Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T22:56:17.387Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Phytolith analysis from the archaeological site of Kush, Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Sachiko Ishida ,
Adrian G. Parker ,
Derek Kennet  and
Martin J. Hodson
Sachiko Ishida
Affiliation:
Earth and Environmental Sciences Section, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, Great Britain
Adrian G. Parker
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Law, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, Great Britain
Derek Kennet
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, Great Britain
Martin J. Hodson*
Affiliation:
Earth and Environmental Sciences Section, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, Great Britain
*
*Corresponding author. Email Address:[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite the wealth of archaeological sites and excellent conditions for preservation, few phytolith investigations have been undertaken from the Arabian Gulf region. The results from the Sasanian and Islamic archaeological tell of Kush, Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, are presented. Kush is situated just inside the Gulf on an important trade route. The occupation sequence dates from the 4th century A.D. until the 13th century A.D., recording the development of the site in the Sasanian period, followed by the arrival of Islam in the 7th century A.D. and the final abandonment of the site in the late 13th century when the nearby site of al-Mataf (Julfar) began to develop closer to the present day coastline. All the samples analyzed contained abundant phytoliths (short cells, elongated cells, and groups of elongated cells) of various types. They included date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), papillae (possibly from barley (Hordeum)), and hair cells possibly from species of canary grass (Phalaris spp.). Some researchers have suggested that groups of elongated cells may indicate the presence of irrigation in semiarid environments. The present results for this class of phytoliths appeared to imply that intensive irrigation was unlikely to have taken place around Kush.

Keywords

PhytolithsArabian GulfUnited Arab EmiratesSasanian, IslamicDate palmPapillae
Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 59 , Issue 3 , May 2003 , pp. 310 - 321
Copyright
Elsevier Science (USA)

