The DOI matches its Crossref record; 47 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 55 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
From Dilmun to Wādī al‐Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC
Open accessAbstract
There is a lacuna of knowledge on the inland trade routes across Bronze Age central Arabia, which this article seeks to fill based on new evidence from Wādī al‐Fāw, Saudi Arabia. Contrary to a common belief that interior Southeast Arabia after the Holocene Humid Phase and until the domestication of the dromedary had turned desolate Badlands, this study offers documentation that during the early Bronze Age, a commercial corridor connected the Kingdom of Dilmun on the Arabian Gulf coast with the southern parts of Saudi Arabia, probably Yemen. Seals of Dilmun Type, Dilmun pottery and related burial praxis make up the gist of the evidence from Wādī al‐Fāw. A dry mummification mound burial custom is possibly identified at al‐Fāw and probably Taymāʾ, which contrasts the classic Dilmun mound burial custom. An attempt is made to reconstruct the most likely route that connected Dilmun and Wādī al‐Fāw. The emergence around 2000 BC of this trade network, likely based on donkey trains, closely coincides with the rise of the Kingdom of Dilmun, but surprisingly also with a time when Arabia witnessed unusually arid conditions. Identification of this unexpected ancient corridor should profoundly affect how upcoming models consider linguistic, ideological, genetic, cultural and technological transmission across Bronze Age Arabia.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
New evidence from Wādī al-Fāw, Saudi Arabia, documents an early Bronze Age overland commercial corridor linking Dilmun on the Arabian Gulf with southern Saudi Arabia, probably Yemen, around 2000 BC. Dilmun-type seals, pottery, chamber forms, and burial practices indicate a Dilmunite diaspora or closely integrated community at al-Fāw, despite the site lying almost 1000 km from the Gulf.
Key findings
- Four Dilmun-type seals from Wādī al-Fāw date collectively to between 2000 and 1800 BC, possibly as narrowly as 2000–1950 BC; the Dilmun burial jar from Mound A1-2 is of the earliest variant, dated c. 2050–1900 BC.
- The reconstructed route from Bahrain/Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw is c. 1060 km, running via al-Kharj, Wādī al-Sahbāʾ, and al-Hasa; a separate Nadqān “Seal Site” c. 60 km northeast of Abār Nadqān yielded three Dilmun Type seals dated c. 1950–1800 BC, possibly c. 1900 BC or earlier.
- Burial evidence includes cruciform, T-shaped, rectangular, and oval chambers, two copper/bronze spearheads inserted into a chamber wall at Mound A2-3, and possible corpse dehydration or dry mummification at al-Fāw and probably Taymāʾ.
- The paper argues the trade network emerged around 2000 BC, likely using donkey trains rather than camels, and coincided with the rise of the Kingdom of Dilmun but also with unusually arid conditions after the 4.2 kyr event.
Methods
- Archaeological synthesis of new and previously unpublished evidence from Wādī al-Fāw: al-Otaibi’s 2018 surface survey and excavation of four burial mounds, plus earlier Mound J29 (1987) and al-Ansary’s publications; 2481 burial mounds were recorded in the densest 3.5 km north–south cluster.
- Comparative analysis of Dilmun-type seals, chamber shapes, burial jar ware, and spearhead-in-wall praxis against parallels from Bahrain, Failaka, Ur, Girsu, Diraz, Barbar, Taymāʾ, Yabrīn, and other sites.
- Route reconstruction using archaeological findspots, historical travel accounts (Thesiger, Philby, Palgrave), cartographic and hydrological studies, and climatic proxy data.
Limitations
- The paper states that the trade goods motivating the corridor remain unknown; it can neither verify nor exclude incense, and possible exports from Dilmun are tentative guesses. It also notes that current lack of knowledge on material culture connections makes the Failaka–Arabian Shield route impossible to verify, that climatic developments in Arabia remain understudied, and that only a very limited number of al-Fāw burial mounds have been excavated and published.
