- Pisa, Toscana, Italy
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Archaeology of Oman, Ancient South Arabia, Semitic Philology, South Arabian Epigraphy, South Arabian Archaeology, Ancient South Arabian Art, and 17 moreSemitic languages, South Arabian Culture, Journal of Oman Studies, Archaeology of Oman peninsula, Epigraphic South Arabian, Sabaean, History of Pre-Islamic Arabia, Pre-Islamic Arabia, Epigraphic South Arabian, Early Bronze Age Oman, Qataban, Ancient South Arabia Languages, Khor Rori, Yemen (History), Ancient Near East, Epigraphy, Yemen, and Archaeology edit
DASI is a digital archive gathering all known Pre-Islamic Arabian epigraphic material. It is the result of a massive digitization initiative funded by EC with an ERC-Advanced Grant. It makes available about 9,000 inscriptions encoded in... more
DASI is a digital archive gathering all known Pre-Islamic Arabian epigraphic material. It is the result of a massive digitization initiative funded by EC with an ERC-Advanced Grant. It makes available about 9,000 inscriptions encoded in the EpiDoc standard, via the web interface of the database and the open access repository, in order to disseminate to scholars and the general public a wide array of documents often underestimated because of their difficulty of access.
Research Interests:
Arabia Antica is the portal of Pre-Islamic Arabian studies conducted by the University of Pisa, Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere. It provides updates about epigraphic and philological projects, archaeological investigations,... more
Arabia Antica is the portal of Pre-Islamic Arabian studies conducted by the University of Pisa, Dipartimento di Civiltà e Forme del Sapere. It provides updates about epigraphic and philological projects, archaeological investigations, surveys in museums, international collaborations and publications by the research group based in Pisa, in addition to the state of art in this research domain.
Research Interests:
... INDEX Foreword byAlessandra Avanzini 9 KHOR RORI: SUMHURAM AND ITS TERRITORY VlTTORIA BUFFA, ALEXANDER V. SEDOV The residential quarter: Area A 15 Excavated structures 15 The 1st constructional phase 17 The 2nd constructional phase 29... more
... INDEX Foreword byAlessandra Avanzini 9 KHOR RORI: SUMHURAM AND ITS TERRITORY VlTTORIA BUFFA, ALEXANDER V. SEDOV The residential quarter: Area A 15 Excavated structures 15 The 1st constructional phase 17 The 2nd constructional phase 29 The 3rd ...
Research Interests:
""The volume presents the results of the first years of research carried out by the University of Pisa in Oman. The IMTO (Italian Mission to Oman) has been working since 1997 in the Khor Rori area, which is located about 40 km... more
""The volume presents the results of the first years of research carried out by the University of Pisa in Oman. The IMTO (Italian Mission to Oman) has been working since 1997 in the Khor Rori area, which is located about 40 km east of the modern city of Salala, in the Dhofar region. The systematical excavation of the ancient city of Sumhuram (III century BC – IV century AD), the analysis of the urban structure and of its functional elements, its interaction with the surrounding territory, the study of the sea trades and the investigation of the linguistical and historical specificity of the Dhofar, which are the mission’s main objectives, are the subjects developed by the contributions in Khor Rori Report 1. After a historical-methodological introduction (A. Avanzini), this volume presents the study of the Khor Rori region’s territory (M. Cremaschi); the first excavation outcomes of the IMTO (D. Morandi Bonacossi); the reconstruction of the architectural phases of the city gate monumental complex (R. Orazi) and an updated study of the epigraphical documents of the city of Sumhuram (A. Avanzini), together with a first typological survey of the ceramic finds (A.V. Sedov) and a classifying study of the coins (A.V. Sedov).""
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
"From 1996, the IMTO mission of the University of Pisa has been working on the site of Sumhuram, in the territory of Khor Rori (southern Oman), since ancient times a region famed for the excellence of the frankincense it produced.... more
"From 1996, the IMTO mission of the University of Pisa has been working on the site of Sumhuram, in the territory of Khor Rori (southern Oman), since ancient times a region famed for the excellence of the frankincense it produced. This volume coincide with the conclusion of a project funded by MIUR within the PRIN 2007 programme, in which IMTO collaborated with the University of Florence and the University of Tuscia - Viterbo. The book aims to inform a broader public of some of the more significant results achieved in these two last years of research in Sumhuram."
