This book and the rst success of the Archaeological Project at Dûmat al-Jandal would not have been possible without the constructive

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-National Center for Scienti c Research (UMR 8167, Orient et Méditerranée).

We would like to thank Alain Mangeol, regional delegate of Paris A, Jean-Claude Cheynet, Christian Julien Robin and Françoise Briquel-Châtonnet for the support of the CNRS and of the UMR 8167 ("composante Mondes sémitiques"), as well as Marie-Véronique Diamant for her continuous help.

Italian Republic:

-Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE/DGSP).

-Italian Institute for Africa and Orient. We particularly wish to thank Gherardo Gnoli for encouraging and supporting this new research project.

-University of Naples "L'Orientale", Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici (Bruno Genito, Francesco Sferra).

-Italian Embassy in Riyâdh (Valentino Simonetti).

To nish, we also wish to thank Prof. Khalîl In 2010 the cooperation agreement between Italian and Saudi institutions (SCTA) was extended to a partnership involving the French Archaeological Project in Saudi Arabia, represented by Christian J. Robin and Guillaume Charloux. The excavations carried out from 30 September to 7 November 2010 were the second campaign on the site of Dûmat al-Jandal, conducted by the new Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project.

Affiliations and Partnerships

The project works under the aegis of following scienti c institutions: During the 2010 campaign we proceeded with a more extensive mapping of the historical site (Mârid Castle & parts of the surrounding medieval village of al-Dira').

Italian
Sector C, with its great monumental enclosure wall located 3 km to the west of sector A, was fully studied (see Charloux et al., Survey, Fig. 1). We also started a comprehensive recording of hydraulic and archaeological features in the oasis (wells, qanât, etc.).

In the near future we would like to go on surveying the whole oasis, and fully record all preserved ancient structures, among them segments of the ancient enclosure wall.

Excavations

Some systematic excavations were started in 2009 in the historical center of the oasis, providing the rst stratigraphic data regarding the city's history.

Sector A corresponds to the area located north-east of the Mârid castle (quadrant N6-I, 10 x 10 m of our grid map). The excavation carried out here was exploratory, to identify the rst stratigraphic features of the site.

Sector B corresponds to the area in front of the medieval village of al-Dira (quadrant G3-IV-b, 5 x 5m of our map grid) where a brief test excavation was carried out, bringing to light the foundations of the more recent structures dating from the beginning of the 20 th century.

During the 2010 season, two main objectives were set:

1. to extend the excavation trench dug in 2009 (sector A, Quadrant N6-I) so as to start extensive excavation of the structures located at the foot of Mârid Castle (the ancient acropolis). This has made it possible to de ne a rst comprehensive chronological sequence from the recent centuries to the pre-Islamic layers(see Loreto, Sector A);

2. to begin a series of systematic excavations along the enclosure wall (sector C), in order to understand its building method and function, as well as to date it and to determine its extension in the oasis (see Charloux et al., Sector C).

The excavations were located in areas that were already partly protected by metal fences put in place by the Saudi authorities (sectors A, B and C), with agreement from the local SCTA of cial.

Public awareness and restoration

Some cleaning of the excavated structures (sector C, ancient enclosure) and restoration of the collected materials (ceramic items) were conducted during the work, thanks to the collaboration with the al-Jawf Museum.

Restoration work was begun on some ceramic containers found during the excavation of the walls (sector C), using the laboratories and specialized equipment available in the museum.

The overall aim is to make the excavated monuments accessible and to raise awareness among the local population of the conservation of an architectural heritage that is being suffocated by modern building; and at the same time to preserve the nds so as to add to the collections of the local museum.

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Methodology

A recording system was set up during the 2009 season by the joint Saudi-Italian Project. As explained in detail in the excavation report of sector C (see Charloux et al., Sector C), the recording system used in the excavation of sector C was adapted from that established in 2009 by the Italian part (sectors A and B) and is very similar to it.

The databases, featuring Zanbil/layers, walls, loci, ceramic, objects and photographs, were created using ©Excel and ©FilemakerPro software. In order to ensure complete compatibility between the Saudi, Italian and French teams, the working language of the project is English. The databases of the project are therefore completed in this language.

Plans and archaeological sections in the eld were drawn by the archaeologists (see Charloux et al., Sector C) and architects (see Marcolongo, Topographic & Photogrammetric Survey), using a Leica TCR407 total station. Survey work was carried out by an epigraphist and archaeologists as well as by a topographer using a differential GPS (see Morel, Topographic Survey).

After cleaning by a workman the ceramic material was classi ed, photographed, drawn and stored by Pierre Siméon, ceramologist and archaeologist (see Siméon, Recor- ding System). With Quentin Morel, he also carried out some vessel restoration. Pottery material coming from the excavations was stored in a storeroom lent by the Museum.

Two rooms are also used inside the Museum for material and computer studies.

Among the main difficulties encountered during the 2010 project we have to mention that:

-the ceramic material seems very local and it is therefore dif cult to relate to well-known cultures for most periods (Roman, Byzantine, Islamic in particular). Dating is therefore preliminary and will be completed using C14 analysis in the near future.

-the great quantity of stone blocks in sector A which makes the excavation long and dif cult.

-the enclosure wall (Sector C) cleaned in 2010 needs to be protected properly by adding mud plaster. The local authorities from the SCTA told us that specialized workmen could do this work during the 2011 season.

-the signi cant recent population increase in the oasis. Many archaeological structures need to be recorded and studied soon and some protected.

Lectures

Historical Overview

Guillaume Charloux & Romolo Loreto

With a contribution by Christian Julien Robin

Historical Overview

Guillaume Charloux (CNRS, UMR 8167) & Romolo Loreto (University of Naples, "L'Orientale")

We only know the broad outlines of the rich history of Dûmat al-Jandal (or Dûma 1 ), which stretches over nearly 2700 years. It was concisely summarised at the beginning of the 19 th century by Musil2 , and more recently by al-Sudairi3 . The long periods of Assyrian, Nabataean, Roman and Islamic occupation are attested by rare inscriptions, some ancient artifacts that have come to light during excavations and surveys, and in the textual sources from the Islamic era. The major events that took place here, together with most of the traces of its past glory, lie buried in the sand. This chapter attempts to summarise current knowledge and provide a starting-point for the activities of the Archaeological Project.

Geographical context

In view of its location on the borders of the wâdî al-Sirhân linking southern Syria to the desert Arabia, the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal4 constitutes one of the few obligatory ports of call on the east-west traverse of the Arab peninsula. Situated at the intersection of caravan trails linking Mesopotamia, the Arabo-Persian Gulf and desert Arabia, the geographical isolation of the region of Dûma actually favoured its development and fame in the Pre-Islamic era.

Bordered to the north by the steppe-like limestone plateau of Hammad and to the south by the arid desert of Nafûd, Dûmat al-Jandal stands at the northern edge of Saudi Najd (Fig. 1), 280 km as the crow ies from Taymâ', 700 km from Medina, 400 km from Mâda'in Sâlih, 308 km from Hâ'il and 530 km from Damascus 5 .

In the 13 th century the Arab geographer Yâqût stated that Dûmat al-Jandal measured 5 farâsikh 6 , and that "from the west the Tatij spring irrigates what there is in the way of palm groves and crops" 7 . Today the oasis takes the form of a vast shallow depression (Fig. 2) about 8 km in length and 3.5 km across (29°48'40.60''N, 39°52'04.51''E).

An arti cial lake about 2.90 km in length, created in the early 1980s east of the valley, now serves as a reservoir for the crops. A vast, highly saline plain, certainly the bed of an ancient lake (Sabha), stretches away beyond the arti cial lake in the east of the valley bottom.

The limestone mountains surrounding the oasis are known as "al-Gal" 8 . The palm grove and the crops occupy the valley oor while modern residential quarters have been built on the adjacent plateaux unsuitable for cultivation overlooking the oasis to the southwest and north-west. These zones are currently subject to intense building activity, with a sharp demographic increase of 4% per year, so that the population of the oasis now stands at 33,000 inhabitants.

The region of Jawf is situated in the vast zone of sedimentary rocks in the north-east of the Arab peninsula, at the intersection of four great Palaeozoic geological formations (primary era) in the south-west and Mesozoic (secondary era) in the north and east 9 .

A Devonian (Palaeozoic) formation stretches from Hijâz in the direction of Jawf (mountainous zone of al-Tawîl), where it meets a more recent formation of the Trias (Mesozoic), at the south-eastern end of the basaltic Harrat al-Harrah (Jebel Druze). The pronounced mechanical erosion of the Devonian plateaux gave rise, by means of wind-blown deposits, to areas of sand dunes in the Nafûd desert, south-east of Dûmat al-Jandal. Moreover 5. See the Arab geographers Abû al-Fidâ' Ismâ îl b. Alî 1848: 109 ("Doumat al-Jandal is a place situated between Syria and Iraq, seven days' walk from Damas and thirteen from Medina"), and Ibn Khaldûn 1967: 132 ("to the east, al-Hijr is followed by the country of Thamûd, Taymâ' and Dûmat al-Jandal, the northern part of Hijâz").

6. About 25 km. 7. Yâqût al-Hamawî 1995: vol. 2: 487. 8. "Gâl-Algawf" in Wallin 1854: 138;"al-edîlijje" in Musil 1927: 467. 9. Parr et al. 1978: 33, pl. 21, see also [START_REF] Sayari | Quaternary Period in Saudi Arabia[END_REF]Sindi 1986: 104-106. Quaternary ood deposits built up in the valley beds, in particular the wâdî al-Sirhân, while north-east of Jawf Cretaceous rocks were laid down, particularly the arid calcareous plateau of Hammâd 10 .

The Devonian limestone formation bearing the name of the "Jawf Formation" (including limestone, siltstone and gypsum) 11 has ve distinct features 12 . The three most signi cant at Dûmat al-Jandal are the Qasr Member, on the site known as Qasr Mârid, comprising grey clayey-muddy limestone with underlying grey shells; the Subbat Member comprising above all shells is readily recognisable, forming two enormous and striking grey-purplish cones in the north of the oasis (known as Sabb'a/Subbat); the Hammamiyat Member, with underlying shells, siltstone and red limestone, occupies the site called Jebel al-Hammamiyat about 25 km north-east of Dûma, but also in the oasis. Magmatic rocks from the tertiary have also been observed.

The name al-Jawf comes from its topography ("depression, ditch" in Arabic) 13 , and nowadays this name also designates the vast administrative province of Saudi Arabia bounded on the north-west by Jordan, on the east by the " Northern Frontiers" and in the south by the provinces of Tabûk and Hâ'il (Fig. 3). The name "al-Jawf" has commonly been substituted for Dûmat al-Jandal since the 19 th century 14 . The rst occurrence of the toponym seems to go back to the 10 th century 15 , when it appears to have referred to the region as a whole. The conjunction between the region called al-Jawf -whose boundaries are only vague -and the principal oasis Dûmat al-Jandal, with its characteristic shape, comprising several different villages, became generalised only from the 19 th century onwards. In 1780, Niebuhr, in the Description de l'Arabie, refers to the "mountainous region of Djof âl-Sirhân containing Skake and Duma" 16 , speaking of a single entity with Blunt and Huber chose another route that started from the village of al-Hussaynî.

This route is illustrated in detail by Guarmani: "Leaving by the gate of el-Hussein, you begin by going up among some gentle hills, until you arrive at the upper plain where, on the left, winter rains leave many pools. First you have to go west and, in spite of the inconvenience of the slightly mobile sands, continue in this direction for 9h.30; after 6h. you have Gebel-el-Daare [Jebel al-Dira ] a quarter of an hour to your right, after 10h. you can reach El-Hamamie (Jebel al-Hamâmiyât) to the north".

These two routes then fed into the better known trail to Damascus along the wâdî Sirhân. Wallin records the main obligatory stops with watering places: "Nabk, Mureira, Ghurab, Kurikir, Albazim, Azrak, Bisrd (a village in Nukrit Alshim), Hureira, Ruzdaly on the pilgrims' way, Al'awig, Damascus" 27 .

It was also possible to reach Aqaba in the west or Taymâ' in the south passing through Tabûk, as Shakespear did in 1914 28 , going round Nafûd to the north.

2. In a southerly direction the trail was also well known between Dûma and Hâ'il, cutting across Nafûd. Shakespear (Fig. 4), Wallin and Huber chose this route, which was undoubtedly direct but must have been dif cult on account of the high sand dunes that had to be crossed 29 . A trail running in a straight line towards Taymâ' across Nafûd, as attempted by Musil 30 , was also frequently used. From Hâ'il it was then possible to plunge down into the heart of Arabia in the direction of al-Yamâma or else make for the Arabo-Persian coast and al-Gerrha.

A south-eastern gateway of the oasis leading through the "al-Gerâwi garden" is shown on the map of Carruther and also of Musil 31 .

3. In an easterly and northerly direction. It seems that the most favoured route for journeys east and to the Arab-Persian Gulf involved a large detour through the north of the peninsula. First one had to reach Sakâkâ then Ar ar to the north-east from Bi r Jâwâ (exits in the north-north-east or in the south-east of the oasis), either passing 27.

32.

For example, journey of Butler 1909: map. 33. Philby 1923: map. 34. As T. Bauzou (1996: 24) points out, this route must have permitted trading with the Parthian empire without passing through Roman Syria after the diversion of caravan traf c along sea routes in the 1 st century; see also Speidel 1987: 213. According to P. Bernard (1990: 51), the Chinese Wei-Io speaks of the existence of two caravan routes across the Arabian Peninsula in the 3 rd century, one passing through Dûma.

