Modelling the ancient seasonal exploitation of marine resources in the southern Arabian Gulf: a study of archaeological otoliths and modern fisheries data

Mark Beech
(Department of Archaeology, The King's Manor, University of York, York YO1 2EP, U.K. - E-mail: mjb117@york.ac.uk)

Mohammed Salem,
(Tropical Marine Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of York, York YO1 5YW, U.K.)

Abstract:

This paper examines one of the key issues connected with the archaeology of south-east Arabia;  namely, whether the earliest coastal inhabitants were fully sedentary or practiced a transhumant pattern of occupation along the coasts in the winter (when fishing and shellfish gathering would have been the main pursuits), moving to their residences in the interior during the summer months (where pastoralism and eventually horticulture, were practised). This pattern is well-attested in the historical and recent ethnographic record in south-eastern Arabia but has not yet been proven archaeologically. Two coastal sites recently excavated from the United Arab Emirates in the southern Arabian Gulf will be discussed: Umm al-Qaiwain (UAQ93/4), an Ubaid-related 5th millennium BC midden and cemetery, and Sir Bani Yas (SBY9), a Christian pre-Islamic monastery dating to the 5-8th c. AD.  Fish otoliths were well preserved in the deposits at both sites, the majority of them belonging to two particular species of emperors (Lethrinidae), Lethrinus lentjan and Lethrinus nebulosus. Thin sectioning of the otoliths reveals clear evidence of apparent seasonal banding which is matched on otoliths collected from modern fishes caught within the same coastal waters. This confirms that fishing was predominantly carried out during the mid to late summer, coinciding with modern observations of the timing of the main spawning periods. Modern ecological data concerning water temperature and salinity will be discussed to highlight the marked geographical and temporal variations in local environmental conditions. The seasonal occurrence of certain fish taxa at the present day will also be examined, along with a consideration of the implications of the seasonal availability of marine resources for the early coastal inhabitants of south-east Arabia. 

[ HOME - WHATS NEW - RESEARCH - PUBLICATIONS - PROFILE - USEFUL LINKS - FUN ]