Bronze Age Arabian Pottery Reveals Long-Lost Culinary Practices and Exchange Connections

New research led by Dr Akshyeta Suryanarayan, Wainwright Fellow at University of Oxford, hosted at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, reveals Early Bronze Age vessels from northern Oman and the UAE contained organic residues of meat, dairy, and plants, offering insights into ancient subsistence and exchange in southeastern Arabia.

Imported pottery from Mesopotamia and the Indus Civilisation were also studied to understand the movement of organic products in pottery via long-distance exchange networks.

The research, published in PLOS One, involved institutions in Oman and Europe, and showcases innovative approaches to understanding Arabia’s hidden culinary and cultural history.