- The paper states that the six al-Fāw chambers are a small and varied sample, that any relationship between body choreography and chamber scenography cannot be confidently determined, and that no examples of Dilmun-style pottery from al-Fāw have been published.
- Evident from the text: the route reconstruction is hypothetical, relying on later historical routes and assumptions about Bronze Age water, grassing, and dune conditions; the seal dates are typological; and the donkey-train model is inferred rather than directly attested at al-Fāw.
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Claims the paper makes
0 of 55 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged
In the paper
“The much longer and rectangular-shaped Chamber 2 was found disturbed with bones disarticulated and piled up in the western end (Figure 14) in a manner suggestive of the post mortem treatment described by Hausleiter et al. (2022) from Taymāʾ.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Hausleiter et al. (2022)
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Focusing on the most densely packed 3.5 km north-south cluster of tumuli at the foot of the wadi's eastern bank, adjacent and to the south of the Qaryat al-Fāw ruins, 2481 burial mounds were recorded (Figure 5).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The ceramic objects include a Dilmun burial jar of ware type 3 (Bahrain)/ H-ware (Failaka) (Figure 12 no.26 and Figure 13), a body and a rim sherd possibly of the characteristic Dilmun H-Ware (no.16, 25) (Figure 12 no.16, 25), a body and rim sherds with perforations for repair (Figure 12 no.18), as well as a rim sherd with an incised 'net pattern' on the exterior (Figure 12 no.14), some body sherd”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Seals of Dilmun Type, Dilmun pottery and related burial praxis make up the gist of the evidence from Wādī al-Fāw.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > Abstract
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“The anonymous 'pot hunters' subsequently located the so-called 'Seal Site' c. 60 km northeast of Abār Nadqān and found three circular Dilmun Type seals (Golding, 1974; fig.56).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.5 | The 'Seal Site' Nadqān North
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Golding, 1974
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Additional evidence of contact between al-Fāw and the Dilmun Culture comes in the form of the Dilmun burial jar recovered from Mound A1-2, Chamber 1 (Figure 12, pp.26-13).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.4 | Dilmun burial jar(s)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesNone of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“However, the T-shaped or similar chamber al-Fāw mound A2-3 (Ch 2) is well known from Early Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain (Højlund, 2007;Ibrahim, 1982;Lowe, 1986), where it appeared in 7.8% in the Early Type burial mounds (Laursen, 2017, p. 315, fig.443) and 17.8% in Late Type burial mounds (Laursen, 2017, p. 331, fig.472).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Højlund, 2007
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Ibrahim, 1982
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Lowe, 1986 source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Chamber 1 is oval or rectangular and contained the undisturbed remains of an individual who appears to have been buried under circumstances similar to the ones discussed above in regard to Mound J29, season 1987 (Figure 11).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Judging from its early-looking 'master of animals' scene, the linear carvings of the humanoid and the size of the four dots-in-circles on its boss, this seal can fairly confidently be dated to the period between 1950 and 1800 BC.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Most interesting were two socketed copper/bronze spearheads (Figure 15 nos.39a & 39b) that were found in situ inserted into a cavity in the rear wall of the eastern alcove/chamber (Figure 8).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.3 | Mound A2-3, season 2016
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes
- It may state two separate claims as one. 38
- Probably not a substantial claim. 26
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The seals all belong to Dilmun-style IA and appear to have been produced either in Bahrain or in Failaka between 1950 and 1800 BC.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.5 | The 'Seal Site' Nadqān North
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The Saudi team also excavated a feature in the large concentration of tapered structures that is found on the mountain plateau directly above the al-Fāw tumuli complex (Figure 5), but no evidence of burials or dating was discovered (al-Ansary, 2019, p. 35).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites al-Ansary, 2019