Fauna, flora and the local economy

Until the middle of the 20 th century the inhabitants of the oasis ate mainly local produce. The dates, in numerous local varieties all of excellent quality, were particularly prized 35 . They accounted for the majority of local production although other fruits were cultivated: apricots, peaches, oranges, lemons, apples and tomatoes 36 . Classic Mediterranean produce, gs, grapes and olives, was astonishingly abundant for such an isolated environment, probably on account of contacts with centres on the Levant coast from the wâdî Sirhân 37 . Pulses, cereals and vegetables were rare, among them melon, cucumber, onions, beans and some maize above all. These resources were completed by what the nomad Bedouin who criss-crossed the region brought and bartered with the local population: cattle, sheep, dairy products and rice, in exchange for dates, wood and craft products (woollen bags, tents and clothing, including the "mishlakh" or abbâs, a warm woollen cloak used by pilgrims bound for Mekka) 38 . Relations between the Bedouin and the sedentary population of the oasis always seem to have been both complementary and con ictual: Wallin records that each village paid tribute to a Bedouin Sheikh in the form of dates and quantities of other goods 39 .

The water used to irrigate palm groves and orchards came above all from wells (Fig. 5). In the 19 th century it was abundant and drawn up by cattle, donkeys or camels using ropes and buckets, then poured into rudimentary, uncovered irrigation channels 40 .

Since then the enormous increase in the demand for water, with ever larger areas of land under cultivation and the growing of vegetables, appears to have contributed to a signicant drop in the level of the water 41. Butler 1909: 523. 42. Al-Wâqidî 1989: vol. 3: 1027 43. See Green 1984a: 48-58;1984b. 44. [START_REF] Van Heezik | Range size and habitat use of an adult male caracal in northern Saudi Arabia[END_REF].

Historic sources

Dûma in the 7 th -5 th centur y BCE

According to a theory that has gained general consensus, the name of the oasis Dûmat al-Jandal derives from "Adummatu", a toponym found in the Neo-Assyrian annals 45 . The most illuminating written source is the inscription VA 3310, which speaks of a military campaign by Sennacherib against Telkhu, "queen of the Arabs in the middle of the desert", in an unspeci ed location, following which the Assyrian troops pursued the eeing Arabs as far as Adummatu, referred to as "Adumu which is situated in the desert".

The campaign must have taken place in about 688 BCE 46 .

The annals of King Esarhaddon (680-669 BCE) and King Assurbanipal (668-627 BCE) record that at the time of Sennacherib, Queen Telkhu, then a priestess of Dilbat and queen of "Adumu the fortress of Arabia", betrayed the Assyrian king. She was taken off to Nineveh together with the divinities of Dûma (Atarsamain, Dai, Nuhai, Rudaiu, Abirillu and Ataquruma) and her daughter Tabu'a, the future queen. The latter was detained to be educated there, ensuring the Assyrians greater control over Northern Arabia through a sovereign who had been educated at the imperial court. It was apparently Esarhaddon who gave orders for the queen to return to Dûma together with the deported divinities 47 .

The north of the Arabian peninsula is mentioned again in Babylonian chronicles of the time of Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus. In particular the latter alluded to the site of "Adummu" ([]-du-um-mu), conquered during the campaign of 552 BCE against Taymâ' and used as a royal residence for eleven years. However, "Adummu" could refer to the land of Edom, in Syria-Palestine, where Nabonidus may have led his troops before making his way south 48 , and thus cannot be surely identi ed with Dûmat al-Jandal.

45.

See [START_REF]The Ancient Arabs[END_REF][START_REF] Macdonald | North Arabia in the First Millenium BCE[END_REF][START_REF] Potts | L'histoire des origines[END_REF] 46. [START_REF]The Ancient Arabs[END_REF][START_REF] Luckenbill | Ancient records of Assyria and Babylonia[END_REF]. 47. Wixman 1958: 4;Musil 1927: 480;Smith 1878: 138, K3087 and K3405. 48. [START_REF] Smith | Babylonian Historical Texts Related to the Capture and Downfall of Babylon[END_REF]Smith :84, 1925: 508-511: 508-511; see also [START_REF]The Ancient Arabs[END_REF]:120, contra Albright 1925: 293-295. There has been considerable discussion concerning the location of Adummatu. It is now generally believed that this desert fortress stood on the site of Dûmat al-Jandal, as maintained by Arab geographers, in view of the af nity in the toponyms, the geographical situation in the desert on the borders of Mesopotamia, and the fact that this is the largest oasis in the north of Saudi Arabia.

The location of the biblical Dûma on the site of Dûmat al-Jandal has always been argued over. In Genesis Dûma is one of the twelve sons of Ishmael and Hagar, and thus a grandson of Abraham 49 . The oasis also features in a verse from Isaiah, in the phrase "the burden of Dûma" 50 , and each time is cited together with Tema (Taymâ') and/or the "caravans of the Dedanites".

In (cf. Savignac & Starcky 1957: 209.) 51. On this question see de Goeje 1900: 14-16;Caetani 1907: 947, & 882, n. 1;Musil 1927: 542-546. 52. Eph al 1982:225;Robin 1991aRobin :49, 1991bRobin : 10, 2010: 98-99: 98-99; see also Livingstone 1989 (notably: 89, mention of a settlement of the Arab tribe Qedar in a document of 9 th year of Nabonidus; 90: encampment of a Qedar group in the vicinity of Eridu).

53.

For a representation of this warrior goddess see the Aramean seal dating from the end of the 9 th century, collection H. Seyrig, in Bordreuil 1986: 75, n°85. Several times the king of Qedar is assimilated to the "king of the Arabs". However, the mention of two Qedarite kings reigning at the same time, Iauta and Ammuladi -both allies of Shamash-shum-ukin, the brother and rival of Assurbanipal, and deposed to the advantage of a certain Abiyate b. Te'ri -suggests that the social organisation in the north of Arabia was more complex than what we can learn from external written sources. Qedar does not designate Arabs taken as a whole but merely a grouping of nomad tribes within a wider population that constitutes "the Arabs" 60 .

Nonetheless such a line of reasoning comes up against an obstacle in the systematic mention in the biblical lists of Dûma with the same status as Qedar. Does this mean that they were two quite distinct entities? That the kingdom of Qedar did not stretch as far as 54. [START_REF] Wilberg | Aramaic Inscriptions of the Fifth Century B.C.E. from a North-Arab Shrine in Egypt[END_REF][START_REF] Rabinowitz | Another Aramaic Record of the North Arabian goddess Han'Ilat[END_REF][START_REF] Dumbrell | The Tell el-Mashkuta Bowls and the "Kingdom" of Qedar in the Persian Period[END_REF]; see also [START_REF] Lemaire | Un nouveau roi arabe de Qédar dans l'inscription de l'autel à encens de Lakish[END_REF] 55. Winnett & Reed 1970: 80, n°23;75, n°3;80, n°21, 22. 56. Herodotus, Histories, I:131, III:8. 57. Eph al 1982: 143-144.

58.

Jérémie 49:28-31: 1216.

59.

Cf. Sérandour 1997: 93. 60. Eph al 1982: 82-83. Dûma? And that Atarshamein was a divinity venerated by all the Arabs in the north of Arabia, and the tribe of Dûma did not participate in the Persian conquests?

At the same time Qedar is mentioned three times in the Southern Arabian " Hierodulenlisten" (lists of Hierodules "probably representing the recording of payments for foreign spouses of Mineans for their 'naturalisation'") at the end of the 6 th -early 5 th century BCE 61 .

To conclude, the association between Adummatu, the Dûma of the Bible and the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal is based on a series of convincing indications. Nonetheless it is as well to recall that no archaeological evidence or material relic certainly dating back to the period going from the 7 th to the 2 nd century BCE has been discovered in the region 62 , with the exception of a Minean graf ti 63 , a few names of Qedarite gods and three painted sherds 64 . What is more, all the written references to Dûma come from elsewhere. Whether they are in the Assyrian annals or biblical texts, at the earliest they date from the 7 th century BCE. At this date, Dûma had still not taken its place in history.

From the 3 rd -2 nd centur y BCE to the 4 th centur y AD

The northern Arabian name of Geshem 65 , inscribed on the bowls found at Tell al-Maskhutah, occurs again in an Aramean inscription dating from the 3 rd -2 nd century BCE possibly discovered at Dûmat al-Jandal. This inscription is only known thanks to an approximate copy published by Torrey 66 , and we should be prudent about its use. It gives information about the organization of a cemetery laid out in rows 67 -and also about the construction of a wall round the settlement by the army of Gusham, son of Shalamu.

61. Lemaire 1996: 39-43. 62. See Parr 1989. 63. Winnett & Reed 1970: 74, n°1. 64. al-Mu ayqil 1994b. 65. See Rabinowitz 1956: 6. 66. [START_REF] Torrey | An Aramaic Inscription from the Jauf[END_REF]. The author's translation reads: "'Urfan son of Ma'nai built this wall, at the close of the year in which Hor was devastated. Also, he laid out a cemetery; and he made the rows, and cleared the ground of their cemetery, according to the prescription. And he went forth in command of the army of Gusham son of Shalamu to perform this task"

67.

See comment about "The Graves" in Charloux et al.,survey: 86. Although Torrey supposes that these events took place at Dûmat al-Jandal, since " or / Khaur" in Arabic is similar to the designation "depression, large valley" 68 , like Jawf in Arabic, and the construction of a defensive wall would follow on the valley's destruction 69 , it seems very uncertain to base this hypothesis on such an approximate textual evidence.

None of the few Nabataean inscriptions and dozens of graf ti that have been found

in the region and the oasis 70 predate the 1 st century AD, and apparently the reign of Arethas IV 71 . In this respect Musil relates the words of a certain 'Amer, Nawwaf's regent

[…]: "He answered that while deepening the well in the Mâred tower they had found a

68.

Actually "sunken valley, fjord". Thanks to C. Robin for specifying this. 69. de Goeje 1900: 14 also mentions: "A poet of the Kelb composed these lines for the occasion: Let no one believe himself immune to the loss of his prosperity ! See how the beautiful women in the palanquins of Acdar [Ukaydir] have disappeared from Khabt. Khabt, strictly "bas-fond", is the ancient name for Djôf.", which has the same meaning. Since the latter is known to be in Nabataean, one can suggest that this was probably the case for the others too.

70.

The name "Dûmat" appears for the rst time 73 in an inscription from Jawf 74 dating back to the 5 th year of king Malichos II (45 AD) 75 , son of Arethas IV (Fig. 7). Interestingly this inscription mentions the construction and restoration of a sanctuary at Dûma, dedicated to the great god Dûshara by Ghanimu, son of Damascusippe, commander of the camp or of the fort 76 . This Ghanimu is also believed to gure in another inscription of Jebel Ithlib at Hegra where he is cited as a strategist 77 .

Mention of a sanctuary dedicated to Dûshara, the supreme god of the Nabataeans, indicates a rupture with the pantheon mentioned in the Assyrian and Thamoudic inscriptions from the neighbourhood. Is this evidence of the cohabitation of several entities in the same region? Doesn't Pliny mention the existence of the "Cedrei" (Qedarites) in the 1 st century, when the Nabataeans were present in the region 78 ?

Lastly one graf to dates from the reign of Rabbel II (70/71 AD) 79 .

The external sources also mention Dûma in this period, which must have been a

time of prosperity for the oasis: "Domatha" in Pliny the Elder's Natural History 80 with Egra [Heg ra], then "Dumaetha" in Ptolemy's Geography in the 2 nd century AD 81 , featuring as a large city in Arabia.

72. Musil 1927: 470. 73. According to Maani 2002: 156, "Dûma" is also found in Thamoudic inscriptions as TMD.

74.

The inscription was discovered in about 1944 by a mission sent to combat locusts in the region of Jawf, before being printed and decifered by Savignac in the Palestinian museum in Jerusalem, after which it disappeared (cf. Savignac & Starcky 1957: 196).

75. Savignac & Starcky 1957: 196-217. 76. Savignac & Starcky 1957: 215: "This sanctuary is the one built by the chief Ghanimu, son of Damasippe, for Dûshara the god of Gaia at Dûmat. And it was restored and enlarged by Malik the devine at Dûmat, son of Haza, in the 5 th year of the king Maliku, king of Nabatene". The annexation of Arabia Petraea into the Roman Province of Arabia in 106 AD meant that Rome was encroaching on the borders of Nabataea. However, there are few written attestations of a Roman presence at Dûmat al-Jandal 82 . The rst is an undated stone stela (altar?) found in the oasis 83 (Fig. 8), apparently from the 3 rd century AD, dedicated by the centurion of the 3 rd Cyrenaic legion 84 Flavius Dionysius 85 . According to Livingstone, the god Sulmus in the Latin inscription is to be linked with the Arab cult of the god slm also present at Taymâ' 86 .

77.

82.

Note also that a roman coin found in one of the soundings of al-Dâyil & al-Shadukhi (1986: pl. 84, g. 1) bears the standing Felicity and the following letters PM TRP COS …. (in the center AETER [NITATI AVG]). According to the list established by P. Le [START_REF] Gentilhomme | Variations du titre de l'antoninianus au III e siècle[END_REF], it could date from the 3 rd century AD. According to Bauzou the "Praetensio" stela of Qasr Azraq records work on the Roman road between Bosra and Dûma ("Dymata"), via Dasianis/Basienis and Amata, involving several squads of the Roman legions (Fig. 9). However, Christol and Lenoir prefer to consider the term "praetensio" applying to a military action designed to restore Roman authority during the reign of Aurelian (270 to 275), over an itinerary and territo-87. Winnett & Reed 1970: 145, n°17. ries that had been lost following the Palmyrene conquest of Zenobia 89 . In the 8 th century AD, al-Dhabbî is the rst to give the citation "tamarrada Mârid wa azza al-Ablaq" 90 that was often quoted thereafter 91 . It tells of an episode taken from local tradition: the failure of the Palmyrenian troops to take the fortresses of Dûma and Taymâ'. There are no attestations con rming this event; however, the attempt by Queen az-Zabbâ (Zenobia) to take control of all the territories of the Roman Province of Arabia, seems to correspond with the historical reconstruction proposed by Christol and Lenoir.

