Sharjah Archaeology Annual Magazine 5
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(Fifth Report 1989) Annual Magazine concerned with publication of the result of archaeological excavations and researches in the Emirate of Sharjah Sharjah Archaeology Authority - Govt. of Sharjah Chairman: Dr. Sabah Abood Jasim General Supervisor: Eisa Yousif Managing Editor: Fawzy Saleh CONTRIBUTORS: j. Besancon - R. Dalongeville M. Drieux - M. Millet R. Boucharlat - H. David P. Garczynski - M. Mouton A. Prieur Directorate of Archaeology Dept. of Culture & Information Sharjah - U.A.E French Archaeological Mission Ministère des Relations Extérieurs GIS- Maison de l’Orient- CNRS- France Designed & Printed by: Fairmont P.P.S. Copyright Reserved© for Sharjah Archaeology Authority Second Edition - 2019 P.O. Box: 30300 - SHARJAH Tel.: +971 - 6 - 5668000 Fax:+971 - 6 - 5660334 Website: www.sharjaharchaeology.com E-mail: [email protected] Index Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 I- Surveys and Soundings A. Survey and soundings at Muwailah (Sharjah Airport), by Michel Mouton and Remy Boucharlat ............................................................................................. 10 B. Survey in the Sharjah Territories along the East Coast. A short note, by Remy Boucharlat. ................................................................................................. 14 II- Surveys and Excavations in Dhaid al-Madam Plain A. Morphological study of the inner basin or Sharjah, by Jacques Besancon and Remi Dalongeville. .................................................................................. 16 B. Reconnaissance on P.28 site (Mleiha North). ........................................................ 19 1. P.28 Mleiha North. Archaeological soundings, by Marie Millet. .......... 20 2. P.28 Mleiha North. Notes on the malacofauna, by Abel Prieur. .......... 24 C. Excavations at Mleiha, the 3rd season, by Michel Mouton, Remy Boucharlat and Paul Garczynski. .................................................................................... 25 D. Mleiha 1989. Conversation and restoration. A Preliminary report, by Monique Drieux. ....................................................................................................................... 33 INTRODUCTION Remy Boucharlat The fifth season of surveys and excavation of the Joint Archaeological expedition to the Sharjah Emirate took place from November 26,1988 until March 15, 1989. The 89 Programme aims to complete the archaeological survey (Dhaid al-Madam Plain; Eastern Territories), to carry the demand of the Directorate of Archaeology, Department of Culture, Sharjah and to continue the excavations at Mleiha. This co-operation programme is placed under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammad al-Qassimi, Ruler of Sharjah who has at heart to keep himself informed of the results. Because of his keen interest, H.H. paid a long visit to Mleiha on March 7,1989 accompanied by all the Authorities of the Department of Culture. Everyone concerned by the programme was greatly honoured of that important visit. May we express our thanks to these Authorities who showed their interest and helped the Expedition in various ways. During the season, the number of visitors, the frequent coming of journalists from the newspaper and the TV’s attested the growing interest of various parts of the population of the National Heritage. It is very important that the inhabitants and foreign residents in the country are willing to know and to preserve this Heritage. It is a pleasant duty to thank persons and institutions who have made possible the success of the 1989 season. In Sharjah Emirate, we have to appreciate the co-operation of the Department of Culture and represented efficiently by our colleague and friend Mr. Mustafa Tawfiq al Hazeem. The Municipality of Sharjah, Dr. Ibrahim Ka’eka’e and his staff of the Survey Department were so helpful as usual; the Dhaid Municipality did its best for arranging the Expedition house in Mleiha. In Abu Dhabi, the French Embassy brought us all the necessary help. We express our gratitude to H.E. the Ambassador and to Mr. C. Jouret, Cultural Attache, who showed their interest in our research and in this co-operation programme. To the French Company, TOTAL-CFP, to `Mr. J.De Vaulx his Representative in Abu Dhabi and Mrs. Y.Bell Gambart, Director of the Department “Action Culturelle” in Paris we are indebted for Fifth Report 7 their invaluable help in taking care of hundreds kilos of samples from the site to our Labs. in France, as they did in the past years. In France, our programme is supported with grant of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and grants and logistic help from