Located near the town of Nafoun in central Al Wusta province, the tomb is one of the oldest man-made structures found in Oman. The burial place is close to the coast, but in general it is a rocky desert.

What does the grave tell

No Bronze Age burials or older burials are known in this area. This tomb is absolutely unique,
– Says Alzhbeta Danielisova of the Czech Republic Archaeological Institute in Prague.

The tomb itself was discovered in satellite photos about 10 years ago. Archaeologists believe that It dates back to the period between 5000 and 4600 BC..

Archaeologists have found the remains of dozens of people in a stone tomb / Photo: Roman Garba and Alžběta Danielisová, CAS Archaeological Institute in Prague

• The walls of the tomb are made of rows of thin stone slabs, called cut stones, in which there are two circular burial chambers divided into separate sections.
• The entire tomb was covered by a ashlar roof, but it was partially collapsed, possibly due to annual monsoon rains.
• Several “bone clusters” were found in the burial chambers, indicating that the dead were left to rot before being placed in the tomb. The skulls were placed on the outer wall with their long bones pointing towards the center of the room.
• Similar remains were found in a smaller tomb next to the main tomb. Archaeologists believe it was built some time later.

The tomb was built with walls made of thin stone slabs or cut stones. It is also covered by a roof made of cut stone / Photo Photograph by Roman Garba and Alžběta Danielisová, CAS Archaeological Institute in Prague

Danielisova said that there is evidence that the dead were buried here at different times, and that there were 3 tombs nearby belonging to people who lived thousands of years after the Samad culture.

The next step will be to conduct an anthropological and biochemical assessment of human remains (e.g. isotopic analysis, neutron analysis in nuclei of various essential elements) to learn more about the diet, mobility and demographics of the buried people. grave. In addition, the team hopes to find an ancient settlement nearby where these people may have lived.

Archaeologists are also examining the rock inscriptions near the tomb. Some symbols look like pictures, while others look like words and names. But for now this is just a guess.