83.

86.

88.

It is true that the oasis of Dûma was situated at the furthest limits of the empire, a long way from Palmyra; but it controlled the entrance to the wâdî al-Sirhân which led straight to Bosra, captured by Zenobia. It was of undeniable strategic importance whenever the Arab tribes threatened to regain control of the caravan trails. This was also the reason why in the 4 th century Rome reinforced the limes Orientalis 92 , subsequently delegating control to the local tribes in a carefully managed regime of alliances and treaties.

From the 4 th to 7 th century AD

Between the 4 th century and the Moslem conquest the history of Dûmat al-Jandal can only be partially traced, relying on a hypothetical reconstruction of events in the region 93 .

Little is known of the history of the region of Jawf as a whole from the 4 th to the 6 th century, at which time it appears to have been conquered by allies of the Sassanids to the east and the Byzantines to the west, even though it was protected by its isolation from the worst of the con icts. For a long time Dûma belonged to a federation of allies of Byzantium, at least up until the beginning of the 6 th century, then to a branch of the tribe of the kings of Kinda which produced a celebrated local sovereign named Ukaydir 94 , who however did not belong to the fraction of the Hujrids 95 . Ukaydir bin 'Abd al-Malîk 89. Christol & Lenoir 2001: 176. 90. al-Dhabbî 1981: vol. 1: 143-144. 91. e.g. bin Sallâm al-Baghdâdî: vol. 1: 94;al-Mas ûdî 1864: vol. 3: 197;Yâqût al-Hamawî 1995: vol. 4 al-Kindî belonged to the fraction of as-Sakûn bin Ashras bin Kinda 96 . Since he recognised Heraclius, he was probably an ally of Byzantium.

We have practically no sources which speak of Dûmat al-Jandal in this period 97 .

The greatest dif culty is to distinguish the references to Dûmat al-Jandal from those to Dûmat al-Hîra, as only the name "Dûma" is mentioned. Shahid often preferred the former option, but this remains highly debatable in most cases 98 . He suggested the implantation of the Persian power in the region and at Dûmat al-Jandal in the 4 th century 99 . He also spoke of the existence of two Greek Ghassânid inscriptions of a certain Silvanus and Mayia discovered at Anasartha, one dating from 425 AD 100 . Maya might be the daughter of a king foederati of the tribe of Kalb, suggesting a relationship between Byzantium and the region of Dûma.

The tribe of Kalb at Dûma

Prior 99. Shahîd 1984: 62. 100. Shahîd 1984: 228, 238. 101. The tribe name derives from the baying of the Arab warriors, according to the interpretation of Foster (1844: 234-235)! 102. Ibn al-Kalbî (1969) states that when Khâlid bin al-Walîd returned to Dûma to destroy the sanctuary of the god, after the battle of Tabûk, he encountered rst of all the "Banû AbdWadd and Banû Amir al-Akhdâr", and killed the cousin of Ukaydir.

97.

103. [START_REF] Vaglieri | Encyclopedia of Islam, Leiden[END_REF]Shahîd 1984: 386. 104. Winnett & Reed 1970: 80, n°21. recur again among the names of the tribes of Dûma, in particular the Husaynî al-Kalb, mentioned by Lady Blunt in the 19 th century. Veccia Vaglieri suggests distinguishing this Bedouin tribe from the sedentary populations who lived in the oasis 105 . There always seems to have been a dichotomy between the sedentary populations of the oasis and the semi-nomad Bedouin, which may explain the particular status of Qedar in the region of Dûma during the 1 st millennium BCE, as we saw above.

Religious observance at Dûma prior to Islam

In the 3 rd century AD, rst Porphyrius 106 then Eusebius Pamphilius 107 , reported by

Stephanus Byzantinus in the 6 th century 108 , described the Dumathii as an Arabian people who each year sacri ced a child and buried it under the altar which represented the divinity.

This type of practice was well known to the Nabataeans and Romans and is mentioned in Pre-Islamic Arab poems 109 .

On account of its remoteness Dûma evoked above all an exotic fascination in the West, and the question of religious belief at Dûmat al-Jandal is of interest for the rst seven centuries AD.

In

The arrival of Islam

It appears that the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal held out for a long time against Islam 119 , and thereafter constituted both a place of refuge 120 and a seat of arbitration 121 . It took no less than four campaigns by the companions of the Prophet until the independence of the oasis was nally subjugated. There are numerous descriptions of these episodes in medieval Arab sources, which here we merely summarise:

The rst raid took place in 626, for fear that the oasis would be conquered by the allies of Byzantium 122 . The enemies ed before the Prophet, leaving their tents empty.

The second expedition took place in 120. al-Tabarî 1993: 44: "[…] he deployed the cavalry among them and ordered them to make those who had stood rmly by Islam rise up against those who had turned back from it, so that they ed until they took refuge in Dûma and gathered round Wadî'ah ".

121.

Meeting between the representatives of Alî and al-Mu âwiya in the year 38 of the Hegire (al-Mas ûdî 1865: 390-391).

122. al-Wâqidî 1989: vol. 1: 402;reported by al-Tabarî 1997: 4-5. 123. al-Wâqidî 1989: vol. 2: 560. 124. al-Tabarî 1997: 95;cf. Musil 1927: 538. 125. al-Wâqidî 1989al-Wâqidî : vol. 3: 1025al-Wâqidî -1027;;al-Tabarî 1990: 58. 126.

Dûmat al-Jandal up until the 19 th century

We have few textual references for the medieval period. Dûma gradually lost its status at the intersection of major caravan trails as the commercial routes changed to follow the pilgrim routes to Mekka 130 . The resistance of the local populations towards Islam also probably counted against the oasis. The important market of Dûma, mentioned above all by al-Waqidi 131 , must certainly have undergone a rapid decline in these circumstances.

Subsequently Arab sources still often mention the oasis but invariably in relation to the episodes we have already recorded, while geographers merely cite Dûma 132 , which lost all its economic power and strategic importance.

127. Ibn al-Kalbî 1969: 7, &7c;p. 46 and 47, &49d-51b. 128.

Recent histor y

The history of Dûma al-Jandal in the 19 th and early 20 th century has been summed up above all by Philby 133 , King 134 , and Veccia Vaglieri in 2010 135 , and studied in detail by al-Sudairi 136 . The key dates are the following:

-1794: the oasis comes under the authority of the rst Wahhabî state.

-1818: following the collapse of the rst Wahhabî state, Dûma is apparently autonomous, but riven by erce internal con icts.

-1855: the oasis comes under the authority of the dynasty of the Ibn Rashîd de Hâ'il rather than of the Ruwwala of Syria.

-1872: a Kurd pacha sent by the government of Syria attempts to regain control of the oasis. The Ibn Rashîd keep the oasis but pay tribute 137 .

-1909: The Ruwwalla regain the oasis.

-1921: Abd al-Azîz bin Sa ûd incorporates the oasis in his territories and puts an end to the civil war.

These events and lengthy wars in the 19 th and early 20 th century surely account for the marked discrepancies we nd in the descriptions left by Western explorers 138 : little irrigation channels 158 . The walls along these channels formed a network of unpaved alleyways. Each village was overseen by a Sheikh, and this sort of "confederation" was placed under the authority of a great Sheikh, who at the beginning of the 19 th century collected tribute for Ibn Sa ûd 159 .

In the middle of the

167.

El-Rakebin in Guarmani (1866: 132); source Al'aroos; Sûk ar-Rhejbijjîn in Musil (1927: 472).

168. El-Aladje in Guarmani (1866: 132); source called Ghanarna; Sûk 'Alag in Musil (1927: 472). 169. Kadema in Guarmani (1866: 132); source of the same name Khadhmâ. 170. El-Delhamie in Guarmani (1866: 132), the site of ruins.

171. The tribes Dirbe and Menâhî; Sûk al-Wâdi in Musil (1927: 472) 172. Seetzen 1808: 387 "They have to live in an environment which is extremely hostile to others, and each man only dares to go well armed out of his walled village to a neighbouring village.".

Previous Studies

Our recent studies must not make us forget the work of our predecessors at Dûmat Remains found spread over a large period from the Islamic era to the Nabatean period 185 .

184. al-Mu ayqil 1994b. This research was conducted as part of a doctoral thesis at the University of Durham (England) in 1989. 185. al-Mu ayqil 1994aal-Mu ayqil , 1994b. . On the meaning of "Jandal" in Arabia

Christian Julien Robin (Membre de l'Institut, CNRS/UMR 8167)

Scholars generally agree on the translation of the Southern Arabian noun gndl as "fortress"; the only exception is Jacqueline Pirenne, who translates ancient Arabian inscriptions as if the language was classical Arabic.

The meaning "fortress" was proposed in 1938 by AFL. Beeston in his translation of the inscription Philby 29 1 . In a note he added: "gndlhn /: Professor Margoliouth has suggested comparing this with Hebrew migdal. This view seems very probable, seing that elsewhere (e.g. Philby 52 4 ) this word is replaced in the same context by m fd /" 2 . Beeston confirmed this translation the following year in a second publication dealing with the same inscriptions, giving the same explanation 3 .

With the abbreviation RES 4852 / 6 the author of the Répertoire concurs: "gndl, synonym of m fd, cf. R.É.S., 4878, 4, etc. Margoliouth suggests assimilating gndl with the Hebrew migdal". Albert Jamme also agrees with this analysis and translates gndl as "fortress" 4 .

On the contrary, Jacqueline Pirenne renders gndl as "stony area" 5 , for the simple reason that Arab dictionnaries give: jandal / jandil, plural janâdil, "stone"; in the plural, "Nile Waterfalls".

1.

Semitic analogies

In his dictionary of Arab terms used in toponymy, Nigel Groom mentions jandal and various related nouns 6 :

-jandal, "stone, stones", -janadil, "a place where stones are collected", -jundil, "a place abounding in stones".

-janâdil, "waterfall, cataract (Egypt)".

The meaning "fortress" is not given.

The same is true of the Dictionnaire des racines sémitiques. It gives a long account of the root GNDL (fasc3: 154-155), divided up into eight sections. In the second, it mentions in particular the Arabic jandal, "round-shaped rock, pebble", the ancient hadhramawtic gndl rendered as "rock" and the Jibbalite gindél, "rock". One can now add the Mehrite g zel, "large rock", which probably derives from gindél.

Certain meanings suggest that the root GNDL may be a development from the root GDL (fasc2: 101). But for the interpretation of the hadhramawtic gndl, the reference to mgdl (Ougaritic, Moabite, Lihyânite, Ma înique), migdâl (Hebrew), magdelâ (Syriac) ou mijdal (Arabic), meaning "tower, château fort", proposed by Margoliouth and accepted ever since, is not given.

6. Groom 1983: 125-126.

A reinterpretation of the inscriptions from al-Uqla

Reappraisal of the Southern Arabian inscriptions con rms that gndl does not mean "fortress", but "rock". The translation "fortress" was based above all on the fact that the appellative gndl which de ned the nature of the proper noun Anwad um alternated with m fd, which certainly means "tower, bastion": see the three inscriptions from zone A that mention "the tower Anwad um ", m fd (h)n nwd m , Ja 957 / 4, Ja 988 / 3-4 and Ja 996 / 3 7 .

Such an argument is by no means decisive. The chronological classi cation of the mentions of Anwad um shows that the most ancient texts use the appellative gndl, while the more recent use m fd:

-The term gndl is attested in the reign of Ilî azz Yalu son of Ammîdhakhar (Ja 921,923,925,926,928) and his successor Yada îl Bayân son of Rabbîshams, of the free men of Yuhab ir (Ja 949).

-The term m fd is used in the reigns of Yada îl Bayân son of Rabbîshams (Ja 957), Ilîriyâm Yadûm son of Yada îl Bayân (Ja 988) and Yada ab Ghaylân son of Yada îl Bayân (Ja 996).

If our chronological classi cation is correct, we can see that Anwad um was rst of all quali ed as gndl, and later as m fd.

This suggests the hypothesis that, in hadhramawtic, the appellative gndl designates a large isolated rock, like those to be seen near al-Uqla.

First of all the place where the king of Hadhramawt went was designated by the expression "the rock Anwad um ", referring to a characteristic of the site. Then, in the reign of Yada îl Bayân son of Rabbîshams, a tower was built and thereafter the place was known as "the tower Anwad um ".

7.

For the record, I note that nwd m is mentioned alone in Ja 973 / 3: "à Anwad um " (b-nwd m ).

Archaeological Monuments in the Oasis

The 2010 Survey The survey carried out in 2010 has produced an initial detailed overview of the archaeological remains in the oasis 1 . Most have already been carefully described2 ; others, particularly those dating to the 19 th century, are less well known. As Seetzen3 , then Musil4 a century later explained, the rivalry between villages and wars between clans were numerous during the 19 th century at Dûmat al-Jandal. They destroyed gardens, houses and monuments, and caused the movement of populations. Many structures, particularly defensive ones (aimed equally against outside aggressors as against their own neighbours),

were built in the palm groves during this period, some on top of older buildings.