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
"This volume is an organized collection of inscriptions in Qatabanic, Marginal Qatabanic and Awsanite languages which have been set in the on line database of CSAI - Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions. The plan of the book includes... more
"This volume is an organized collection of inscriptions in Qatabanic, Marginal Qatabanic and Awsanite languages which have been set in the on line database of CSAI - Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions. The plan of the book includes an historical-linguistical introduction of the corpus and an edition of the texts with translation (except for the fragmentary texts). Within each section, the texts are split by text typology into four major subgroups: construction inscriptions, dedicatory inscriptions, legal inscriptions and anthroponyms. In the section dedicated to anthroponyms the author has attempted to incorporate texts which were also conceived by the ancient author as being simple onomastic texts, such as those found on funeral stelas and on the statuettes. Within each textual typology the inscriptions are subdivided into chronological phases, except texts containing anthroponyms, which are listed with no chronological classification."
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In our collective memory there still lies the Queen of Sheba, her journey to Jerusalem to meet the wise King Salomon, or the Arabia Felix with its fame associated in the classical world with frankincense and other precious aromas.... more
In our collective memory there still lies the Queen of Sheba, her journey to Jerusalem to meet the wise King Salomon, or the Arabia Felix with its fame associated in the classical world with frankincense and other precious aromas. Nevertheless the history of the Arabia Felix, the country of the Queen of Sheba, is not well known to a wider public. At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, in south-western Arabia, in the region that today corresponds to the Republic of Yemen, some kingdoms were formed. Their history deserves to be better known. Its desert and ocean protected Arabia Felix from the invasions of hostile armies. Its inhabitants did not remain isolated on their mountains and in their valleys. Their caravans crossed the desert, their ports hosted foreign ships, they had commercial and cultural contacts, by land and by sea, with the whole world. The history of this culture was very long; from the 8th century BC to the 6th century AD: from the Assyrian expansion into the Levant to the Roman empire, from the expedition only planned before his death by Alexander the Great to the failed expedition of Augustus, from Hellenism to the wars between Byzantium and the Persia, and from polytheism to Judaism and Christianity. The events, the characters, the history of art, together with the beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of South Arabia, will be recounted in this book starting from direct written sources: the wealthy corpus of ancient South Arabian epigraphic public texts.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Archaeology of Oman, Archeologia, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), and 9 moreHistory and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Journal of Oman Studies, Arabian/Persian Gulf Archaeology, History of Pre-Islamic Arabia, Arabia before Islam, Ancient South Arabia, South Arabian Archaeology, Early Bronze Age Oman, and Archaeology of the Arabian Peninsula
""This volume collects the proceedings of a conference on the Eastern Arabia held in Pisa in May 2008, exactly 25 years after the first congress of Lyon on the Persian Gulf "Arabie orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional,... more
""This volume collects the proceedings of a conference on the Eastern Arabia held in Pisa in May 2008, exactly 25 years after the first congress of Lyon on the Persian Gulf "Arabie orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional, de l'age du Fer au début de la période islamique". The basic topics for a historical-archaeological comprehension of this region, corresponding to the today's EAU and Sultanate of Oman, are analyzed in three sessions: historical background of Eastern Arabia, its contacts with the neighbour regions, chronology of the Iron Age and new discoveries in the region. Great relevance has been given to the chronology of the Iron Age (1200/1100-300 BC): the generally accepted fundamental lines of this topic, for a long time debated, are changing thanks to IMTO recent excavations in the site of Salut. ""
Research Interests:
Ancient History, Geography, Near Eastern Archaeology, Near Eastern Studies, Ancient Near East, and 10 moreArchaeology of Oman, Late Iron Age (Archaeology), Iron Age, Ancient Near Eastern History, Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, Iron Age archaeology, Ancient South Arabia, Salut, Iron Age South East Arabia and Oman, and Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology of Eastern Arabia
