YEMEN: Archaeological Activities in the Yemen Arab Republic, 1985 Source: East and West, Vol. 35, No. 4 (December 1985), pp. 337-395 Published by: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO) Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/29756745 Accessed: 06-05-2019 17:48 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente (IsIAO) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to East and West This content downloaded from 193.52.22.134 on Mon, 06 May 2019 17:48:46 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSIONS YEMEN Archaeological Activities in the Yemen Arab Republic, 1985 The third (1985) campaign of archaeo? Dr Bruno Marcolongo for geomorphology and logical cooperation between Italy and the Dr Adolfo Gianni for ethnoarchaeology. The Yemen Arab Republic took place in north students Sabina Antonini, Bruno Castiello, Yemen from 4 July to 17 December 1985. Michael Jung, Marina Marini and Marina Under the coordination of the 'Centro di Serapioni also helped with the digging and Cooperazione Archeologica I talo-Yemeni ta* recording of finds. Ms Beate Terfloth col? (I talo-Yemenite Centre for Archaeological laborated in the graphic representation of Cooperation) of San'?' in collaboration with objects found. the Organization for Antiquities and Li? The following officials of the local An? braries under the direction of q?di Ismail tiquities Department followed the various al-Akwa', work was carried out by the stages of survey and excavation and took following Italian experts sent by the De? part in the work: al'lzzl Muhammad Muslih, partment for Cooperation and Development 'Abd ar-Raz?q Na'm?n as-Sargabi, 'Utm?n al of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Halifah, Ism?'il al-KibsI, Ahmad Sams?n, Professor Alessandro de Maigret, programme Sayf Hussayn Mas'ad, Muhammad al-Halabi, director, for the pre-Islamic period; Professor 'Abd al-Karim al-Kibsi, Yahyah. Francesco Fedele for the neolithic period; The San'a' Centre for Cooperation and Professor Maurizio Tosi for the proto the main sites were visited, chronological in historical period; Professor Umberto Scer order, by Professor Gherardo Gnoli, Presi? rato, Professor Giovanna Ventrone and Pro? dent of IsMEO (17-30 October); the Minister fessor Paolo Cuneo for the Islamic period; for Foreign Affairs of the Y.A.R., Dr 'Abd Dr Grazia Maria Bulgarelli for the paleolithic al-Karim al-Iry?nl (18 November) and the period; Dr Francesco Di Mario for the lithic Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs industry; Dr Lorenzo Costantini for paleo of the Italian Republic, the Hon. Bruno botany; Dr Vincenzo Francaviglia for min? Corti (13-15 December), who took the eralogy; Dr Alberto Palmieri for sedi opportunity of finalizing the agreement for mentology; the architects Vincenzo Labianca archaeological cooperation for the remaining and Edoardo Gatti for architectural survey; years of the programme. the surveyor Mario Mascellani for topography m% The main results obtained by the Italian Ms Patricia Smith for drawings; Mr Antonio group were illustrated at an exhibition/ Solazzi for the photographs. Assistance was congress held on 30 October at the San'?* also provided by the following consultants: Sheraton Hotel, which was organized by 337 This content downloaded from 193.52.22.134 on Mon, 06 May 2019 17:48:46 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms the Italian Embassy and the Organization Di Mario, Dr Vincenzo Francaviglia, the for Antiquities of the Y.A.R. The address representative from the Antiquities Depart? on 'Activities and Discoveries of the Italian ment 'Utm?n al-Halifah and the author Archaeological Mission: years of cooperation conducted the survey. The aim of the trip 1983-85', introduced by q?dl Ism?'il al was to study the way the patterns of ancient Akwa4 and Professor Gherardo Gnoli, was settlements varied in relation to changes in given by Professor Alessandro de Maigret, the environment, and to ascertain the extent and contributions were also made by Pro? of Sabaean occupation along the upper and fessors Maurizio Tosi and Francesco Fedele. middle course of the W?di Danah. From 1-7 December a RAI-Radiotelevisio The region of eastern Hawlan (Bani ne Italiana team paid a visit to film the Daby?n) is mountainous and almost inac? Centre and the most important antiquities cessible, and the road we took to cross it discovered by the Mission. is one of the few, possibly the only one, In the light of the findings made during that can be covered with relative ease. the year's activity, and considering the cul? Turning south from the San'?'