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Chamber 1, which was rectangular and oriented slightly southwest-northeast (Figure 8), appears to be secondary to the centrally located Chamber 2 and was found to be empty.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.3 | Mound A2-3, season 2016
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Al-Ansary informs that in addition to a local Bronze Age pottery ware used for vessel shapes such as bowls and jars, Dilmun-style pottery had also been found in the al-Fāw burial mounds, but no examples of this ware have been published.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A socketed bronze spearhead (Figure 17 no.12) and a Dilmun-related seal (Figure 17 no.13) were found on the surface of Area B-2 and probably also come from this or nearby tombs.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.5 | Mound B2-7, season 2016
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The six chambers from al-Fāw represent a small and varied sample and it must be expected that more”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Based on a surface survey and excavation of four burial mounds, al-Otaibi recovered irrefutable evidence that the al-Fāw Bronze Age community had very direct long-distance links to the outside world-most notably the kingdom of Dilmun.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“It appears to be unlooted and was possibly overlooked by ancient tomb robbers, because of its decentral position inside the ring wall (al-Otaibi, 2018).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites al-Otaibi, 2018
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“Chamber 2, which was T-shaped or of a type with a centrally positioned alcove (see e.g., Laursen, 2017, p. 337, fig. 482), was also found disturbed or looted but contained some disarticulated human bones in the western end of the chamber/alcove and a bead of ceramics or frit/paste (Figure 15 no.38).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.3 | Mound A2-3, season 2016
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Laursen, 2017
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Of the four burial mounds excavated, the two located in the southern half proved to be single graves, while two in the northern half each contained two single grave chambers.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It had a ring wall that was almost 14 m in diameter and contained a large 7.0 × 10.3 m cruciform chamber that was possibly accessed through a vertical shaft (Figure 6).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Seen collectively, it is noteworthy that the al-Fāw seals all date to between 2000 and 1800 BC, and possibly even an interval as narrow as 2000-1950 BC.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Al-Ansary's and Ayoub's photos of the 'Dilmunite' burial in J29 (Figure 3a,b 'skeletal remains') appear to show that before being entombed in the chamber, the soft tissue of the corpse had possibly dehydrated or decayed, after which the semiarticulated corpse was bent into a flexed position, perhaps to fit an organic container.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The northwest-southeast-oriented cruciform-shaped central chamber (Figure 10) was disturbed but contained human bones, including skull fragments, in the southern end as well as in the eastern and western alcoves.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.5 | Mound B2-7, season 2016
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The individual in Chamber 1 was buried with an abundance of grave goods (Figure 12), several of which show a direct relation to the Early Dilmun Culture (c.2300-1700 BC) in Bahrain.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In contrast to the al-Fāw seals, those found on the eastern route at the Nadqān 'Seal Site' appear to date to around 1900 BC or earlier and to reflect central workshops in Bahrain or Failaka.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes? Based: unclearIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Given the current understanding of the climatic developments, it is enigmatic that a trade relation emerged around 2000 BC between Dilmun and al-Fāw at a time when the climatic record suggests increased aridity.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes? Based: unclearIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The climatic record indicates increased aridity around 2000 BC.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“al-Fāw seal F13/103 from mound J29 (Figure 4a) is clearly of the classic Dilmun Type and was most likely produced either on Bahrain or on Failaka island.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It is most unlikely that this technically challenging vessel to produce was locally made at al-Fāw and instead it was almost certainly manufactured by a specialist Dilmunite potter in Bahrain or the nearby Saudi Arabian mainland.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.4 | Dilmun burial jar(s)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The staggering 900 km distance as-the-crow-flies between Bahrain island and al-Fāw notwithstanding, the actual journey involved would have been even longer.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3 | RECONSTRUCTING THE BRONZE AGE TRADE ROUTES