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Introduction 2. Ancient South Arabian within Semitic 2.1. Nebes and archaeology 2.2. Nebes' s linguistic hypothesis 2.3. Stein' s hypothesis on a relationship between Sabaic and Aramaic 3. Excursus on the prefixed verbal... more
Introduction 2. Ancient South Arabian within Semitic 2.1. Nebes and archaeology 2.2. Nebes' s linguistic hypothesis 2.3. Stein' s hypothesis on a relationship between Sabaic and Aramaic 3. Excursus on the prefixed verbal forms in Early Sabaic and in Qatabanic 3.1. Early Sabaic prefixed verbal forms 3.2. Qatabanic prefixed verbal forms 4. SABaic vs. non-SABaic languages 4.1. Innovative Sabaic vs. conservative non-Sabaic ? 4.2. Chronological and geographical distribution of the first attested written documents in Ancient South Arabian languages 4.3. Sabaeization' in the formative phase of the Ancient South Arabian culture 4.4. Sabaeization' in the formative phase of the Ancient South Arabian culture in the Jawf 4.5. Sabaeization' in the formative phase of the Ancient South Arabian culture in the Eastern part of Yemen 5. On omastics 6. Conclusions References
Research Interests:
Ancient History, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Semitic languages, Arabic Language and Linguistics, and 15 moreEpigraphy (Archaeology), Arabian Gulf, Ancient Near East, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Epigraphic South Arabian, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Arabian/Persian Gulf Studies, Epigraphy, Semitic Philology, Arabia before Islam, Sabaic inscriptions, Ancient South Arabia, South Arabian Archaeology, Arabian Peninsula In Antiquity, and Ancient South Arabian inscriptions
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Geography and Archaeology
The ERC project DASI is aimed at digitizing the overall epigraphic heritage of the ancient Arabian peninsula, in order to enhance knowledge of the pre-Islamic Arabian languages and cultures. This paper describes the challenges faced and... more
The ERC project DASI is aimed at digitizing the overall epigraphic heritage of the ancient Arabian peninsula, in order to enhance knowledge of the pre-Islamic Arabian languages and cultures. This paper describes the challenges faced and the solutions proposed in the construction of a digital lexicon tool for under-resources languages such as those attested in the epigraphic documentation of pre-Islamic Arabia.
Research Interests:
MEDINA - Mediterranean network for the valorization and fruition of inscriptions preserved in museums is a two years lasting project, funded by the European Union with the ENPI-CBC Med programme, aimed at promoting the Ancient Near East... more
MEDINA - Mediterranean network for the valorization and fruition of inscriptions preserved in museums is a two years lasting project, funded by the European Union with the ENPI-CBC Med programme, aimed at promoting the Ancient Near East Cultural Heritage, in particular of Lebanon and Jordan. In order to enhance awareness of this often unjustly neglected cultural heritage, both in the local and in the international community, MEDINA intends to increase knowledge exchanges among institutions of the Mediterranean basin and to encourage the use of innovative digital technologies for its communication to the young generations and the general public.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... INDEX Foreword byAlessandra Avanzini 9 KHOR RORI: SUMHURAM AND ITS TERRITORY VlTTORIA BUFFA, ALEXANDER V. SEDOV The residential quarter: Area A 15 Excavated structures 15 The 1st constructional phase 17 The 2nd constructional phase 29... more
... INDEX Foreword byAlessandra Avanzini 9 KHOR RORI: SUMHURAM AND ITS TERRITORY VlTTORIA BUFFA, ALEXANDER V. SEDOV The residential quarter: Area A 15 Excavated structures 15 The 1st constructional phase 17 The 2nd constructional phase 29 The 3rd ...
Research Interests:
Geography, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Arabian Gulf, Ancient Near East, and 15 moreAncient numismatics (Archaeology), Archaeology of Oman, Archaeology of Oman peninsula, Ancient Near East (Archaeology), Ancient Near Eastern History, History and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Ancient South Arabia, South Arabian Archaeology, Ancient Trade Routes, South Arabian Numismatic, HISTORY OF OMAN, Sumhuram, Khor Rori, and Arabian Peninsula In Antiquity
... Roberto Orari, Prof. ... BA2 and for construction of the late Building ВАЗ, Ai least three of them can be tentatively, before cleaning, identified as the coinage of J had fid h Yalut, son of'Amniidhakhar (senes radiat-ed... more
... Roberto Orari, Prof. ... BA2 and for construction of the late Building ВАЗ, Ai least three of them can be tentatively, before cleaning, identified as the coinage of J had fid h Yalut, son of'Amniidhakhar (senes radiat-ed fiead/bìtli; type 5,3), Thus, such event took place, mosi probably, in ...