The project aims equally to create a map of the archaeological remains (Fig. 1), to contribute to tourism development of the site and to disseminate scienti c information that has so far remained in the preserve of professionals. Given the limited area of the Dûmat al-Jandal oasis, the variety of structures is considerable. Amongst the monuments encountered during our survey there were pre-Islamic, Islamic and modern remains. The tentative archaeological overview presented in the following pages will be used as a base for the project's future work and will be completed by further eld work. For the method employed at this stage, the structures were photographed and numbered. Their coordinates were taken as far as possible in a systematic manner using a manual Garmin GPS. The photographs were then stored in the relational database and the coordinates of the corresponding structure were imported into the les of photographs, with the number of the GPS points (see Charloux et al., sector C, Fig. 6).

The enclosure walls

In the 13 th century, one Abû Sa'ad al-Sakûnî, whose remarks were reported by the medieval geographer Yâqût 5 , mentioned the presence of a "forti ed enclosure, and inside it, the Qasr Mârid" in Dûma. Later, in the 19 th and early 20 th centuries, Wallin 6 , Guarmani 7 , Musil 8 and Philby 9 again described a rampart surrounding the whole oasis. In 1878, Lady Blunt 10 described it in greater detail: a wall 10 feet high, measuring 2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide defended the town and gardens. Conversely, Huber described the existence of walls separating each of the fteen quarters of the oasis 11 . The key issues regarding the study of the development of the site, and of how its occupation expanded and contracted over the course of its history rely on these often contradictory observations. Following his eld work in the 1980's, al-Mu ayqil has brought some additional details to the earlier observations 12 ; he suggests that there are two enclosures, an outer one around the oasis, and an inner one surrounding the "historic" area. The survey carried out in 2010 reveals an even less precise picture: the existence of several unconnected sections of rampart, which can be grouped into two distinct entities. 12. al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 305-306.

5.

The western enclosure wall

The enclosure walls around Qasr Mârid

It is as a hypothesis based on old photographs, aerial views and our far from complete observations that we group together seven sections of rampart, that area found in the historic part of the site (Fig. 2). These walls, sometimes fairly thick, all line the sides of alleys. Another, thinner, wall lines the opposite side; the alleys are thus narrow and shady.

The main dif culty lies in distinguishing the enclosure walls fro m walls that simply surround the private gardens.

1. The rst wall, oriented east-west, called "al-Suhaym" by al-Mu ayqil 13 , bounds the north side of the ancient village (Fig. 3). It is still preserved in places up to 4 m high, and it can be followed for a length of about 300 m. An aerial photograph taken in 1964 (probably), courtesy of Husayn al-Khalîfâ, director of the Tourism Of ce of Sakâkâ, to whom we are most grateful, shows the wall over a much greater distance. One is struck by its monumental appearance and the quality of its stone masonry. Having apparently been rebuilt several times, the lower courses are perfectly aligned, composed of nicely squared stones. There is a second wall, of brick, against its south face forming the edge of this thick structure. 5. In sector A the beginning of a thick enclosure wall was exposed, which joins the previous section at right angles, towards the north-east (see Loreto, Sector A: Fig. 51).

6. A sixth section was noted, both on the ground and on aerial photographs, beginning at al-Qusayr and running southwards for about 240 m.

7. A photograph taken by Musil seems to show a seventh section of rampart, from al-Qusayr running eastwards this time 15 .

To sum up, numerous survey seasons in the historic area will be necessary to produce a clearer picture and to conclude about the likely existence of large enclosure wall surrounding the whole oasis.

15. Musil 1927: 460.

The castles

In 1883, Huber wrote of the existence of three fortresses at Dûmat al-Jandal 16 .

From "Tell Soubbe", to the north-east of the oasis, he located from the south-west to the north-west "Qaçr Goar à 354°, Qaçr Mârid à 320°, Qaçr Farha à 305° et Rigm el-Burq à 258°". The rst one corresponds to the palace of the Ibn Rashîd, the second is well known and still stands today in the heart of the oasis, while Qaçr Farha is more enigmatic.

As we shall show, the last place mentioned, "Rigm el-Burq", indicates the location of the ancient western forti cations of Dûmat al-Jandal. Wallin also mentioned the existence of "Alkuseir" (al-Qusayr), a small castle built to the south of Qasr Mârid 17 .

Qasr Mârid

Qasr Mârid (Fig. 4) was founded at an unknown date on a limestone hill which dominates all the surrounding palm groves. Although an unnamed fort was established at Dûma during the Nabatean Period 18 , it cannot surely be related to it. The rst mention of Qasr "Mârid" (meaning "arrogant, rebel" in Arabic) seems to go back to the 8 th century AD 19 , where it is associated with a citation "tamarrada Mârid wa azza al-Ablaq" that was often quoted subsequently 20 .

In the 13 th century, Yâqût reports the words of Abû Sa ad as-Sakûnî who tells of the existence of a castle at Dûma, known as "Mârid" 21 , which would have belonged to the ruler Ukaydir. Most of the travellers described it in their accounts: Wallin 22 , Guarmani Palgrave 24 , Blunt 25 , Euting 26 , Forder 27 (Fig. 5), Musil 28 , Winnett & Reed 29 , but without furnishing any detailed information as to its structure, construction or date.

The castle consists of two parts (see Loreto, Sector A: Fig. 1) 30 :

1. The main building, oval in shape (42 x 28 m) with four round towers. An entrance in the south-west leads to a large interior courtyard and to a long corridor on the south-east side protected by a wall and leading to a well and a second entrance.

There are four rectangular rooms in the courtyard against the enclosing wall.

This building was subjected to repeated destructions (in particular in 1853 and As in the case of the mosque of 'Umar, the results are still very imprecise. A complete architectural and archaeological study will need to be carried out on this monument in order to separate and date the various stages of its construction. The Ibn Rashîd "palace" -Qasr Jawhâr

24.

The Ibn Rashîd "governor's palace" (Fig. 6) at Dûmat al-Jandal was described by several 19 th century western explorers 32 . Located outside the town walls, at the southern end of the oasis, it was built in its entirety at one time on a hill, apparently around 1856, by the Ibn Rashîd family of Hâ'il 33 ; that would be after the conquest of the oasis over the Ruwwala of Syria. The name "Qaçr Goar" used by Huber 34 and Forder 35 refers to this edi ce. It is, in fact, a military fort, rectangular in shape measuring 82 m long by 45 m wide. The solid exterior walls, built of stone and brick and without window, were 12 m high 36 . Four round and square towers, located at the corners of the building and pierced by arrow slits, were more than 6 m higher than the adjacent walls. A blocked doorway is located in the south-east corner of the fort. A vestibule led to the courtyard (where two English canons were positioned in the 19 th century) and on to the governor's seat. Following the numerous political upheavals in the oasis, the fort was but "rubble and ruins" by 1923 37 .

A photograph published on the internet recently might, however, indicate that this small fortress could still be standing today, but that will need to be veri ed by in the eld.

Qasr Farha

Huber clearly distinguishes "Qaçr Farha" located to the north of Mârid from "Qaçr

Goar" to the south 38 . Equally, Musil mentions the existence of the tower Farha 39 . The precise description which Musil gave seems however to relate to the Qasr Jawhâr. It is of large square structure surrounded by a high wall whose south-west corner was reinforced by a rectangular tower and another, taller one in the north-west corner 40 . The single entrance was through a door to the east of the latter tower, and it opened onto a large courtyard. The two photographs taken in 1905 show a castle comprising a large quadrangular dungeon with arrow slits, surrounded by high walls.

Future research should permit to clarify this point.

38.

Huber 1891: 49. 39. Musil 1927: 467. 40. Musil 1927: 159-160;Figs. 34-35.

Al-Qusayr

Wallin wrote of the existence of a castle known as "Alkuseir" located in the "Alsa'îdiyîn souk" 41 . Built later than Qasr Mârid, it stands a short distance away from it, "to the right" on the same outcrop. Wallin says that it was built of mud-brick by a clan opposed to that of Qasr Mârid. Euting tells us that the small castle "Kseir" located between the "Kasr" and Mârid was in ruins in 1883 42 .

It seems that the stone foundations of this monument are still visible today to the north-east of the museum of Dûmat al-Jandal; they will be mapped in the near future (Fig. 8). As a hypothesis, these foundations might represent a building constructed at the beginning of the Islamic period, after the destruction of "building A", given that a wall of monumental stone on a north-south alignment that joins its northern side was found deep down in the sounding in area A (Loreto, Sector A: Fig. 56).

The isolated towers

When he came in 1900, Forder was impressed but the number of mud-brick defensive towers present in the oasis 43 . Today, some appear in the eld but most have been destroyed or are in ruins. It is possible to nd mention of or the location of a few of them in travellers' accounts, on old photographs 44 , for example the al-Farha tower and to the north "al-Frejha" (al-Furayha) 45 .

The towers seen have a stone base or basement and the mud-brick upper part (Figs. 9-10). Of circular form, they are all in ruins and will be studied during the next seasons. 44. Carruthers 1922: 408;Musil 1927: 460. 45. Musil 1927: 467;Philby 1923: 252.

41.

The 'Umar bin al-Khattâb Mosque

The so-called 'Umar bin al-Khattâb mosque, with its roughly rectangular plan (32.5

x 18 m) (Fig. 11), has been described several times 46 . However, in the absence of written evidence 47 , its attribution to Islam's second caliph, Umar bin al-Khattâb (634-644), remains uncertain.

It is bounded on the south by an alley separating a residential quarter below the Qasr Mârid, while the oblique western side and its northern wall are contiguous to the adjacent neighboring quarter with its accumulative groundplan. A space is now left empty behind the eastern wall and the enclosure of the village. Built in dry stone masonry with cut stone blocks coming from the area, the mosque consists of four entities:

1. The prayer room (32. Two niches, arranged in the center of the qibla wall -both in the shape of an elongated triangle, but different in size, the right having two steps -are the mihrâb and the minbar 48 . A small well is also located closed to the mihrâb.

2. The courtyard (8.4 x 31 m), empty and unpaved, gives access to the prayer rooms.

3. A second prayer room, long and narrow (18.5 x 2.5 m), is located against the north wall of the mosque. It is closed on all four sides and has a concave mihrâb, which is a recent addition 49 . It seems that the prayer room was made up of small aligned rooms.

A wall to the east shows that these rooms extended in this direction in the past.

46. Wallin 1854: 141-144;[START_REF] King | A Mosque Attributed to 'Umar b. al-Khattâb in Dûmat al-Jandal in al-Jawf, Saudi Arabia[END_REF]al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 108-117;al-Mu ayqil 1994a. 47. al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 109. 48. King (1978: 120) observed that the two niches shaped the mihrâb, and had been added during the recent Wahhâbî restorations, whereas al-Mu ayqil (1994b: 113) states that the Wahhâbî mihrâbs are semi-circular.

49. al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 114. 4. The minaret, located in the west corner of the mosque, is unusual in that it does not form an integral part of the monument and because it does not follow the qibla wall, but rather is positioned diagonally in the west façade. The two oldest descriptions of the tower tell us that it was not associated with any form of worship nor with the presence of an adjacent mosque at the beginning of the 19 th century: al-Mâlikî described the presence of a "strange" ancient monument (the minaret in question), a tower in the shape of an obelisk, whose height is two or three times that of the tallest minarets 50 ; Burchardt 51 mentioned that a watchman lived permanently on the top oor to warn of the approach of strangers.

Pyramidal in shape, the minaret has ve oors rising to a height of about 15 m, and ends with a kind of pyramidion. The top three are pierced by four large rectangular openings, while there are only two small square openings on the second level.

The rst oor is open on its two opposite sides (North-west and South-east): this 50. According to them, the plan of the mosque is similar to that of the Prophet's house in Medina, although smaller. The minaret would have been built later and its orientation could be explained by the orientation of the alley and the construction of the adjacent neighbourhood. al-Mu ayqil 57 , however, also considers the possibility that the mosque was built on the remains of an older monument: its last trace could be a pillar to the north of the mosque entrance, which is of a different style and made of particularly well dressed blocks. The present mosque would date to the Umayyad period.

A small sounding carried out by al-Mu ayqil in 1985 to the south-west of the minaret (trench 3; 3 x 3 m), revealed the presence of a wall going down 2 m below the surface (which corresponds with the level of the mosque courtyard), the orientation of which coincides with that of the north-west façade of the minaret 58 . Nothing pre-Islamic was found associated with the remains uncovered. However, a rm chronological sequence cannot be established from the archaeological evidence since the base of the minaret was not reached.

From the preceding observations we can conclude that: either the tower was no longer used as a minaret at the beginning of the 19 th century, perhaps following the Wahhâbî conquest at the end of the 18 th century. It would regain its original use only

52.

As shown in a photograph published in 1923 by Philby (Philby 1923: pl. 4). In 1914, a photograph taken by Shakespeare shows in fact two high walls abutting both sides of the minaret and reaching the fourth oor (Carruthers 1922, plate between pages 408 and 409). In conclusion, the present data do not allow a dating of the minaret and adjacent mosque. Only targeted soundings would provide convincing results.

53.

The hydraulic structures

"A thousand are the draw wells in al-owf / A thousand are the owing springs […] ".