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“It is noteworthy that the burial jar (Figure 12 no.26) is of the 1. subtype, which, in Bahrain, can be narrowly dated to the 3rd to 2nd millennium BC transition (Laursen, 2010a, pp. 124-126, figs. 11-12 1. subtype).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.2 | Mound A1-2, season 2016
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Laursen, 2010a
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The emergence around 2000 BC of this trade network, likely based on donkey trains, closely coincides with the rise of the Kingdom of Dilmun, but surprisingly also with a time when Arabia witnessed unusually arid conditions.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > Abstract
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In Bahrain, the vessel type is so frequently found in tombs that it is commonly referred to as the Dilmun burial jar.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.4 | Dilmun burial jar(s)
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Alcoves are typically located in the eastern 'head' end of the chambers, except in the H-shaped chamber of the royal elite, where alcoves appear in all four corners of the chamber.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“To that effect, Major R. E. Chessman tellingly noted about travel across the Rubʿ al-Khālī that, 'Even an Arab takes way round the edge, where he can find occasional wells, in preference risking his own and his camels' lives by taking a short cut across, at his fastest rate of travel would mean a month without water in normal years ' (1925, p. 114).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3 | RECONSTRUCTING THE BRONZE AGE TRADE ROUTES
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Chessman, 1925
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“An early date is also indicated by the style of the carving, again more like that found on the Gulf Type seals, and a dating c. 2000 BC, either before or contemporary with Proto Dilmun seals appears plausible.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“In the early Bronze Age mound cemeteries of the Taymāʾ Oasis, cruciform chambers dominate (al-Hajiri, 2002, Pl. 3.3A) and here more than 67 such tombs have been excavated by the Saudi-German expedition at the site of al-Nasim (Hausleiter, 2015(Hausleiter, , 2016)).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites al-Hajiri, 2002
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Hausleiter, 2015
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Hausleiter, 2016
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“The closest possible example of a similar praxis involving corpse dehydration from Bahrain is early Dilmun burial area BS, mound 40, season 1982-83 (Laursen, 2017, p. 332, fig.473), but it does not appear to reflect the situation from al-Fāw and otherwise, there is nothing to suggest that such a custom was practiced on Bahrain island.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 1.1 | Mound J29, season 1987
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Laursen, 2017
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedSingle caseTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“His route went from the Ḥaḍramawt, through Qaryat al-Fāw and over the Yabrīn Oasis and beyond, but it is the part that went from Qaryat al-Fāw to Laylà that appears to be of most relevance here.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3 | RECONSTRUCTING THE BRONZE AGE TRADE ROUTES
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“The use of alcoves is one of the most distinctive features in the Dilmunite burial tradition and the single architectural feature, which, with the highest degree of confidence, has been presented as evidence for connections between Bahrain and outside mound burial traditions, for example, at Jabal Bishrī (Laursen, 2017, pp. 297-335) and Taymāʾ (Hausleiter, 2015(Hausleiter, , 2016;;Laursen, 2017, p”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Laursen, 2017
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Hausleiter, 2015
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Hausleiter, 2016
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“A dry mummification mound burial custom is possibly identified at al-Fāw and probably Taymāʾ, which contrasts the classic Dilmun mound burial custom.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > Abstract
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear? Based: unclearIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim could be matched to a paper in Crossref, so there is nothing to check it against.
