Plant Supplying Strategies in an Islamic Omani Harbour City: Archaeobotanical Analysis from a Workshop (B39) in Qalhāt (XIVth-XVIth c. AD)

Archaeobotanical analysis of workshop B39 at Qalhat, an Islamic harbor city in Oman (14th–16th century AD), reveals a significant presence of tropical crops such as Asian rice, finger millet, and various legumes, suggesting complex plant supply strategies. The distribution of these remains indicates specialized domestic activities, including food preparation and crop processing, likely occurring in room E. While the origin of these crops—whether imported or locally cultivated—remains uncertain, the Indian subcontinent is proposed as a probable source, with Yemen also considered. This study advances understanding of plant consumption and agrosystem integration during this period, addressing a gap in archaeobotanical research on Islamic sites in eastern Arabia.

Dabrowski, V., Tengberg, M., Creissen, T., & Rougeulle, A. (2018). Plant Supplying Strategies in an Islamic Omani Harbour City: Archaeobotanical Analysis from a Workshop (B39) in Qalhāt (XIVth-XVIth c. AD). Journal of Islamic Archaeology, 5(1), 17–38. https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.37690