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... ripieg.: ill.; 24 cm.-(Saggi di storia antica; 11) ISBN 88-7062-975-9 CDD20. 391.63093949 1. Avanzini, Alessandra 1. Profumi-Arabia-Origini-Sec. 4. 2. Profumi-Antichita Questo volume e stato stampato con il contributo del CNR Page 11.... more
... ripieg.: ill.; 24 cm.-(Saggi di storia antica; 11) ISBN 88-7062-975-9 CDD20. 391.63093949 1. Avanzini, Alessandra 1. Profumi-Arabia-Origini-Sec. 4. 2. Profumi-Antichita Questo volume e stato stampato con il contributo del CNR Page 11. ...
A. De Santis, I. Rossi 6th EAGLE International Event "Off the beaten track. Epigraphy at the borders (Bari - Italy, September 24th to 25th, 2015). The ERC-Advanced Grant project DASI has contributed to define and foster best... more
A. De Santis, I. Rossi 6th EAGLE International Event "Off the beaten track. Epigraphy at the borders (Bari - Italy, September 24th to 25th, 2015). The ERC-Advanced Grant project DASI has contributed to define and foster best practices in the digitization of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions. As one of the early attempts at digitizing the epigraphic heritage related to Semitic languages, it has been facing specific challenges. This contribute focuses on challenges and solutions chosen to describe epigraphs and encode and represent their texts, according to standards. Moreover, a digital lexicon tool for linguistic study of under-resources languages is illustrated.
Research Interests:
The paper describes the main challenges faced and the solutions adopted in the frame of the project DASI – Digital archive for the study of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions. In particular, it discusses the methodological and technological... more
The paper describes the main challenges faced and the solutions adopted in the frame of the project DASI – Digital archive for the study of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions. In particular, it discusses the methodological and technological issues that emerged during the conversion from the CSAI – Corpus of South Arabian inscriptions project (a domain-specific, text-based, digital edition conceived at the end of 1990s) to the wider DASI archive for the study of inscriptions in different languages and scripts of ancient Arabia. The paper devotes special attention to: the modelling of data and encoding (XML annotation vs database approach; the conceptual model for the valorisation of the material aspect of the epigraph; the textual encoding for critical editions); interoperability (pros and cons of compliance to standards; harmonization of metadata; openness; semantic interoperability); lexicography (tools for underresourced languages; translations), with a view to possibly fostering reasoning on best practices in the community of digital epigraphers beyond each specific cultural/linguistic domain.
Research Interests:
The ERC-Advanced Grant project DASI has contributed to define and foster best practices in the digitization of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions. As one of the early attempts at digitizing the epigraphic heritage related to Semitic... more
The ERC-Advanced Grant project DASI has contributed to define and foster best practices in the digitization of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions. As one of the early attempts at digitizing the epigraphic heritage related to Semitic languages, it has been facing specific challenges. This contribute focuses on challenges and solutions chosen to describe epigraphs and encode and represent their texts, according to standards. Moreover, a digital lexicon tool for linguistic study of under-resources languages is illustrated.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Semitic languages, Semitic Linguistics, Epigraphic South Arabian, Sabaean, Epigraphic South Arabian, South Arabian Epigraphy, and 7 moreArabian Peninsula in Antiquity, Semitic Epigraphy, South Arabian Culture, Pre-Islamic Arabia, Sabaic inscriptions, Ancient South Arabia, and Old South Arabian Linguistics
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Authors: Avanzini A., De Santis A., Marotta D., Rossi I. DASI is an ERC-Advanced Grant project (n. 269774) aimed at digitizing the pre-Islamic inscriptions from Arabia and fostering best practices for the digitization of the epigraphic... more
Authors: Avanzini A., De Santis A., Marotta D., Rossi I.