In the paper
“A north-south route through Saudi Arabia ending perhaps in the Ḥaḍramawt is mentioned by Strabo in his Geography (16.4.4) and the existence around 50-25 BC of an 'Incense Route' that ran from Qaryat al-Fāw over al-Kharj, al-Hofuf, Thāj (Gerrha) and ultimately to Babylonia has, as discussed by Potts (1988, p. 133 with references), been reconstructed from Pliny (Pliny NH VI 157-159).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3 | RECONSTRUCTING THE BRONZE AGE TRADE ROUTES
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Strabo
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Potts (1988)
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Not matchedcites Pliny
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“An alternative place of departure somewhere within the relatively small territory of Dilmun would have made little difference to the total distance.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3 | RECONSTRUCTING THE BRONZE AGE TRADE ROUTES
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The al-Fāw seal no. 13 from the surface of Area B-2 (Figure 4c) is clearly also related to the Dilmun tradition, but in this case, the absence of the standard three-lineson-the-reverse-'trademark' in favour of a single line suggests that this seal too was produced at a location peripheral to central Dilmun workshops.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“At the Barbar Temples, another very similar parallel also with a single groove and large dots-in-circles comes from a good stratigraphic context (Temple IIa), confirming a dating to c. 2000 BC (Hojlund et al., 2005, p. 120, fig.27).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Hojlund et al., 2005
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“al-Fāw seal no.35 from mound A1-2 (Figure 4d) is clearly also related to the Dilmun tradition, but again, the absence of any of the central grooves in the standard three-lines-on-the-reverse-'trademark' must reflect that this seal too was produced at a location peripheral to central Dilmun workshops.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Only two such tombs are known from Bahrain (Laursen, 2017, pp.319-323, figs.454-455), where they are associated with the highest late 3rd millennium chiefly elite and their outer-ring-wall encircled (Højlund et al., 2008;Laursen, 2008), burial mounds of Early Type (Laursen, 2017, p. 319).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.2 | Chamber shapes
What the sources say
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“As tenuous as the evidence may seem, the most plausible explanation for the three Dilmun Type seals appears to be that the 'Seal Site' represents a seasonal waystation.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.5 | The 'Seal Site' Nadqān North
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Probably, these had died far from their homeland or in transit along their vast commercial desert route.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.4 | Dilmun burial jar(s)
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“One grove on the reverse is a feature otherwise seen only on the c. 2100-2000 BC Gulf Type seals and suggests a very early dating around 2000 BC before the trademark had become fully institutionalised.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Seal F11/93 from the surface of Site 5 is clearly related to the Dilmun tradition (Figure 4b), but the absence of the three-lines-on-the-reverse-'trademark' and the two dots-in-circles instead of the standard four suggests that it was produced at a location peripheral to central Dilmun workshops.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.1 | Seals
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This praxis is suggestive of a broader warrior weapons kit that ideally featured the combination of a javelin and a lance/spear.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 2.3 | Spearheads in chamber walls
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For the ancient Dilmunites, this potentially low-weight, highcost commodity certainly would have been ideal for inland transport.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
- Rests on an assumption: Low-weight, high-cost commodities are ideal for inland transport over arduous journeys.
In the paper
“Fairly recently, DNA analysis has shown that the ancestor for the domestic donkey was Equus Africanus (Kimura et al., 2011), but as these studies did not cover ancient donkeys from the Arabian Gulf, a small possibility remains that strands of E. hemionus hemippus were domesticated here.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 6 | DONKEY TRAINS-BEFORE THE CAMEL (DROMEDARIES)
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Kimura et al., 2011
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“With little to go from at the present stage, we can neither verify nor exclude that some type of scented combustibles such as incense (Boswellia sacra) was among the articles traded out of Bronze Age Wādī al-Fāw.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The Dilmun burial jar is of the earliest variant dating to c. 2050-1900 BC, which appeared in Dilmun just as the compact mound cemeteries started to form, a phenomenon that is closely linked to the rise of the Dilmun kingdom and state.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear? Based: unclearIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Consequently, it can safely be excluded that by the early 2nd millennium BC, neither the Bactrian camel nor the dromedary camel would have been available for interaction between Dilmun and al-Fāw.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 6 | DONKEY TRAINS-BEFORE THE CAMEL (DROMEDARIES)