-Gih?nah tural unity prevailing in southern Arabia Sirw?h road, a few kilometres before the during the south Arabian classical period, village of Bani Sulayh (al-A'r?s) (fig. 1), the campaign concluded with contacts with one enters the W?di al-'Atfah, to leave it the authorities of Yemen (People's Demo? on the left after about 15 Km. The route cratic Republic of Yemen) in order eventually proceeds southwest along the W?di Kunam to conduct surveys in this country as well. as far as the W?di Hab?bid, not far from On the invitation of the local Antiquities the village of Qalil. The road then follows Department, Professor A. de Maigret, who the W?di Hab?bid to the point at which on this occasion joined the Italian Delegation it crosses the W?di 'Ar?diq, coming from of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs led by the Hon. Bruno Corti on an official the direction of the village of Husn Masmal which lies to the west. The road then leaves visit to Democratic Yemen, visited Aden from 17-20 December. Subsequent to talks the W?di Hab?bid to enter the W?di Baw, with the local Director-General of the which stretches due southeast. The recently Yemenite Centre for Cultural and Archaeo? built but nonetheless difficult road then logical Research, Mr 'Abdallah Muhayriz, traverses a series of precipitous mountain and the Director General of Antiquities and passes from the W?di Baw basin to the Museums, Dr 'Abdallah Bawazir, we found W?di Nab'?h basin further south, not far the Democratic Yemen authorities perfectly from the village of S?m. At this point the agreeable to establishing contact with the road becomes comparatively easy to follow, IsMEO Archaeological Mission and, in par? keeping to the river valleys as far as Marib. ticular, to promoting a specific research plan for the following year. Beyond the confluence of the W?di As regards the Yemen Arab Republic Sarriayn (from the south) (fig. 2) and of (north Yemen), the following is a sector the W?di Hab?bid (from the north), we by sector outline of the main scientific come out into the W?di Sab?' (or Danah) activities carried out during the season. at the point where the W?di Rah?bah joins it from the south. Following the W?di Sab?', northwards from this point, a change 1. Exploration of the Bant Daby?n Region is observed in the scenery: we are in the physiographical area of the so-called 'medium a. The Survey altitudes', and the temperature, pedology, A survey was carried out in the unex? geomorphology and vegetation contrast sharply plored region occupied by the Bam Daby?n with the 'eastern plateaux' scenery lying tribe from 22-26 July 1985. Dr Francesco behind us in the west. This ecological 338 This content downloaded from 193.52.22.134 on Mon, 06 May 2019 17:48:46 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ Fig. 1 - Map showing sites belonging to the pre-Islamic period visited by the Italian Archaeological Mission during the 1985 campaign. This content downloaded from 193.52.22.134 on Mon, 06 May 2019 17:48:46 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Fig. 2 - The W?di Sarriayn at its confluence with the W?di Nab'?h. difference is matched by apparently striking the W?di 'Atfah (the site of Al-Misw?h) differences in the ancient settlements. (fig. 3). A similar case had occurred in As far as we were able to see, in fact, 1981 when a survey further north of A'r?s the protohistorical Bronze Age settlements, led us along the W?di Hab?b towards so widespread in the A'r?s and Al-Had?\ Sirw?h and M?rib; once we had passed the do not occur in this lower area. Instead, village of Al-Watadah, no more remnants the typical squared-stone ruins of the Sabaean of lithic industry were to be found. period begin to appear, standing out here Following the stretch of the W?di Sab?' and there and then clustering on the slopes running from the W?di Nab'?h to the W?di of the vast W?di Sab?' valley. Sirwab, we were able to explore only two The change in archaeological fades seems sites. However, systematic surveys of the quite abrupt, as if in the past the unbroken lateral valleys of the w?di may well show Bani Daby?n mountain range had constituted far more concentrated settlement.