the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), namely the URA913 Group, directed by Dr.P.Sanlaville in the Maison de l’Orient, Lyon and the center de Recherches Archéologiques (CRA) Valbonne. From this year we have started a fruitful co-operation with Electricite de France (EDF), Direction des Etudes et Recherches. In the frame of technological patronage, this institution has offered a programme of restoration of metal objects unearthed in Sharjah. Thanks to a three-month contract for our conservator and the disposal of the lab, a series of important bronze objects was analysed, cleaned, treated and restored in Paris; they will be returned to Sharjah soon. For the field research, the members of the team under the direction of Dr. Remy Boucharlat, archaeologist, were: 1- Survey programme: Prof. Jacques Besancon, geomorphologist, Dr. Remi Dallongeville, geomorphologist, Miss. Marie Millet, prehistorian, Dr. Abel Prieur, Malacologist. 2- Excavations programme: Miss. Anne Benoist, archaeologist. Miss. Helene David, draughtswoman Miss. Monique Drieux, conservator Mr. Paul Gracynski, architect-surveyor Mr. Francois de Keroualin, archaeologist, Mr. Michel Mouton, archaeologist, field-director. The lab. research is less visible, but quite important since it gives consistency to the field research. Several persons and institutions are dealing with the result which were obtained in 1989 and in the past few years. 8 Fifth Report For the research carried out in the Dhaid al-Madam Plain, let us mention Prof. P.Bernier (Sedimentology), Prof. B. Braind and Dr. Santallier (Petrography), all three from Lyon 1 University and Prof. P.Sanlaville (Geomorphology), CNRS Maison de l’Orient. For the survey of the Sharjah Coast (1985-1988), besides the above mentioned specialists, we are grateful to Dr. P. Amieux (Cathodoluminescence), Prof. J.Evin (Radiocarbone), both from Lyon 1 University, Dr. A.Hesse (Geophysic), CNRS Grachy, Dr. A. M. Lachenal (Ostracods) and Dr. E. Samuel (vegetal Biology), Lyon 1 University, Mr. V. de medwecki (sedimentology). CNRS, ura 913, Dr. R. Petiot (Geomorphology), CNRS,- Lyon 2 University, CNRS, lab. Of Geomorphology in Cean. For their help in the study of the written evidence found in Mleiha we would like to thank our colleagues in the CNRS Dr. Y.Calvet (Greek stamped amphora handles), Dr. C.Robin (South Arabic) and Dr. J.Texidor (Semitic). The present interim report has been prepared by Mr. A.Pecontal-Lambert (archaeologist and Physical anthropologist). It is presented according to two parts: I- The research in the Sharjah Emirate, wit the rescue operation at Sharjah Airport site Muwailah, on Iron Age and islamic site, and the survey along the East Coast in the Sharjah Territories. II- The research in the Dhaid al-Madam Plain, with the last season of the geomorphological survey; the special operation at site P.28, in the Northern part of Mleiha, where flints, shells and potsherds are mixed up; the survey and excavations at Mleiha, with a note on the restoration of the objects. Fifth Report 9 SURVEYS AND SOUNDINGS AT MUWAILAH (SHARJAH AIRPORT) A short report Michel Mouton and Remy Boucharlat On the request of the Department of Archaeology, Department of Culture, Sharjah, the French Archaeological Mission in Sharjah has taken in Charge the archaeological reconnaissance of the Muwailah area, South of Sharjah Airport. This area is located 3 km east of the eastern edge of Sharjah city and it will be urbanized in the very near future. The Municipality of Sharjah, in charge of the planning of this new area, has advised the Department of Archaeology to check the site where a significant number of artifacts are visible on the surface. Some of them were collected by employees and brought to the Department of Archaeology (Fig. 3-4 and 25.5). As a matter of fact the aim of that reconnaissance was an evaluation of the archaeological interest of Muwailah regarding the National Heritage. After a visit of the site in Mid, December 1988, we carried out some soundings and surveyed this area which extends over 10 ha. The operation took place between 31 December 1988 and 11 January 1989, and lasted 7 days, later, two more days have been devoted to topographical survey to confirm the limits of archaeological area. Miss H. David has drawn the artifacts, a selection of which is presented here (Fig 7-9). The archaeological site: The archaeological area (Fig.2) extends into four corners defined by modern roads crossing at the roundabout (see the 1/25.000 Municipality map, no 34-78) over more than 1 sq. km. as a whole, the site is situated on a higher surface about 30 m above the sea level. The artifacts are scattered between the sand dunes in various concentrations. They are mainly pottery sherds on the slopes of ancient dunes and on large flat surfaces