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedTests✗ Asserted: fails✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The authors may not put it forward as true. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The Bronze Age tumuli excavated with a spearhead in the chamber wall (see above) shows a cultural connection to Dilmun, arguably to the extent of full integration of the Yabrīn population in the larger Dilmunite 'nation'.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3.3 | Al-Kharj-Yabrīn (Figure 1)
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Precious metals may, however, have been more readily available at al-Fāw than in Dilmun, so trade in ore may in fact have gone the other way.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“The rectangular and oval chambers found in mounds A1-2 and A2-3 are like what is seen in Bahrain (Laursen, 2017, p. 314, figs.438-439) but too general a shape to shed light on a connection to Dilmun.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Laursen, 2017, p. 314, figs.438-439
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not matched
In the paper
“a route along the Wādī al-Baṭīn gained popularity in the early Islamic period in connection with Hajj (Kennet, 2014, pp. 9-11, 44-52).”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3.4 | Failaka/Kuwait-The Arabian Shield (Figure 1)
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Kennet, 2014
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The chamber shapes with alcoves demonstrate a clear link between al-Fāw and Dilmun as well as to the contemporary burial mound-building communities at the Taymāʾ Oasis.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Given the arduous journey, it too must have involved low-weight, high-cost commodities.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Rests on an assumption: Low-weight, high-cost commodities are ideal for inland transport over arduous journeys.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, around Wādī al-Fāw in particular and northward along the mountain foothills in general, conditions would have been significantly more favourable than they are today.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 5 | WILDLIFE, GAME AND THREATS
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Here, the natural duḥūl wells in the Ṣummān region along the northern edge of the Dahnāʾ sands (Dickson, 1949, pp. 428-430), whose permanent water sources, formerly controlled by the Mutair'Ilwa, may well be of much greater antiquity.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 3.4 | Failaka/Kuwait-The Arabian Shield (Figure 1)
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites Dickson, 1949
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“It may nonetheless be significant that the evidence chronologically concentrates in the narrow time span when Dilmun witnessed its first major economic expansion.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 7 | CONCLUSION
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Grigson (2012) has shown that large donkeys as well as camels were used for the transport of copper from the Iron Age I/II (after c. 1000 BC) mines at Timna, located 150 km northwest of al-Qurayyah.”
§ From Dilmun to Wādī al-Fāw: A forgotten desert corridor, c. 2000 BC > 6 | DONKEY TRAINS-BEFORE THE CAMEL (DROMEDARIES)
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Grigson, 2012 source
Strength:boosted· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
There is a lacuna of knowledge on the inland trade routes across Bronze Age central Arabia.
“There is a lacuna of knowledge on the inland trade routes across Bronze Age central Arabia, which this article seeks to fill based on new evidence from Wādī al-Fāw, Saudi Arabia.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The trade network between Dilmun and Wādī al-Fāw was likely based on donkey trains.
“The emergence around 2000 BC of this trade network, likely based on donkey trains, closely coincides with the rise of the Kingdom of Dilmun, but surprisingly also with a time when Arabia witnessed unusually arid conditions.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
Approximately current climatic conditions apply to the first part of Thesiger's journey.
“Assuming approximately current climatic conditions, this first part of Thesiger's journey would almost certainly have been impassable without camels.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The mountain ranges south, west, and north of al-Fāw received sufficient precipitation for seasonal trade expeditions around 2000 BC.
“Accordingly, it can be assumed that the mountain ranges south, west, and north of al-Fāw, as they to some extents still do today, received sufficient precipitation for seasonal trade expeditions.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The groups of Dilmunites, and perhaps also natives of al-Fāw, who travelled between Dilmun and al-Fāw made use of the donkey as a pack animal.
“In this study, it is presumed that the groups of Dilmunites, and perhaps also natives of al-Fāw, who travelled the c. 1000 km between Dilmun and al-Fāw, made use of the donkey as a pack animal (see below).”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The Dilmunites used donkey trains for load carrying on their journeys to al-Fāw and these expeditions primarily were commercial ventures.
“With little reservation, it is consequently assumed here that the Dilmunites used donkey trains for load carrying on their journeys to al-Fāw and that these expeditions primarily were commercial ventures.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
The dune conditions have not changed substantially since the Bronze Age.
