MHC completes third phase of excavation at Al Khatam tower

Muscat – 

The Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MHC), in cooperation with the mission from the Italian University of Bologna, has completed the third phase of excavation function at Al Khatam Archaeological Tower.

The excavation is element of restoration function at the archaeological web sites in Bat, Al Khatam and Al Ain in the wilayat of Ibri in the Governorate of Dhahirah.

These web sites are listed on the World Heritage List.

This tower functions 14 rooms accessed via a central corridor. This phase of excavations revealed that the tower was constructed throughout 3 periods in the third and second millennia BC.

The findings consist of a bronze dagger and a collection of decorated stone pots, in addition to a white limestone rock with a image of an animal (maybe a deer or a cow). It is probably that this rock was reused from a tomb of the Umm al Nar period (roughly 2600-2200 BC).

MHC is carrying out a number of restoration and documentation programmes on the web site in compliance with Unesco guiding principles.

Information Source: Muscat Daily