Even if it is dif cult to con rm the content of this text, taken from an inscription in the "Sûk al-Gharb" and told to Musil by the inhabitants of the village 59 , it is true that the gardens and palm groves in the oasis are irrigated by a dense network of hydraulic features. A super cial survey of the centre of the oasis in 2010 found 25 wells in an area of 25 hectares. These wells generally measure between 3 and 6 m in diameter, even though they are not all perfectly round, and are not more than 13 m deep (Fig. 13) 60 . Some -PU1, PU8 and PU11 for example -have the interesting attribute of a staircase integrated into their masonry (Fig. 14), which led to openings at regular heights that provided access for cleaning and necessary repairs (and maybe to the qanât system). The entrance is at the surface. A circular-plan spiral staircase goes down on the outside face of the well (Fig. 15). But this is not necessarily the rule since another well has a straight staircase, the entrance to which is about a dozen metres away from the main structure (Fig. 16).

The sides of the staircases are made of horizontal layers of medium sized stone blocks.

The courses are horizontal before they become the vaults of the staircase. Each course ends, alternately, either by a large block installed perpendicular to both sides or by two almost perpendicular blocks each placed at an angle to the sides and supporting the large block above (Fig. 15).

Up to four openings in one well were counted. Arranged at different heights, they are wide enough for a person to clean or make repairs on the inside of the well. A large block is horizontally placed at the base and at the top of each opening.

The wells often show corbelled structure in their upper part. These are made of long blocks linked with one side of the well, standing over the central void (Fig. 17).

These structures were likely to facilitate drawing water by using a system of ropes, as it is the case for example at Bi'r Hadaj, in Taymâ'. The well discovered east of sector C, numbered PU11, is today located in an area not favourable to cultivation, at the edge of the desert (29.49597N / 39.49260E) (Fig. 18).

It has the characteristic of being surrounded by a circular wall about 30 m distant from its center. The inner space is partitioned by a perpendicular wall, separating two east-west spaces: to the east an empty space leading to a quadrangular building in ruins, and to the west, an area with a straight path for the camels to draw water from the well.

These wells belong to a system of qanât 61 , of which there are many from the Middle East to Central Asia. Wallin, who visited the oasis in 1845, described the presence of very well-built underground aqueducts of stonework, big enough for a man to stand up in.

61. See on this subject Nasif 1987. lines oriented east-west in the direction of the dried lake (Fig. 19). The qanâts went towards numerous springs among them "Ain Umm Salim", "Ain Zogba", "Alkubrà", "Bard Zubeida", " 'Ain Algamal", "Al'aroos", "Ghanarna", "Khadhmâ", in the travellers' accounts 63 .

A much smaller qanât was discovered east of Sector C in the eld of Faiz al-Moin, who owns a nearby farm. It is parallel to the dike (?) wall which is perpendicular to M2006 (see Charloux et al., Sector C, sounding 2), and is located slightly further south than the line of the latter (which no longer appears on the surface at this place). Four roughly circular shafts (diameter approx. 35 cm) are regularly positioned along the straight line of the qanât, at a distance of 30 m (Fig. 20). It is likely that the qanât is much longer, but only a portion is used by the farmer. Each shaft is built with stone blocks of medium size.

Each block is placed sideways on top of two other blocks in order to create the masonry, which is therefore irregular. There is no mortar still visible (Fig. 21).

62.

The graves

Necropolis and ancient graves

An inscription probably found in Dûma, known from an approximate aramaean facsimile dated to the 3 rd or 2 nd century BC 64 , would mention both a cemetery organized in rows and the construction of an enclosure wall. Even if one ought to look into the link between Dûmat al-Jandal and the city of "Hor / Khaur" ("depression" in Arabic, in the same way as Jawf) and on the importance that should be given to this document, it is noticeable that the Saudi archaeologists apparently found monumental burial structures in rows in the quarter of al-Sunamiyyât (Fig.

Pre-and protohistoric remains and Muslim cemeteries

The initial survey of the oasis revealed a signi cant number of pre-and protohistoric stone remains. The cairns, graves under a heap of stones, that dominate the hilltops in the oasis (Fig. 1), are mostly robbed (Fig. 22). Stone circles, perhaps delimiting dwelling areas or enclosures, were found near the cairns (Fig. 23). These sorts of remains are frequent in the region ("desert kites", graf ti sites, etc.) 67 . Finally, in 2010, four Muslim cemeteries were found to the west of Dûmat al-Jandal, and near Qasr Mârid (Fig. 24).

67. See McC. Adams et al. 1977;Parr et al. 1978: sites 201-11,12, 13, 15,16.

Visits in the region

The region has more or less been partly surveyed in 1976-1977. The site numbered 201-17 has not been described in detail by explorers in Atlal, but it could be the site of al-Hamrâ Rock, 8 km west of Sector C, where we found the presence of amount of graf ti and pictures of animals (camel, ostrich, etc., Fig. 25) widespread on this type of Rock site.

Nearby, a prehistoric site where many were cut int was also identi ed.

The mission also bene ted from the day-off on Friday to visit the main archaeological sites around: at-Tuwayr (seemingly partly contemporary to Dûmat al-Jandal), Ar-Rajâjîl, a major megalithic site in Saudi Arabia, Qasr Za bal at Sakâkâ.

Conclusion

This rst overview of the archaeology of the area is, of course, very limited in comparison to the real richness of Dûmat al-Jandal. It is, however, indispensable for the work undertaken by the Italian-French-Saudi project, because the oasis is currently subject to intense construction activities, particularly linked to a large increase in population of 4% per year. Some of these archaeological remain must be recorded before their inevitable destruction. The next eld surveys should complete our knowledge of the oasis, and will hope to answer the main questions about the environmental and archaeological evolution of the oasis over more than 2000 years and its role in the development of trade across Saudi Arabia.

. The 2010 Campaign

Excavation in the Historical

It has been possible to delineate a provisional chronological sequence for ancient Dûmat al-Jandal (Table 1). Our urban excavation has revealed a series of periods and different occupation phases during which new buildings were erected on top of older structures, just as older buildings were reoccupied and reused in later epochs. Thanks to the stratigraphic relationships between the architectonic structures and differences in the construction techniques of the excavated buildings and above all in the ceramic material found in situ, it has been possible to reconstruct an occupational sequence covering various periods with respect to the Islamic facies and at least two periods for Pre-Islamic facies. By the end of the 2009 campaign a preliminary occupation sequence had been outlined identifying a long period of Islamic occupation during which various structures had been built on top of one another, probably preceded by a Late Pre-Islamic phase for the ceramic ware found in Level 5, associated with wall M6 (Fig. 5).

Following the 2010 campaign, thanks to the extension of the trench (Fig. 7) and removal of the more recent Islamic structures, we have been able to be more speci c about the phases of Islamic occupation, associating pottery and objects with the stone structures (Figs. 89). Furthermore, having reached wall M6 it has been possible to bring to light a series of relative structures comprising Building A. This is a rst Pre-Islamic monumental edi ce which, on the basis of the construction technique and the ceramic ware found here, enables us to speak of a long period of Pre-Islamic occupation. Occupation extended

Late Nabataean

Building A construction level 5 (life deposit outside building A, between M6 and rocky-colluvium) (Fig. 53) -level 9 (building A floor) (Fig. Thus we shall proceed by analysing the structures and material that can be ascribed to the various archaeological phases identi ed using a classi cation of the periods that is still preliminary and subject to future modi cation. Here it is convenient to separate the various occupational sequences identi ed, even though the dating has only as yet been established in a relative rather than an absolute sense.

1. See the study of Pre-Islamic Pottery from sectors A and C.

Late Islamic

The rst archaeological period we identi ed corresponds to the construction of wall M1 (Fig.

Middle Islamic

The second archaeological period we identi ed corresponds to a small oval building (L6) located to the north of wall M2, west of wall M12, south of wall M13 and east of wall M10 (Fig. 11). L6 was partially excavated in the rst campaign and has now been completely brought to light. A layer of wind-borne sand (Level 2) had accumulated, being deposited against and on top of walls M2, M12, M13 and M10 to a depth of 1.60 m.

Building L6 was thus completely covered up by a thick abandonment layer. Various objects were found in this layer of wind-borne sand: stone pestles, mortars and grindstones, fragments of Islamic pottery (Figs. 12-19) and two small stone pipes of Ottoman manufacture, dating from the 15 th -18 th centuries AD (Figs. 2021).

Once we had established the perimeter of building L6 it was possible to see how the external walls had collapsed, partly outside the structure but largely inside.

Removal of the debris from inside the perimeter allowed us to observe a series of levels of deposited charcoal, ashes and bones (above all camel bones) interspersed with thin layers of wind-borne sand denoting periods of abandonment, down to a nal level of ashes and bones lying on the surface of L6 (Figs. 2223).

Thus building L6 is a small structure measuring 3 x 4 m constructed on top of a level of irregularly hewn stones (Level 3b which covers all the older structures) and against M10 (Figs. There is a small doorway, 1 x 0.50 m, complete with architrave, in M2, giving access to the room from the external surface L3, which stood 0.50 m higher than the ground surface L6. Both surfaces were in beaten earth mixed with small stone fragments, laid immediately on top of Level 3a (Fig. 26). A wall, M5, which may predate the structure L6, was probably used as the basis for a path (L3).

Numerous grindstones used in oil production and small stone door jambs were found among the irregular courses in the walls M2, M12, M13 and M10, while various objects came to light on the oor of L6: a bronze chisel, fragments of bracelets in glass paste that occur in all the Islamic Levels (many were found in the 2009 campaign) and a pendant also in glass paste (Figs. Islamic period relating to the medieval phase, whether middle or early, of the village of Hayy ad-Dira', which has not yet been dated more precisely than to some time between the 8 th and 15 th century AD.

On the basis of the relative stratigraphic relationships we can hypothesise a Middle Islamic I period which would include L6. M3 and L2, excavated in the 2009 campaign, can also be dated to this phase, since they were built on bare rock and covered only by Level 2 (Fig. 35).

A third archaeological period could be identi ed thanks to the presence of a long wall M10, oriented north-south, running down from the top of the hill. M10 was also built on Level 3 (a, b) and is visible from the southern end of the trench all the way to the north/north-eastern end. It was not very high, comprising 1.40-1.60 m of irregular courses of stone blocks, erected without mortar, and a section in mud-bricks that had collapsed, south of M13 (Level 2b, Fig. 33). Building L6 was built against M10, which must have served as the eastern perimeter wall between M2 and M13, raised to a level matching the crest of M2, M12 and M13 (Fig. 32). Thus M10 was also covered by Level 2 and can be associated with a Middle Islamic II period, only slightly predating the construction of L6.

A fourth archaeological period is identi able in two massive levels of waste gravel (Level 3a-b) which run along the whole surface of the trench, covering both the southern (Level 3b) and northern parts (Level 3a). It was in fact a single huge deposit of waste gravel deriving from the shaping of stone blocks used in the construction of the buildings of the early medieval village. The distinction between Level 3a and Level 3b is due to the respective compactness of the fragments. Level 3a is not at all compact, with gravel mixed with sand, whereas Level 3b has been compacted by the weight of building L6, M5 and L3 on top of it, and is mixed with soil rather than sand. These levels can be ascribed to a Middle Islamic III period that preceded the construction of L6 and M10.

Level 3a stretches over the whole of the north side and the south-west corner of the trench (Figs. 3334). To the north it covers the structures relating to an older Islamic phase, and in the south-west corner Level 3b. The latter is located in the southern half of the trench and covers the structures (including M6) relating to a Late Pre-Islamic phase (Fig. 35). Thus Level 3 sealed up a series of Late Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic structures.

Observing the southern section of the excavation trench one can see how the accumulation of gravel was deposited against the hillside, covering up structures which were no longer in use, and sloped off from west to east (Figs. Similarly, Level 3b and M5 were built on top of earlier structures in Quadrant IId.

In this sector of the trench the architectonic remains relating to Pre-Islamic times appear to be well preserved. Thus we can identify all the structures relating to M6 as belonging to a single large complex called "Building A" (Figs. 4849505152). In view of the construction technique of its walls this is clearly distinct from the Islamic buildings on the higher Levels and from Mârid Castle or the mosque of 'Umar bin al-Khattâb.

Debris from the collapse of Building A (Level 7) was found between M6 and M20, beneath the foundation courses of M11 (visible in cross-section) and in L9, a chamber to the south of L8 relating to Building A (Figs. 48, 50-51). This suggests that the Early Islamic structures M11 and M7 were built reusing blocks from the Pre-Islamic building.

Moreover Building A must have been reused on several occasions during the Early Islamic phases. Above L8, and covered by Level 8, a small irregular partition wall was found (M21), 0.40 m wide, made from blocks that were not square hewn laid on top of L8. M21 delimits a small chamber to the west of M11 (L8a, Fig. 48). This shows that Building A was reused in the Early Islamic epoch, with ephemeral structures like M21. In fact there are no differences in the ceramic ware collected from L8 and L8a.

This rst reoccupation of Building A in the Early Islamic epoch must have been followed by the collapse of the complex and the construction of M7, speci cally to shore up the collapsed structure on the ank of the hillside, and M11, built directly on top of the debris of Building A together with M23, a small pseudo-circular wall with only two courses above ground (comprising high quality blocks relating to Building A) lining a ditch between itself and M11 (north-east edge of M11, Fig. 50). A small doorway lies between M29, to the west, and M30, to the east. A single step gave access from L8 to L9. In both cases the ooring comprises compacted earth with gravel and few ceramic fragments. M29 and M25 were also built directly on top of L9, as M6, M20, M17 and M26 were on L8. Section south above L9

Having identi ed a rst Pre-Islamic or Early Islamic building, and so as to proceed with excavations in order to establish a chronological sequence going as far back as possible in the Pre-Islamic centuries, we decided to undertake a test dig (3 x 4 m) inside the area of L8 (Fig. 57).