DASI is an ERC-Advanced Grant project (n. 269774) aimed at digitizing the pre-Islamic inscriptions from Arabia and fostering best practices for the digitization of the epigraphic heritage related to Semitic languages. This paper describes the content model, the standards chosen, and exemplifies the vocabularies in view of a possible harmonization of data pertaining to the specific domain. The architecture of the system and the tools for encoding and retrieving textual content are also illustrated.
DASI is an ERC-Advanced Grant project (n. 269774) aimed at digitizing the pre-Islamic inscriptions from Arabia and fostering best practices for the digitization of the epigraphic heritage related to Semitic languages. This paper describes the content model, the standards chosen, and exemplifies the vocabularies in view of a possible harmonization of data pertaining to the specific domain. The architecture of the system and the tools for encoding and retrieving textual content are also illustrated.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The Digital Archive for the Study of Pre-Islamic Arabian Inscriptions (DASI) is a five-year ERC project of the University of Pisa, directed by Prof. A. Avanzini. Started in May 2011, the project seeks to collect in an open-access archive... more
The Digital Archive for the Study of Pre-Islamic Arabian Inscriptions (DASI) is a five-year ERC project of the University of Pisa, directed by Prof. A. Avanzini. Started in May 2011, the project seeks to collect in an open-access archive the whole corpus of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions, with the aim of fostering studies and scientific publications on the epigraphic heritage of Arabia.
The paper describes the main activities carried out in the first two years of the project: the IT research on the cataloguing methodologies of the epigraphic material, the actual work of digitization of thousands of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions and the setting up of the archive website for the fruition of the catalogued material, which opened in October 2013. Moreover, the project encourages the involvement of international partners and promotes the interest in pre-Islamic Arabia through a series of related activities and projects, like the Medina digital library and the IMTO archaeological database, which are promoted in the Arabia Antica portal of the University of Pisa.
The paper describes the main activities carried out in the first two years of the project: the IT research on the cataloguing methodologies of the epigraphic material, the actual work of digitization of thousands of pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions and the setting up of the archive website for the fruition of the catalogued material, which opened in October 2013. Moreover, the project encourages the involvement of international partners and promotes the interest in pre-Islamic Arabia through a series of related activities and projects, like the Medina digital library and the IMTO archaeological database, which are promoted in the Arabia Antica portal of the University of Pisa.
Research Interests:
In our collective memory there still lies the Queen of Sheba, her journey to Jerusalem to meet the wise King Salomon, or the Arabia Felix with its fame associated in the classical world with frankincense and other precious aromas.... more
In our collective memory there still lies the Queen of Sheba, her journey to Jerusalem to meet the wise King Salomon, or the Arabia Felix with its fame associated in the classical world with frankincense and other precious aromas. Nevertheless the history of the Arabia Felix, the country of the Queen of Sheba, is not well known to a wider public.
At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, in south-western Arabia, in the region that today corresponds to the Republic of Yemen, some kingdoms were formed. Their history deserves to be better known.
Its desert and ocean protected Arabia Felix from the invasions of hostile armies. Its inhabitants did not remain isolated on their mountains and in their valleys. Their caravans crossed the desert, their ports hosted foreign ships, they had commercial and cultural contacts, by land and by sea, with the whole world.
The history of this culture was very long; from the 8th century BC to the 6th century AD: from the Assyrian expansion into the Levant to the Roman empire, from the expedition only planned before his death by Alexander the Great to the failed expedition of Augustus, from Hellenism to the wars between Byzantium and the Persia, and from polytheism to Judaism and Christianity.
The events, the characters, the history of art, together with the beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of South Arabia, will be recounted in this book starting from direct written sources: the wealthy corpus of ancient South Arabian epigraphic public texts.
At the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, in south-western Arabia, in the region that today corresponds to the Republic of Yemen, some kingdoms were formed. Their history deserves to be better known.
Its desert and ocean protected Arabia Felix from the invasions of hostile armies. Its inhabitants did not remain isolated on their mountains and in their valleys. Their caravans crossed the desert, their ports hosted foreign ships, they had commercial and cultural contacts, by land and by sea, with the whole world.
The history of this culture was very long; from the 8th century BC to the 6th century AD: from the Assyrian expansion into the Levant to the Roman empire, from the expedition only planned before his death by Alexander the Great to the failed expedition of Augustus, from Hellenism to the wars between Byzantium and the Persia, and from polytheism to Judaism and Christianity.
