imprints of baskets, ropes and nets
The remains of these household items can now be found on display at the National Museum of Oman
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Fossilised baskets, ropes and nets that date back to the early Bronze Age, between 3,100 BCE and 2,700 BCE, have recently been discovered, the National Museum Oman has announced.
The new set of archaeological discoveries were found at a human settlement near Ras Al Hadd and are over 5,000 years old. These discoveries have shed light on how people in Oman lived during that age. Back then, Ras Al Hadd was an important seaside town in the Arabian Gulf and happened to be its easternmost point, jutting into the Sea of Oman.
Originally made from organic materials and fibres, chemical reactions over thousands of years have turned the discoveries into hardened, calcified fossils.
“Inside the houses of an Early Bronze Age settlement at Ras alHadd, archaeologists have discovered fossilised imprints of baskets, ropes and nets,” said a spokesperson for the museum.
“The perishable organic materials originally used to produce these objects have been slowly replaced by concretions of calcium carbonate over thousands of years.
“This find has provided a rare glimpse of materials and techniques used in the local manufacture of such everyday crafts objects in prehistoric times,” the spokesperson added.
The remains of these household items can now be found on display at the National Museum of Oman.