The rst level we came across in the test dig corresponded to L8 (Level 9), i. The most interesting feature was the large quantity of ceramic ware (30 containers, each weighing 4 kg). All this ceramic ware can be dated to a Pre-Islamic period covering a lengthy time span: the oldest elements are eggshell-type fragments, luxury

Nabataean ceramic ware imported from Jordan (Fig. 60). This is vase ware painted with plant motifs, in orange fabric which is very thin (0.3 cm) and made on a wheel. We also found further fragments of sigillata orientale dating from the 2 nd century AD, and classic Nabataean elements (impressed palmettes and incised geometric decorations) also from the 2 nd century AD (Fig. 61). A small test dig done in L7, between M6 and M17, to verify the depositional and construction sequence observed in L8 gave the same results both for construction techniques and for the material found.

The ceramic ware from Level 10 will be studied during next season. In view of the great variety of decorations, forms and manufacturing techniques preserved whole, it will enable us to draw up a preliminary typological repertory of the vase ware in use in the Nabataean epoch. For the moment we can merely note that it included blue and green glazed elements belonging to the Partho-Sasanian tradition, differing from the exclusively blue glazed fragments which are Abbasid found in Level 8. However, these are merely preliminary observations which need to be veri ed with an accurate study of the ceramic ware.

In conclusion, Building A can now be seen to have been a large-scale structure, built along the eastern ank of the hillside, apparently at the foot of the acropolis. During the next campaign it should be possible to extend the trench eastwards, revealing whether the building continues along the steeply sloping hillside and whether there are older structures beneath the Nabataean levels. In this area there are a number of wells which go down some 15 m from the level of L8. This should enable us to identify a long sequence of underlying levels before getting down to the rocky bed of the wâdî which ran along at the foot of the acropolis well before the Nabataean settlement.

Although Building A was built following the pro le of the rocky outcrop, its walls are very regular, always forming exact right angles. Moreover the pseudo-isodomic technique with which the blocks were put in place is much more accurate than that used in all the other structures dating from medieval times. The perimeter walls M6, M17 and M25 adhere closely to the rocky outcrop, and in some places the ancient builders removed some rock to maintain a regular groundplan. At the moment the northern edge of the building seems to be M26, which delimits the open space of L8. The southern edge corresponds to L9, a chamber measuring 3 x 2 m accessible from L8. The only partition walls to have been identi ed correspond to L9 (only partially excavated) and L7. The latter is partly covered by ooring (M20b). Its dimensions, 0.90 x 5.5 m, are indicative not so much of an enclosed room as of a ight of steps or portico relating to L8. In fact M20

has only two stone courses, joined to M17. Thus M20 could constitute a system of foundations for a series of pillars or columns (in wood?) supporting a roof and bordering a In fact this thick base layer lies on a preparatory level of gravel and discarded ceramic ware used to even out the rocky outcrop on the eastern ank of the acropolis. The presence of ceramic ware dating from between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD in the foundation level and the ooring of L8 and L7 suggests that Building A was built reusing older materials. In all likelihood by extending the trench eastwards and probably also northwards, where the rock continues to fall away and does not have an even pro le, we will be able to identify more ancient archaeological levels.

Finds of Pre-Islamic materials were not limited to the foundations and ground surface of Building A. In Level 5 (excavated in 2009), located between M6 and the ank of the hillside, we found fragments of Nabataean decorated ceramic ware (Figs. 636465) and a sigillata orientale type sherd dating from between the 1 st century BC and 1 st century AD.

This was probably a level relating either to the rst phase of the building's existence or to the laying of the foundation level which is rich in ancient materials. To the north of Building A the most ancient structure identi ed corresponds to M7, already partly brought to light in 2009. This semicircular wall can be attributed to an

Early Islamic II period, coming shortly after the time when Building A was abandoned, since it was built reusing blocks from the Pre-Islamic structure, and above all because it bisects wall M6 and overlays M20 and M20b (Figs. 66-67). Moreover M7 was found immediately beneath Level 3a. Its semicircular shape, re ecting the pre-existing structures, seems to suggest that M7 served to contain the debris from a collapse located on the ank of the hillside.

M7 is bounded to the east by M22, a wall which is contemporary with it. In fact the two walls are joined and vary in width between 0.60 and 1 m. Both comprise a double wall with re-used blocks laid in irregular fashion, the inner cavity being lled with mortar and ne gravel. M22 does not reproduce the semicircular shape but continues straight in a north-easterly direction, beneath Level 3a and M5.

To the west M7 proceeds in a straight line northwards (Figs. 66-68). M7 and M22, which are probably contemporary to M11, were reused in an Early Islamic I period during which M8, M27 and M28 were built against M7 so as to form two chambers: L10 and L10a. These chambers have a ground oor in compact earth, already identi ed in the A f i r s t h y p o t h e s i s f o r a r e l a t i v e c h r o n o l o g i c a l s e q u e n c e

To conclude we can attempt to outline a relative chronological sequence based on the ceramic ware and archaeological evidence found to date (Fig. 69).

The most ancient period identi ed is testi ed by the presence of luxury Nabataean ceramic ware and fragments of sigillata orientale in the foundation levels of Building A.

This material can be attributed to an Early Nabataean period even though no corresponding structure has come to light. This phase can be dated to between the 1 st century BC and 1 st century AD.

The following period saw the construction of Building A. The complex was built directly on the rocky eastern ank of the hillside, reusing previous materials to create a solid system of foundations for a large scale building involving high quality construction techniques. The ceramic ware found in Level 8, testifying to a phase in which the structure was reused (see M21), makes it possible to date the last occupation of Building A to the 6 th -7 th century AD (traditional Abbasid glazed ceramic ware). The construction of Building A can thus be attributed to a Late Nabataean or Roman/Byzantine period dating from between the 2 nd and 6 th century AD. It remained in use over a long period and was reoccupied on various occasions during subsequent centuries.

After the collapse of Building A and the build up of wind-borne sand (Level 11) visible in L9, the blocks that had been used in the Late Nabataean building were reused in the construction of M7, M22, M23, M11, M15 and M16. These structures represent the rst period which clearly corresponds to Islamic times on account of the ceramic ware and a coin found above Level 8, which we can designate as the Early Islamic II period.

While M11, M15 and M16 seem to be forti cation walls, M7 was built in a semicircular shape to contain the collapsed structures of Building A and, in all probability, the mud and debris that would have washed down the hillside. This semicircular shape of M7 was exploited in the Early Islamic I period to create small chambers bordered by M7 itself, M8, M27 and M28. The ceramic ware found to date does not allow us to give a comprehensive dating of the Early Islamic levels; they have to be provisionally dated to the very ample chronological span stretching from the 7 th to the 16 th century AD.

The oldest levels identi ed to date can be clearly separated from the more recent structures thanks to the presence of a large accumulation of discarded gravel which covered up all the Early Islamic structures. This deposit, Levels 3a and 3b, sealed off all the earlier levels and acted as the foundation for the later structures. We can thus attribute the substantial deposit of gravel to a Middle Islamic III period.

The new structures built along the eastern ank of the hillside are much more modest than Building A and the Early Islamic structures in both their proportions and construction techniques. The rst structure to be built on top of Level 3 was M10, a long wall probably put up to contain the gravel deposit. In fact M10 runs north-south parallel to the ank of the acropolis. We can date M10 to a Middle Islamic II period, followed immediately by the construction of a small building L6, probably to house cattle or perhaps a hearth. This little structure was built right on top of the layer of gravel, against M10, denoting a very modest occupation employing the existing structures. L6 can thus be ascribed to a Middle Islamic I period. M3 and L2, and also M5 and L3, can all be dated to this period. These were ground surfaces outside L6 built on top of the layer of gravel as paths along the ank of the hillside and round the little building. We can date these Middle Islamic phases to a period between the 15th and 18th century AD on the basis of the presence of two Ottoman pipes found in the accumulation of wind-blown sand (Level 2)

which covered all the Middle Islamic (and hence older) structures buried in the sand.

The most recent period we have identi ed, relating to wall M1 built on Level The site is a large bottle-neck about 340 m wide and 2.5 km long, representing the mouth of a branch of the wâdî al-Sîrhan. The corridor is lined to the north by a blue-grey limestone plateau (Figs. 12) and to the south by an impressive orangey outcrop which dominates the area, 70 m above the structures in the valley (Fig. 3).

Southward lies a depression of a few meters between the rocky outcrop and a broad at desert plateau. It is also worth mentioning here the presence of a rocky limestone hill ten meters high in the southeast corner of the valley.

Research begun in 2010 by the Saudi-Italian-French project has revealed a wall more than 2.5 km long, in places preserved to more than 4.5 m high, which closes off the bottom of the valley and goes up onto the adjacent plateau. This is probably the rampart mentioned by Wallin in 1854 1 : made of mud-brick, it was according to the author built by "Alukeidir", hence its name "Amarat el-Okeïdir" 2 . The itinerary used by Huber to reach the forti cations and his description correspond to those of Euting 3 . The latter noted that the rampart was built of stone and that there was a narrow doorway (Fig. 4).

1. The place names provide some additional information.

The basin to the west of the enclosure is called Hasîâ (or al-Hasja'/Hasiya) 4 : according to Musil 5 there were ruins here identical to those of Qasr Mârid.

The high limestone outcrop to the south is called "Rijm el-Burj", the "ruins of the tower" 6 . Logically one can assume the presence of such an edi ce on the rocky outcrop.

The initial survey of the area in 2010 did indeed note the presence of thick stone walls belonging to a large structure on the edge of the outcrop, which we will study in the next season (Fig. 35). Additionally, al-Jâsir reports a local tradition that mentions the existence of two gateways in the oasis: the rst called al-Nuqayyib and the second al-Burj, which con rms the previous observations 7 . There was a chain which when pulled by visitors warned the guards of Qasr Mârid, then those in the area. A third gateway, known as "al-Hussein's", mentioned by Guarmani 8 , provided access to a village of the same name to the west of the oasis.

The enclosure was noted in 1976 by the Mc. Adams team (site numbered 201-18) 9 .

Archaeologists describe a dry stone masonry wall with a mud-brick superstructure of approximately 750 m x 400 m, emerging on the surface. The surface sherds dated to the Nabataean or Roman period, according to the excavators.

In 1986, a segment was exposed by the Saudi team directed by al-Dâyil 10 . They called the site "Bâb al-Rawdha", probably from the name of the area of origin of the inhabitants of the neighbouring village. Only an axiometric projection (Fig. 5), a schematic section and plan, and three photographs of the area have been published so far. The surface pottery collected dated to the Nabataean period, according to the excavators. Five projects attempted to meet these objectives in 2010:

1. Topography of the site with a differential GPS;

2. Archaeological sounding 1: study of the enclosure section;

Registration System

The registration system used in the excavation of Sector C was adapted from that established in 2009 by the Italian team (Sectors A and B). It is therefore very close to it.

Together with Romolo Loreto, we decided that the entire sector C will be numbered 2000.

We chose the following numbering to correspond as closely as possible to the system already used by the Italian team:

. The walls are numbered from M2001 up to M2XXX.

. The loci (any type of structure other than wall) are recorded from L2001 up to L2XXX. The topographic survey of Sector C and the enclosure was completed by Quentin Morel, surveyor, using a differential GPS Leica 500 (Fig. 5). The drawing was carried out on Autocad, and then veri ed on the eld by G. Charloux, who also drew a number of cross sections of the enclosure. Located in the S half of the 10m-large-sounding ; this layer has been partly disturbed by the digging of a square whole for the setting up of a concrete block and pipes (approx. 1m large x 1 m height = UF 2023).

Aeolian accumulation of sand mixed with fallen stones and mudbrick fragments.

This layer covers a melted mudbrick massif on the southern half of the SW quarter, a east-west trench in the middle (UF 2023), aeolian and ashy sand in the NE (UF 2025). It merged with aeolian sand layer UF2024.

DESCRIPTION and other comments: RELATION TO OTHER layers:

This layer is over:

A. The western wall (units 1-3)

The western wall, between the outcrop and the limestone plateau, is divided into three units:

Unit 1

The rst unit (Fig. 8) consists of the oblique wall ascending the rocky outcrop on its north side (Fig. 9). Although badly damaged due to the steep slope -the slope is indeed extreme: 44 meters in altitude over a horizontal distance of 82 meters, an average of 54% -the wall still stands at up to a height of 1 m in some areas. It measures between 90 cm (bottom of the slope) and 70 cm (top) in thickness and 113 m in length.

The wall is easily identi ed from the base of the outcrop, where it seems to reach the south face of the inner wall (unit 8), a few meters east of the angle formed with the second unit. It also makes the connection with the unit 7 on top of the rocky outcrop.

Like the descending wall to the eastern end of the outcrop (unit 6), it is composed of a single wall without a second structure added internally. The wall is made of courses of limestone blocks recovered nearby, then cut. The courses are positioned horizontally and not in the direction of the slope (Fig. 10). The angle of what appears to be an exterior buttress was identi ed half way down the slope.

Unit 2

The second unit consists of a wall measuring 101 meters in length, approximately with the same north-south orientation and in the same alignment as the previous unit (Fig. 11). We have identi ed only the top of the emerging wall and a few portions, due to the sand dune in the area (Fig. 12).

The segment, slightly curved, is formed by two abutting walls, but with strong variations of masonry, like what was observed further north. At least three buttresses and a stronghold -a type which will be detailed belowwere identi ed.

In the central part of the unit, a strong depression marks the site of a former passage (Fig. 13). It could be the location of the western gate of the oasis.