The events, the characters, the history of art, together with the beliefs of the ancient inhabitants of South Arabia, will be recounted in this book starting from direct written sources: the wealthy corpus of ancient South Arabian epigraphic public texts.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This volume is an organized collection of inscriptions in Qatabanic, Marginal Qatabanic and Awsanite languages which have been set in the on line database of CSAI - Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions. The plan of the book includes an... more
This volume is an organized collection of inscriptions in Qatabanic, Marginal Qatabanic and Awsanite languages which have been set in the on line database of CSAI - Corpus of South Arabian Inscriptions.
The plan of the book includes an historical-linguistical introduction of the corpus and an edition of the texts with translation (except for the fragmentary texts).
Within each section, the texts are split by text typology into four major subgroups: construction inscriptions, dedicatory inscriptions, legal inscriptions and anthroponyms. In the section dedicated to anthroponyms the author has attempted to incorporate texts which were also conceived by the ancient author as being simple onomastic texts, such as those found on funeral stelas and on the statuettes. Within each textual typology the inscriptions are subdivided into chronological phases, except texts containing anthroponyms, which are listed with no chronological classification.
The plan of the book includes an historical-linguistical introduction of the corpus and an edition of the texts with translation (except for the fragmentary texts).
Within each section, the texts are split by text typology into four major subgroups: construction inscriptions, dedicatory inscriptions, legal inscriptions and anthroponyms. In the section dedicated to anthroponyms the author has attempted to incorporate texts which were also conceived by the ancient author as being simple onomastic texts, such as those found on funeral stelas and on the statuettes. Within each textual typology the inscriptions are subdivided into chronological phases, except texts containing anthroponyms, which are listed with no chronological classification.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
"This volume collects the proceedings of a conference on the Eastern Arabia held in Pisa in May 2008, exactly 25 years after the first congress of Lyon on the Persian Gulf "Arabie orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional, de l'age du Fer... more
"This volume collects the proceedings of a conference on the Eastern Arabia held in Pisa in May 2008, exactly 25 years after the first congress of Lyon on the Persian Gulf "Arabie orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional, de l'age du Fer au début de la période islamique".
The basic topics for a historical-archaeological comprehension of this region, corresponding to the today's EAU and Sultanate of Oman, are analyzed in three sessions: historical background of Eastern Arabia, its contacts with the neighbour regions, chronology of the Iron Age and new discoveries in the region.
Great relevance has been given to the chronology of the Iron Age (1200/1100-300 BC): the generally accepted fundamental lines of this topic, for a long time debated, are changing thanks to IMTO recent excavations in the site of Salut. "
The basic topics for a historical-archaeological comprehension of this region, corresponding to the today's EAU and Sultanate of Oman, are analyzed in three sessions: historical background of Eastern Arabia, its contacts with the neighbour regions, chronology of the Iron Age and new discoveries in the region.
Great relevance has been given to the chronology of the Iron Age (1200/1100-300 BC): the generally accepted fundamental lines of this topic, for a long time debated, are changing thanks to IMTO recent excavations in the site of Salut. "
Research Interests:
"The volume presents the results of the first years of research carried out by the University of Pisa in Oman. The IMTO (Italian Mission to Oman) has been working since 1997 in the Khor Rori area, which is located about 40 km east of the... more
"The volume presents the results of the first years of research carried out by the University of Pisa in Oman.
The IMTO (Italian Mission to Oman) has been working since 1997 in the Khor Rori area, which is located about 40 km east of the modern city of Salala, in the Dhofar region.
The systematical excavation of the ancient city of Sumhuram (III century BC – IV century AD), the analysis of the urban structure and of its functional elements, its interaction with the surrounding territory, the study of the sea trades and the investigation of the linguistical and historical specificity of the Dhofar, which are the mission’s main objectives, are the subjects developed by the contributions in Khor Rori Report 1.
