A First Glance at Pre-Islamic Pigments in Shells From Salūt (Sultanate of Oman)

Contenu

Titre

A First Glance at Pre-Islamic Pigments in Shells From Salūt (Sultanate of Oman)

Auteur

Degli Esposti, Michele

Lotti, Paolo

Crippa, Gaia

Diego Gatta, G.

Zerboni, Andrea

Date

2025

Dans

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy

Résumé

Marine shells containing greenish or blackish pigments are frequently found at pre-Islamic archaeological sites in Southeast Arabia and are generally interpreted as ancient eye makeup, representing a long-standing tradition that continues to the present day. While these ‘cosmetic’ shells are primarily found in funerary contexts, their presence in residential areas suggests broader use within the community. Although relatively abundant, these shells have undergone limited chemical and mineralogical analysis, hindering a deeper understanding of their composition and production. This study presents the first archaeometric results from six marine shells excavated at Bronze and Iron Age sites in the Salūt and Bisya oasis (Sultanate of Oman). Chemical analyses reveal copper- and manganese-bearing minerals as the primary components of the greenish and blackish pigments, respectively. The presence of these minerals near the Salūt oasis suggests local pigment sources. This study represents the first step in a broader analytical programme aimed at the characterisation of samples from other archaeological sites of Southeast Arabia spanning over a wider chronological time frame.

Sujet

Archéologie -- Oman

Langue

eng

volume

n/a

numéro

n/a

doi

10.1111/aae.12268

issn

1600-0471

uri

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aae.12268

Source

Wiley Online Library

Droits

© 2025 John Wiley & Sons.