“Travelling east in the Wādī al-Sahbāʾ, one would, if the dune conditions have not changed substantially since, have been forced to cross the Dahnāʾ Sands, which, for a stretch of 40 km, inundate the wadi bed c. 80 km east of the al-Kharj Oasis.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The location of dunes in the Bronze Age was as it is now.
“The north-bound journey from Wādī al-Sahbāʾ to al-Hasa would have meant navigating between the Dahnāʾ Sands to the west and the al-Jāfūrah desert to the east and would, in the Bronze Age as now, have been entirely dependent on the actual location of the dunes.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Low-weight, high-cost commodities are ideal for inland transport over arduous journeys.
“For the ancient Dilmunites, this potentially low-weight, highcost commodity certainly would have been ideal for inland transport.”
“Given the arduous journey, it too must have involved low-weight, high-cost commodities.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The climatic record indicates increased aridity around 2000 BC.
“at a time when the climatic record suggests increased aridity”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Site 5 seal has two catalogue numbers
MinorThe text identifies the Site 5 seal as F11/93, but the Figure 4 caption gives F11/97.
“Seal F11/93 from the surface of Site 5”
“(b) Site 5 surface (after al-Ansary, 2019, p. 102 no.F11/97, fig.168)”
Figure 16 is attributed to conflicting tombs
MinorThe text associates Figure 16's carnelian beads with Mound A3-4, whereas the caption attributes its artefacts to Mound A2-3, Chamber 1.
“Additionally, four carnelian beads (Figure 16 no.40-43) were found, of which at least some came from one of the alcoves.”
“Figure: F I G U R E 16 Artefacts from Otaibi Mound A2-3 Chamber 1 (photos after al-Otaibi, 2018, pp.357-358, Pl. 234-237).Scales are approximate.[Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]”
Mound J29 seal has two catalogue numbers
MinorThe text identifies the Mound J29 seal as F13/103, while the Figure 4 caption identifies the same seal as D13/103.
“al-Fāw seal F13/103 from mound J29 (Figure 4a)”
“(a) Mound J29 (after al-Ansary, 2019, p. 102 no.D13/103, fig.169)”
Figure 4f is assigned to both Bahrain and Ur
MinorThe text calls Figure 4f a Gulf Type seal from Bahrain, but the Figure 4 caption identifies panel f as a seal from Ur.
“The same is the case for a Gulf Type seal from Bahrain (Figure 4f).”
“(f) Ur, Babylonia (after Gadd, 1932, p. 11 Pl.II no.11, photos, and drawings courtesy Gregory Possehl)”
Citations
Cites
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Ancient DNA from Nubian and Somali wild ass provides insights into donkey ancestry and domestication
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Human responses to climate and ecosystem change in ancient Arabia
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Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 48 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 50
- al‐Ansary A. R., 1982, Qaryat al‐Fau—A portrait of pre‐lslamic civilisation in Saudi Arabia
- al‐Ansary A. R., 2011, Roads of Arabia—Archäologische Schätze aus Saudi‐Arabien, 150
- al‐Ansary A. R., 2019, Qaryat al‐Fāw—A picture of Arab Civilization before Islam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- al‐Ghazzi A., 2011, A Survey and Documentation Project—Vol. 1 Stone constructions in Ain Farzan, a comparative field study of stone cairns
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Metadata
- Authors
- Laursen, S. T., & al‐Otaibi, F.
- Affiliations
- Aarhus University (DK)
- King Saud University (SA)
- Corresponding author
- Laursen, Steffen Terp
- Venue
- Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-11-03
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 63-86
- ISSN
- 0905-7196 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0471
- OpenAlex
- W4308339351
- Semantic Scholar
- 4f347e7a0d3ce1fe3a57f79db695be6175f2d3d2
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 7.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Arabian archaeology and epigraphy (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Archaeology and Historical Studies
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Global Maritime and Colonial Histories
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Ancient Near East History
- Keywords
- inland trade, mummification, aridification, Early Bronze Age, Central Arabia, Yemen, cultural transmission
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