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ball, T.B, Gardner, J.S, and Anderson, N Identifying inflorescence phytoliths from selected species of wheat (Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare and H. spontaneum) (Gramineae). American Journal of Botany 86, (1999). 1615 1623.Google Scholar
Barboni, D, Bonnefille, R, Alexandre, A, and Meunier, J Phytoliths as palaeoenvironmental indicators, west side Middle Awash Valley, Ethiopia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 152, (1999). 87 100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beech, M, and Shepherd, E Archaeobotanical evidence for early date consumption on Dalma Isalnd, United Arab Emirates. Antiquity 75, (2001). 83 89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bozarth, S.R Classification of opal phytoliths formed in selected dicotyledons native to the Great Plains. Mulholland, S.C, Rapp, G Jr. Phytolith Systematics—Emerging Issues. (1992). Plenum Press, New York. 193 214.Google Scholar
Cummings, L.S Illustrated phytoliths from assorted food plants. Rapp, G Jr., and Mulholland, S.C Phytolith Systematics—Emerging Issues. (1992). Plenum Press, New York. 175 192.Google Scholar
Ghazanfar, S.A, and Fisher, M Vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula. (1998). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.Google Scholar
Goudie, A, Parker, A, and Al-Farraj, A Coastal change in Ras al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates). a cartographic analysis. Geographical Journal 166, (2000). 14 25.Google Scholar
Goudie, A.S, Colls, A, Stokes, S, Parker, A, White, K, and Al-Farraj, A Latest Pleistocene and Holocene dune construction at the north-eastern edge of the Rub al Khali, United Arab Emirates. Sedimentology 47, (2000). 1011 1021.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haerinck, E, Vrydaghs, L, and Doutrelepont, H Des feux sacrificiels pour la divinité solaire à ed-Dur. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 9, (1998). 125 130.Google Scholar
Hill, M.O Decorana—a Fortran Program for Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Reciprocal Averaging. (1979). Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.Google Scholar
Hill, M.O, and Gauch, H.G Detrended correspondence analysis. an improved ordination technique. Vegetatio 42, (1980). 47 58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennet, D Kush. a Sasanian and Islamic-period archaeological tell in Ras al Khaimah (U.A.E.). Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 8, (1997). 284 302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennet, D. An archaeological study of the Sasanian and Islamic periods in Northern Ras al-Khaimah (U.A.E.) 2001. Unpublished Ph.D., University of London, Google Scholar
Matthews, W, French, C.A.I, Lawrence, T, Cutler, D.F, and Jones, M.K Activities inside the temple. the evidence of microstratigraphy. Crawford, H, and Killick, R The Dilmun Temple at Saar. (1997). Kegan Paul International, London. 31 46.Google Scholar
Mercador, J, Runge, F, Vrydaghs, L.L, Doutrelepoint, H, Ewango, C.E.N.B, and Juan-Tresseras, J Phytoliths from archaeological sites in the tropical forest of Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo. Quaternary Research 54, (2000). 102 112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mulholland, S.C, Rapp, G Jr. Phytolith Systematics. An Introduction. Rapp, G Jr., and Mulholland, S.C Phytolith Systematics-Emerging Issues. (1992). Plenum Press, New York. 65 89.Google Scholar
Nesbitt, M Archaeobotanical evidence for early Dilmun diet at Saar, Bahrain. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 4, (1993). 20 47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, A.G Archaeobotany. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 8, (1997). 284 302.Google Scholar
Pearsall, D.M Paleoethnobotany. A Handbook of Procedures. second ed (2000). Academic Press, San Diego.Google Scholar
Pearsall, D.M, and Dinan, E.H Developing a phytolith classification scheme. Rapp, G Jr., and Mulholland, S.C Phytolith Systematics—Emerging Issues. (1992). Plenum Press, New York. 37 64.Google Scholar
Piperno, D.R Phytolith Analysis. An Archaeological and Geological Perspective. (1988). Academic Press, San Diego.Google Scholar
Rosen, A.M Preliminary identification of silica skeletons from near eastern archaeological sites. an anatomical approach. Rapp, G Jr., and Mulholland, S.C Phytolith Systematics—Emerging Issues. (1992). Plenum Press, New York. 129 147.Google Scholar
Rosen, A.M Phytoliths as indicators of ancient irrigation farming. Prehistoire de l’agriculture 6, (1992). 281 287.Google Scholar
Rosen, A.M Phytolith evidence for early cereal exploitation in the Levant. Pearsall, D.M, and Piperno, D.R Current Research in Phytolith Analysis. Applications in Archaeology and Paleoecology. (1993). MASCA, Ann Arbor, MI. 160 171.Google Scholar
Rosen, A.M, and Weiner, S Identifying ancient irrigation. a new method using opaline phytoliths from emmer wheat. Journal of Archaeological Science 21, (1994). 125 132.Google Scholar
Rowley-Conwy, P Remains of date (Phoenix dactylifera) from Failaka, Kuwait. Hojlund, F Danish archaeological investigations on Failaka, Kuwait. The second millenium settlements, 2. The Bronze Age pottery Vol. XVII, No. 2, (1987). Jutland Archaeological Society Publications, Moesgaard. 181 183.Google Scholar
Runge, F The opal phytolith inventory of soils in central Africa—quantities, shapes, classification, and spectra. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 107, (1999). 23 53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sangster, A.G, Hodson, M.J, and Parry, D.W Silicon deposition and anatomical studies in the inflorescence bracts of four Phalaris species with their possible relevance to carcinogenesis. New Phytologist 93, (1983). 105 122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M, and Kra, R.S Calibration issues. Proceedings of the 12th International 14C conference. Radiocarbon 28, (1986). 805 1030.Google Scholar
Theunissen, J.D A method for isolating and preparing silica bodies in grasses for scanning electron microscopy. Biotechnic and Histochemistry 69, (1994). 291 294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tubb, H.J, Hodson, M.J, and Hodson, G.C The inflorescence papillae of the Triticeae. a new tool for taxonomic and archaeological research. Annals of Botany 72, (1993). 537 545.Google Scholar
Twiss, P.C, Suess, E, and Smith, R.M Morphological classification of grass phytoliths. Soil Science Society of America: Proceedings 33, (1969). 109 115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vrydaghs, L, Doutrelpont, H, Beeckman, H, and Haerinck, E Identifications of a morphotype association of Phoenix dactylifera L. lignified tissues origin at ed-Dur (1st AD), Umm al-Qaiwain (U.A.E.). Meunier, J.D, and Colin, F Phytoliths in Earth Sciences and Human History. (2001). AA Balkema, Lisse. 239 250.Google Scholar
Western, A.R The Flora of the United Arab Emirates. an Introduction. (1989). United Arab Emirates University, UAE.Google Scholar
Willcox, G The plant remains from Hellenisitic and Bronze Age levels at Failaka, Kuwait. a preliminary report. Calvert, Y, and Salles, J.-F Failaka. 1986–1988. 18, (1990). Travaux de la Maison l’Orient, Lyon. 43 50.Google Scholar
Willcox, G Archaeobotanical finds. Hoiland, F, Andersen, H.H Qala’at al Bahrain. The Northern City Wall and the Islamic Fortress Vol. XXX No. 1, (1994). Jutland Archaeological Society Publications, Moesgaard. 459 462.Google Scholar
Willcox, G, and Tengberg, M Preliminary report on the archaeological investigations at Tell Abraq with special attention to chaff impressions in mud brick. Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 6, (1995). 129 138.Google Scholar