Unit 3

The third unit (Fig. 14, Figs. 80-81) is connected to the second, but is set at a signicant angle (61°). The wall here is oriented south-west north-east (Fig. 15). About 320 m in length, it is not quite straight but curves slightly to the west. Pierced in two places -in its southern part by a modern asphalt road running east-west and in its northern half by the wâdî and a deep pit dug by mechanical diggers -a stretch 80 m long was cleared this year and each break of the masonry was carefully studied (Fig. 16).

In general, the enclosure wall is composed of two adjoining walls, one entirely in stone (limestone), the other in mud-brick (brick size average: 37-39 x 23-25 x 11-12 cm) with a foundation in stone (limestone) (stones size: small = 8 x 4 cm; medium = 33 x 9 x 16 cm; large = 67 x 26 x? cm). However, these general features are often distorted by architectural modi cations, orientation changes or the addition of structures such as strongholds and staircases. Both walls appear to have been constructed in sections rather than continuously. This seems to be indicated by the many architectural cuts in masonry, seen both in the brick wall and in the stone wall -when cuts are observed, they never come at the same place across the whole thickness of the wall. This is also suggested by the many changes in masonry at strategic locations: a stone wall is added in the mud-brick wall elevation, or two sections of stone wall are overlapping, etc.

The face of the exterior stone wall is mostly vertical, except when there is a innerbatter probably due to pressure exerted against its inner face. The eastern face of the mudbrick inner wall has however a marked batter (up to 15 cm by 1.50 m).

Thirteen exterior buttresses, one interior buttress and six strongholds were identied during our survey.

The stone buttresses have variable dimensions (thickness by length: 1.20 m x 0.50 m up to 0.90 x 1.00 m). They are preserved on the same height as the stone wall, and are very often linked to it, either by a linking foundation or by adding slabs obliquely positioned forming triangular « shelves » in the gap between the two structures (Fig. 17).

The buttresses seem more numerous in areas where the wall is fragile. They do not seem to be regularly positioned along the architectural unit.

The study concerned primarily four of the six strongholds which are more apparent and better cleared. The strongholds are arranged approximately uniformly along the exterior of the wall, every 50 to 57 m. There is no doubt that an impression of regularity was desired, although the distances are approximate. They measure about 6 m long and 3 m to 3.50 m thick. Four walls constitute the sides of each stronghold; the fourth is often directly contiguous to the face of the exterior stone wall of the enclosure. Sometimes the sides of the strongholds meet directly the enclosure face without the addition of a fourth face to the stronghold. An interior wall, linked perpendicular to the outer face of the stronghold, creates a subdivision of space within the structure into two approximately square (1.50 m) or rectangular (2.80 m x 2 m) boxes (Fig. 18). These strongholds are usually located at positions of weaknesses of the enclosure wall masonry which presents marked batters. Thus the strongholds reinforce the exterior face of the enclosure wall, with a inner-batter which abuts the batter of the enclosure wall (Fig. 19). They are also sometimes added to a buttress already in place.

The strongholds were always added to the enclosure wall in a second stage of construction, as indicated by the long architectural cuts visible between the two structures.

No stronghold is therefore linked to the enclosure.

The presence of large blocks positioned horizontally between the walls of the stronghold, held above the empty boxes show that the oor level of the rst oor (?) of the stronghold was probably at the height 616.80 m in this sector. It is therefore 4.40 m above the level of the clearing of the base reached to the west.

We observed signs of recent restoration (cement) on the two strongholds cleared in 1986.

Two mud-brick staircases located on the inner side of the enclosure wall, behind two strongholds, were cleared this year. The rst remained in the open air since the excavations of al-Dâyil, and suffered much from erosion. The second, to the south, has been better studied, although we have not fully reached its steps under a mixed layer of mud-brick and eolian sand, preferring to await the development of a preventive conservation program (Fig. 20).

The construction of staircases required major adjustments, as the south staircase (the only one whose faces have been cleaned) was installed on a kind of large mud-brick step on top of a stone foundation. This step belongs to the masonry of a large wall that appears contiguous to the enclosure wall. In this location, the mud-brick elevation of the enclosure was removed, creating two regular steps and freeing space for the implementation of the staircase. The staircase is 4 m long and 1.25 m thick. It abuts the eastern face of the mud-brick enclosure wall. Its exterior wall is 50 cm thick, and the steps are mud-brick.

B. The northern wall (unit 4)

The northern wall (unit 4, Fig. 21) was joined by the western one (unit 3) on the crest of the northern limestone plateau, with a strong slope going from 608 m to 624 m in altitude (Figs. 2223). The two walls form a bend, not a marked angle.

The north wall has unfortunately not been studied in detail, since it is still covered by tons of rubble and sand. We can however easily follow it over a length of 740 m, where it is built in a straight line (Fig. 21). The exterior stone walls, and few segments of the interior mud-brick wall, as well as some connected structures, emerge to the surface. At this stage of the study we have identi ed 27 buttresses (26 rectangular and one curved) linked to the exterior face of the enclosure wall, and 7 buttresses facing the inside wall. Plus two large rectangular structures, perhaps staircases, on the inside.

According to the topographic map of the site, the wall is preserved here to a height of only 2 or 3 meters.

C . The southern wall (unit 7)

The southern wall (unit 7) has been observed over a length of about 490 m on top of the orangey rocky outcrop overlooking the oasis (Fig. 24).

Here it is dif cult to ascertain the location of the wall as it appears as a linear cluster of blocks of stone (Figs. 2526). Two adjoining walls (1.20 m thick internally and 1 m thick outside) were nevertheless identi ed in this area, as in the previous ones. It is possible that the elevation of the interior mud-brick wall disappeared; the height of the surviving wall is no more than two meters. Only one buttress has been registered.

Contrary to what one might expect, the wall does not follow the edge of the cliff and does not surround the whole of this strategic position (Fig. 27). Only three quarters of the top surface of the outcrop come inside the enclosure. This latter is not straight but slightly curved in this area; it joins the western wall (unit 1) to the north-west and the eastern wall (unit 6) where the ank of the outcrop begins to fall away.

D. The interior partition wall (unit 8)

Before addressing the problem of the eastern wall (units 5-6), we should mention the existence of an internal partition wall (about 522 m long), skirting the base of the limestone outcrop (unit 8, Fig. 28). This long wall consists of two adjoining structures of which only the crests were observed (Figs. 2930). It is widely covered by rubble, and we lose sight of its extension to the east before it connects hypothetically with a eastern wall down the ank of the outcrop (unit 6).

It seems to be conserved for more than 4 or 5 m at its junction with the western wall (unit 2), but no more than 1 m at its eastern end. units 5, 6 and9) North and south of sector C, two walls go down the slopes of the plateau and of the outcrop obliquely with an obtuse angle:

Units 5 and 9

Unit 5 (Fig. 31), oriented north-west south-east, is connected to the northern enclosure wall (unit 4) with which it shares a similar building technique. One external buttress was observed. The segment is cut to the south after 56 m in length. However, on the last day of the study another segment of a broad east-west oriented wall came to light (unit 9, Fig. 31). Hidden by dense vegetation, it was cut by the modern north-south asphalt road.

It measures 1.10 -1.20 m thick, and extends over thirty meters to the east (Fig. 32).

Its structure and its massiveness clearly correspond to that of other parts of the enclosure wall we observed to the west, although no mud-brick wall was seen. This discovery suggests a return of the enclosure wall at least 90 m to the east.

Unit 6

The 73 m long unit 6 descends the slope with a south-west north-east orientation, after being linked to the southern enclosure wall (unit 7, Fig. 33). This is a single wall, like its counterpart (unit 1) located north-west of the outcrop (Fig. 34). Its state of conservation is rather bad. We observe no more than a linear heap of stones; only one buttress was identi ed. The wall stops abruptly towards the north; and we searched in vain for any trace of extension. In contrast, about 20 m east (on private land) eight aligned stones emerge, that could well belong either to an internal partition wall, which would therefore extend towards the east, or to the extension of the eastern wall to the east, or again to a wall with no relation to the two previous ones. This seems to correspond to the situation seen north of the valley (units 5-9).

F. T h e s c a t t e r e d a rc h i t e c t u r a l r e m a i n s i n s e c t o r C

A number of scattered architectural remains emerge from the surface in the enclosed area. Four concentrations of remains in particular were recorded:

The rst concentration is located in the western end of the southern orangey outcrop. Illegal excavations were conducted in the past which revealed broad walls measuring 1.90 m across (Fig. 35). It could be a large tower or fort, as the term "Rijm al-Burj" would suggest. This area will be studied next year.

The second is located in the southeast sector, near the internal partition wall. Mud-brick elevations on stone foundations are here remarkably preserved.

The third appeared in the centre of the oasis in an empty space between farms. Five walls were visible under heaps of modern waste.

Finally, a few stone structures were observed in sections in the northwest part of sector C; they had been entirely cut by bulldozers during the construction of the road located near the water channel (Fig. 36).

Sounding 1

The location of sounding 1 (Fig. 37) in the northern part of the site, in a sector that suffered severe oodings of the wâdî (Figs. 7,38), was jointly decided with the local authorities (al-Jawf Museum, Regional Department of Antiquities). Here, a segment of the enclosure wall had been washed away. Any remains were irretrievably destroyed by the digging of a large (9-12 m) and deep (2-3 m) east-west oriented water supply pit which was recently excavated by mechanical diggers and bulldozers on the length of the entire site.

A path, used by some cars, runs north along the sounding, while a farm closed by high fences prevents any extension of the excavations to the west.

The opening of a sounding (10 m side, then extended) at this location had a simple objective: to study the enclosure in section, rstly by examining the foundation technique and the masonry of the wall, and secondly by identifying the layers connected to the wall (destruction, oor, geological substrate, etc.) (Fig. 40).

The presentation of the results of sounding 1 follows ve steps:

The geological substratum

Besides the clearing of geological eolian layers underlying the rampart, we performed a cleanup of the southern face of the recent water supply pit, in order to verify the nature of the substratum at this location. It appears that the bedding layers (Fig. 39) are natural, consisting of a succession of three thick homogeneous sedimentary formations, without archaeological material, each separated by thin layers of yellow sand (from bottom to top):

1. Greenish compacted sandy silt (2020, alt. sup.: ca. 609

The semi-buried building

One of the surprises during this rst campaign was the discovery of a squareshaped building (L2002), that lies semi-buried in geological substratum (inf. alt.: 609.14 m) (Fig. 41).

A preliminary digging was conducted in hard layer 2019, and the walls of the structure were implemented at a similar altitude above horizontal layer 2020. Four dry stone masonry walls (M2004, M2005, M2007 and M2009) are linked at right angles, except in the southeast corner where the masonry stops, leaving a 47 cm gap for a door at a location where the geological substratum is absent (Fig. 42).

Within the rectangular space, the walls have a straight inner face, well built on 4 to 6 courses of blue-gray limestone. The descent of a few centimeters into geological substratum 2019, east of wall M2005 permitted however to highlight the highly irregular outer faces of the walls which abut the limestone substratum at a depth of 62 cm. The interior space, lled with two layers 2014 (eolian sand lling the above locus) and 2044 (mixed silty clay with few limestone blocks), is therefore located below the surface.

A square structure in the northwest quarter of building L2002 consists of two perpendicular walls M2008 and M2014, based on silt 2020 (Fig. 43). The structure looks like a staircase with two steps (although the former is signi cantly elevated compared to the level of foundation construction) and an empty space in the corner of walls M2007 and M2004.

This function seems to be con rmed by the clearance of large thin blocks in layer 2033, which can be compared to cover slabs of a oor or a roof. The building could therefore resemble a sort of tower-house. All of the layers were sieved, but delivered only two sherds in the eolian sand 2014, giving a terminus ante quem for the construction, but not clarifying its function.

The southern part of the building appears to have suffered slightly more from erosion than the northern part, the latter being better protected by the limestone geological substratum. The entire surface elevation has disappeared.

The eolian and alluvial accumulations

A large accumulation of eolian sand and alluvial silt deposited by the wâdî, about 1.50 m in height, covers the top of room L2002 (Figs. 40,44).

We distinguished, from bottom to top, four sets of layers without material (alt. inf.: It is impossible at this stage of the study to establish the duration of the hiatus of occupation between the destruction of the semi-buried building and the construction of the enclosure wall. The upper layer 2010 was partly removed in antiquity, and we do not know the maximum height of the alluvial and eolian deposits prior to the building of the enclosure wall. The two sherds of ceramic discovered in room L2002, compared to the vessel found in connection with the enclosure wall seem, however, to indicate a relatively short interruption.

The foundation of the enclosure

The eolian layers were dug prior to the installation of the enclosure (Fig. 40).

To the west, layer 2017, composed of blocks, stone chips and sand altogether mixed and of a brick layer which is melted in its upper part, has a fairly sharp slope.

Only a few ceramic forms were recovered.

The foundation of stone wall M2001 lies at altitude 610.16 m above a few centimeters of stone chips and sand (2012, inf. alt.: 610.06 m).

The same is true on the east side of the wall (Fig.

Description of the western enclosure

As previously noted, the enclosure wall is composed of two main entities: an outer stone wall M2001, and an inner mud-brick wall on top of a stone basement (foundation and lower elevation) M2002 (Fig. 45).

In sounding 1, we tried to identify an entire section of it (Fig. 46). Wall M2001 maintains a height of 4.57 m (max. sup. alt.: 614.73 m). In contrast, 115 meters to the south-west, its summit is 617.94 m, 3.21 m higher. However, the topography of the site probably explains this difference and it cannot be assumed that the wall measures 7 m high at this location.