After a historical-methodological introduction (A. Avanzini), this volume presents the study of the Khor Rori region’s territory (M. Cremaschi); the first excavation outcomes of the IMTO (D. Morandi Bonacossi); the reconstruction of the architectural phases of the city gate monumental complex (R. Orazi) and an updated study of the epigraphical documents of the city of Sumhuram (A. Avanzini), together with a first typological survey of the ceramic finds (A.V. Sedov) and a classifying study of the coins (A.V. Sedov)."
The IMTO (Italian Mission to Oman) has been working since 1997 in the Khor Rori area, which is located about 40 km east of the modern city of Salala, in the Dhofar region.
The systematical excavation of the ancient city of Sumhuram (III century BC – IV century AD), the analysis of the urban structure and of its functional elements, its interaction with the surrounding territory, the study of the sea trades and the investigation of the linguistical and historical specificity of the Dhofar, which are the mission’s main objectives, are the subjects developed by the contributions in Khor Rori Report 1.
After a historical-methodological introduction (A. Avanzini), this volume presents the study of the Khor Rori region’s territory (M. Cremaschi); the first excavation outcomes of the IMTO (D. Morandi Bonacossi); the reconstruction of the architectural phases of the city gate monumental complex (R. Orazi) and an updated study of the epigraphical documents of the city of Sumhuram (A. Avanzini), together with a first typological survey of the ceramic finds (A.V. Sedov) and a classifying study of the coins (A.V. Sedov)."
Research Interests:
"The port of Sumhuram was for many centuries a stage in the sea routes that linked Rome and the Mediterranean to Arabia and India. Since 1996, Sumhuram and its territory, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have been investigated... more
"The port of Sumhuram was for many centuries a stage in the sea routes that linked Rome and the Mediterranean to Arabia and India.
Since 1996, Sumhuram and its territory, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have been investigated by the Italian Mission directed by Alessandra Avanzini.
This volume, which comes 5 years after the publication of the first report, includes the results of the research conducted between 2000 and 2004, during which some extremely significant points, both historical and archaeological, have come to light.
The foundation of Sumhuram has been put back by almost three centuries and is now set in the 3rd century BC, namely in the Hellenistic age, and this has made it necessary to completely reassess the whole historical frame of its foundation.
In archaeological terms, the systematic excavation of the city has brought to light the hitherto little-known urban layout of South Arabian cities. "
Since 1996, Sumhuram and its territory, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, have been investigated by the Italian Mission directed by Alessandra Avanzini.
This volume, which comes 5 years after the publication of the first report, includes the results of the research conducted between 2000 and 2004, during which some extremely significant points, both historical and archaeological, have come to light.
The foundation of Sumhuram has been put back by almost three centuries and is now set in the 3rd century BC, namely in the Hellenistic age, and this has made it necessary to completely reassess the whole historical frame of its foundation.
In archaeological terms, the systematic excavation of the city has brought to light the hitherto little-known urban layout of South Arabian cities. "
Research Interests:
From 1996, the IMTO mission of the University of Pisa has been working on the site of Sumhuram, in the territory of Khor Rori (southern Oman), since ancient times a region famed for the excellence of the frankincense it produced. This... more
From 1996, the IMTO mission of the University of Pisa has been working on the site of Sumhuram, in the territory of Khor Rori (southern Oman), since ancient times a region famed for the excellence of the frankincense it produced.
This volume coincide with the conclusion of a project funded by MIUR within the PRIN 2007 programme, in which IMTO collaborated with the University of Florence and the University of Tuscia - Viterbo.
The book aims to inform a broader public of some of the more significant results achieved in these two last years of research in Sumhuram.
This volume coincide with the conclusion of a project funded by MIUR within the PRIN 2007 programme, in which IMTO collaborated with the University of Florence and the University of Tuscia - Viterbo.
The book aims to inform a broader public of some of the more significant results achieved in these two last years of research in Sumhuram.
Research Interests:
CSAI was set up in 2001 to publish the entire South Arabian epigraphic corpus in electronic form. The project was aimed at broadening the knowledge of the history and language of ancient south Arabian kingdoms by the use of information... more
CSAI was set up in 2001 to publish the entire South Arabian epigraphic corpus in electronic form. The project was aimed at broadening the knowledge of the history and language of ancient south Arabian kingdoms by the use of information and communication technologies.
CSAI included nearly 5000 South Arabian inscriptions, divided into several corpora.
Presently CSAI has expired but it has been replaced and developed by DASI
CSAI included nearly 5000 South Arabian inscriptions, divided into several corpora.
Presently CSAI has expired but it has been replaced and developed by DASI
Research Interests:
"The exhibition drew connections between this distant, exotic land and more familiar things. It is well known, for example, that copper was an important raw material used in the fusion of bronze beginning in the 4th and 3rd millennia BC,... more
"The exhibition drew connections between this distant, exotic land and more familiar things. It is well known, for example, that copper was an important raw material used in the fusion of bronze beginning in the 4th and 3rd millennia BC, but few are aware that the land of Oman, referred to in Mesopotamian sources as Magan, was the principle source of copper in this long-ago period.
Most of us are familiar with the incense and some will no doubt be aware that in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome incense had a mythic connotation and was regarded as “the food of the gods.” But very few know of the tree that produces this precious resin, and the fact that the highest quality of incense has always and still does come from the southern region of Oman.
While we all know that Marco Polo travelled to China, few realize that his ship passed along the coast of Dhofar and that he described the port and the city of Al Baleed in Il Milione.
The title of the exhibition itself suggests one important aspect of the history of Oman: how closely the fortunes and the destiny of the country were linked to the sea and to the courage of its sailors.
For this people going to sea had many consequences, as well as to perfect their sailing and navigational techniques. But Oman is not only the sea. The heart of the country, as the Omanis like to say, is the desert.
To live in the desert or to cross its vast expanses, the nomad had to combine courage with highly developed skills and a profound knowledge of his environment. The technique of constructing subterranean canals or falaj, which spread from Oman to Iran and then the Mediterranean, provides proof of the engineering skills of the ancient inhabitants of Oman.
The last section of the exhibition is the description of how the ancient land of Sindbad looks like today."
Most of us are familiar with the incense and some will no doubt be aware that in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome incense had a mythic connotation and was regarded as “the food of the gods.” But very few know of the tree that produces this precious resin, and the fact that the highest quality of incense has always and still does come from the southern region of Oman.
While we all know that Marco Polo travelled to China, few realize that his ship passed along the coast of Dhofar and that he described the port and the city of Al Baleed in Il Milione.
The title of the exhibition itself suggests one important aspect of the history of Oman: how closely the fortunes and the destiny of the country were linked to the sea and to the courage of its sailors.
For this people going to sea had many consequences, as well as to perfect their sailing and navigational techniques. But Oman is not only the sea. The heart of the country, as the Omanis like to say, is the desert.
To live in the desert or to cross its vast expanses, the nomad had to combine courage with highly developed skills and a profound knowledge of his environment. The technique of constructing subterranean canals or falaj, which spread from Oman to Iran and then the Mediterranean, provides proof of the engineering skills of the ancient inhabitants of Oman.
The last section of the exhibition is the description of how the ancient land of Sindbad looks like today."
Research Interests:
This catalogue has been published on the occasion of the exhibition "Art and technique in Yemen. The bronzes from the Museum of Baynun", which took place at Pisa from May, 27th to June, 10th 2009. The exhibition was an initiative which... more
This catalogue has been published on the occasion of the exhibition "Art and technique in Yemen. The bronzes from the Museum of Baynun", which took place at Pisa from May, 27th to June, 10th 2009.
The exhibition was an initiative which is part of the Italy-Yemen cooperation project CASIS, whose aim is to enhance the knowledge of the culture of ancient South Arabia, particularly of the inscriptions housed in the small museums of Yemen.
The artefacts of Baynun being restored at the laboratories of the University of Pisa are splendid examples of the artistic production of South Arabian bronzes, a very widespread form of art in ancient Yemen, rich in external influences but with a strong autochthonous tradition.
The exhibition was an initiative which is part of the Italy-Yemen cooperation project CASIS, whose aim is to enhance the knowledge of the culture of ancient South Arabia, particularly of the inscriptions housed in the small museums of Yemen.
The artefacts of Baynun being restored at the laboratories of the University of Pisa are splendid examples of the artistic production of South Arabian bronzes, a very widespread form of art in ancient Yemen, rich in external influences but with a strong autochthonous tradition.