The dry-stone masonry of wall M2001 consists of horizontal courses of hewn gray-pink limestone blocks, but with an irregular height. The visual effect is however great since regular lines of the courses contrast with irregular features of colour and size of blocks.

Wall M2001 has some original peculiarities:

1. The presence of quadrangular buttresses linked to the masonry (this is the case of M2003 in sounding 1, about 0.70 m x 1 m, Fig. 37). The addition of triangular stones between two structures was probably to improve the wall connections. Note that buttress M2003 is installed one course above the base of the enclosure wall.

2. A vertical empty space of about 12 cm is visible across the thickness of the masonry of wall M2001 (Fig. 44), about halfway through the cleared segment. A stone of the lower course positioned at the base of the space marks the end of the rectilinear cut. This occurence looks like a "loophole". However, since the elevation of mud-brick wall M2002 covers the eastern side of wall M2001, this hypothesis cannot be valid.

It may be preferable to assume that this is an architectural development related to the drainage of water from the top of the enclosure wall. In order to gather maximum dating clues, the whole layer was removed and sieved.

Its compacted surface probably suffered from water ows and passages (Fig. 48).

Many small stones, as well as bones and sherds, had fallen on top of it. These were grouped under number 2013. A small complete jar DJ.10.2013-7 on this oor L2001, was probably shattered following the collapse of small stones (Figs. 4950). West of the enclosure, the situation is less clear. A horizontal hardened melted brick surface is noticeable on the foundation pit surface, which could approximately correspond to the ground outside the enclosure (L2012) (Fig. 51). However the area in question, exposed on a very small surface (2-3 m²), was devoid of material.

The abandonment and collapse of the enclosure wall

Above oor L2001, the thin layers of eolian sand and melted mud-brick, remnants of the rst abandonment, are numbered 2008. They show a pronounced east-west slope (Fig. 51). Then follow a succession of signi cantly larger, almost virgin layers (from bottom to top):

. 2005: two layers of yellow orange eolian sand and greenish clayey silty melted brick.

. 2003: compact yellow orange eolian sand, whose muddy beige surface had been hardened by a water ow.

. 2002: homogeneous orange yellow eolian sand.

. 2001: collapse layer of wall M2002, made of greenish mud-bricks fallen towards the east.

. 2000: surface layer composed of sand and other.

Outside the enclosure, that is to say on the western side, oor L2012 lies immediately beneath a wind-blown sand lling and beneath the collapse of the stone elevation (2004) (Fig. 52). The location of sounding 2 was chosen at a place where the wall has been cut by the wâdî ooding, as is also the case for the enclosure wall in this area (Fig. 54).

The operation was conducted quickly, since simple cleaning made it possible to reach the base of the wall and to draw both the archaeological section (Fig. 55) and the top plan of the excavated structure.

Wall M2006 is made of limestone blocks coming from the neighbouring plateau, arranged in a dry stone masonry (Fig. 56). It is kept in elevation of 5 stone courses in sounding 2 and up to 7 courses more to the south (where it was seen to have a fairly strong batter in this last area).

The wall is 1.30 m thick. Its foundation lies at altitude 611.35 m directly on the eolian sand in sounding 2 (Fig. 57). The situation does not seem to be the same to the south.

A similar wall was discovered during our survey of the area, 132 m away in a private garden located approximately 330 m west of its southern end (Fig. 58). Given its position and its masonry, it could be a return of wall M2006 towards the west, thus dening a wide space limited south and east by the wall and also north by the plateau. It is suggested that this wall served for the retention of water coming from the wâdî, against the strong ooding which occurs regularly in this area. The sounding is located on an unoccupied plot of land, surrounded to the south and to the west by a paved road, to the north by an asphalt road and a ditch, and to the east by a farm enclosed by a high fence.

The plot on which we started our excavation appears to have been attened years ago by a bulldozer. In the northeast corner of the sounding are currently few heaps of rubble and of wood (tree trunk, roots and branches).

This area was chosen because of the presence of one long stone wall emerging from the ground in places. We chose to study this structure not only to determine its nature and the kind of occupation within the forti cations, but also to inform local farmers about the presence of archaeological remains to protect. The modern habitations tend in fact to spread over the oasis, destroying the evidence of its rich past.

Preliminar y Operations

Initially, surface cleaning (UF2021) was carried out by a small team: removal of sparse vegetation, of garbage littering the ground, of scattered stones and mounds of eolian sand accumulated at the foot of plants.

The presence of a bulldozer on site helped to push back wood which invaded its eastern part in the north-east end of the sounding.

Following the surface cleaning, we started clearing the top of emerging wall M2010.

It stretches from north to south over a dozen meters.

An excavation square 10 x 10 m was then implanted to begin digging (Fig. 62). It is oriented in the direction of the asphalt road and is crossed by M2010.

Modern layers and pit L2010

In the southwest corner of the square stood a cemented block marked by a metal rod, from which emerged a plastic tube for aeration. Against it came up layer 2022, extending over the southern half of the square. This is a modern accumulation of eolian sand, of collapsed blocks and of silty-clayey soil with mud-brick fragments.

The excavation of pit L2010 was necessary prior to the installation of the cemented block. This pit is enlarged at the top near the block, where it reaches 1 m in diameter.

It crosses through the entire sounding from east to west, 60 cm wide on average (Figs. 60, 63). It was understood at the end of the season that the pit is de nitely modern and had not been reused, as we had previously believed. Under ll 2023 and orange sand 2028 a thick layer of gravel 2045 appeared, in which was installed the modern plastic pipe that extends towards the farm located east of the sounding.

The upper level

Structures of an old garden have survived under modern disturbances. In many aspects, they look like those which still abound today in the heart of the oasis (Fig. 59).

The garden is bordered on the west by a long dry stone wall M2010. We follow its emerged summit for a length of 11.30 m but we easily guess that it extends over more than twice this distance (Fig. 64). This wall is preserved in 6 courses to a thickness of 50-60 cm. It lies on a layer of clay which was used as a bedding for oor 2033. The base of wall M2010 has a fairly strong downward slope towards the north -this could correspond to the existence of a slope in the north area caused by the strong ooding of the wâdî running from west to east.

A wall segment numbered M2018 abutted on the southern extension of wall M2010. This segment, which was removed during excavation to facilitate clearance, had been poorly built: dry stone masonry with large gaps at the base. It reached to its southern end an amount of earth stopping its extension. It appeared that this original masonry had Within the excavated area we cleared several structures belonging to a water distribution system.

-Water channel L2004 is located at the departure of the system. Its base is made of small blocks laid at above the bottom of a shallow straight channel dug in the ground. On both sides of the channel are positioned obliquely a row of small stones.

The north-south oriented entry of the water channel may have been disrupted by the digging of pit L2010, as discussed below (Fig. 65). Measuring 1.60 m long by 0.32 m in width, L2004 leads to an empty space, which allows the distribution of water in three directions:

-To the east is implemented a large composite basin L2005 (4.15 x 3.59 m) with a vast circular central space (3.4 x 3.2 m) (Fig. 66). Two-thirds (north-east) are paved by large limestone blocks extending front of the southwest corner of wall M2011 (see below).

The remaining third (south-east) is composed of very compact beaten clayey earth, as well as a small space north of the pavement, which may also have been used for the ow of water towards the east 11 . This space is bounded by three walls:

1. a curved wall M2012 to the south, made of a single row of nine blocks laid obliquely against a mound of earth held in place. It measures 2.82 m in length and abuts the western face of M2019.

2. a straight north-south oriented wall M2019 to the east. Measuring 2.48 m long at the start 12 and 32 cm thick, it is rough, dry stone built. The wall is preserved in one or two courses and a row of limestone blocks.

3. a long curved wall M2011 (3.43 m x 0.60-80 m) to the north. Its masonry is also roughly mounted. It comprises 3-4 courses made of two rows of blocks. Its inner south side presents a roughly regular surface, although the northern side is irregular: blocks are stacked with a slope ascending from north to south.It does not appear that 11. As could indicate a large block, east of M2019. 12. Two blocks from the wall were removed during the clearing. -To the south west, a water channel L2003 (0.65 x 0.81 m) starts from the end of L2004 (Fig. 65). Consisting of a few blocks for both sides and of small stones set against the base, it allowed drainage of water from the area bounded by walls M2010/ M2018 to the west. A wide channel narrowing to M2018 then expanding to the west was dug in the underlying soil. A vast amount of earth left in place prevented drainage to the south.

-To the west, a curved water channel L2008 (Fig. 65) about 2 m in length was poorly built. Some small stones are simply placed diagonally against the face of the previously dug channel. The bottom is formed by earth, except in two places by small stones. This channel allowed water to be distributed beyond the basin to the north in a large space where a few holes lled with eolian sand or vegetal remains have been identi ed. These holes are the negative traces of shrubs and old garden plants (2026,2029,2034) 13 . The ancient circulation surface was cleared over the whole square, under a thick layer of eolian sand 2027. No ceramic sherds were found on the oor L2013.

The discovered water distribution system was probably in use with a speci c arrangement of wooden doors or stone blocking in order to choose the direction of ow and to close one or two channels. We found no traces of them.

The garden continues south of modern pit L2010. Two large and shallow pits L2006 (width 1.47 m) and L2007 (width: 1.77 m) were observed under layers of eolian sand (Fig. 67). Remains of earth measuring 20-30 cm thick separate the two pits. This arrangement seems typical of cultivated areas in the oasis today.

The nature and the layout of structures, as well as archaeological evidence, raise another important question relating to the location of the recent pit 2010. We observed in the sounding that: 13. Samples have been taken.

1. Both pits L2006 and L2007 rise slightly a few centimeters in front of pit L2010. Furthermore, the two pits are perpendicular to the latter.

2. Channel L2004 does not continue in the southern part of the garden, since no trace of a pit or a structure appears in its alignment. It is also perpendicular to L2010.

3. Wall M2012 of basin L2005 stops a few centimeters before pit L2010.

4. The earth bordering the eastern side of trench L2003 does not extend further south, but instead bypasses the area as it extends westward.

All these gathered data suggest that pit L2010 was positioned at the exact location of a former channel, where the farmer drew water before spreading it to its crops. This observation necessarily implies the question of the date of this garden. Was the ancient channel not fully covered by sand and still visible during the digging of pit L2010?

Or is it a recent channel related to a recent garden?

The rst solution appears more probable. The main argument lies in the homogeneity of the ancient material discovered in the eolian layers overlying the unearthed structures, the lack of modern or medieval pottery, as well as the homogeneity of the material found in layer 2033/2047 constituting garden oor L2013.

Moreover, stone basin L2005 of rather elaborate masonry does not correspond to the quadrangular and smaller structures, sometimes cemented, currently seen in the oasis.

In addition, garden wall M2010 was built directly on oor L2013 and on top of Finally, the absence of modern buildings reusing stone foundations in their bases as was frequently the case in the heart of the oasis for centuries could also be an additional proof.

In conclusion, it seems to us that the garden was abandoned in antiquity, a date which may only be established by terminus post quem.

The Lower level

To complete study of the sector stratigraphy, we opened a sounding in the southwest corner of the square, near the top of wall M2013, which was visible after cleaning of the upper level (Fig. 68). We excavated along its southern face. Two superimposed structures, vertically positioned one on top of the other, 1.50 m in height, were distinguished (Fig. 69):

. Wall M2013 measures 7.55 m in length and 0.67-0.70 m thick, within the observed limits to the west of M2010. It poses several dif culties of study, as it may have experienced two stages of construction.

First, several stones are located on the eastern side of wall M2010, in the axis of the western face of M2013. It indicates a continuation of wall M2013 eastward. Moreover, we found a segment of this latter (numbered M2017), consisting of a single aligned row of blocks, 5.70 m to the east. Nevertheless, the northern part of wall M2017 is absent (even after digging down). It would signify a difference of masonry or structure, rather than destruction.

Wall M2013 abuts buttress M2016 to the west. It is a small quadrangular structure (141 x 75 cm) preserved in 7 courses. M2013 then extends westward in the same direction. The base of buttress M2016 is situated at 610.34 m above sea level, about 20 cm higher than the base of M2013. Moreover, removal of sand layers north of M2013 showed that only one course of stone is preserved on that side as against 4 courses to the south. The wall was therefore enlarged at this location, indicating the existence of two construction phases (the second with the installation of the buttress).

Of the earlier phase of the wall, only the southern face is still visible. It measures 55 cm in thickness.

. The connection between wall M2015 and upper wall M2013 seems clearer, explaining why we distinguished these two structures.

The southern face of M2015 consists of 9-10 courses of rather thin limestone blocks (about 25 x 6-10 cm). The wall lies at altitude 609.27 m. on a layer of yellow eolian sand 2042 which also abuts its southern face.

M2015 presents a fairly clear orientation shift with wall M2013, of about 5-10 cm towards the south, and over the entire length (5.74 m).

This distinction can also be seen in plan and section where a change in the nature of the layers and in the existence of a oor was observed.

A problem arises concerning the nature and function of wall M2015, because it could be a simple foundation arrangement for wall M2013, given its position on the sandy soil and the lack of oor against its southern face. Wall M2013 furthermore lies on top of it, so its builders had knowledge of the lower wall M2015.

Examination of adjacent layers may show the opposite, namely that these two walls re ect two distinct, although related, phases of occupation. . 2035: thick, dense but not agglomerated, brown-grey silty clayey soil.

. 2036: compact and bedded pink to green clayey soil. Underlying yellow eolian sand 2042 measures between 20 and 50 cm thick.

Then appears a at surface, oor L2016, with two to three sherds lying on layer 2043 (horizontal brown silty clayey layer). 25 to 30 cm lower is once more located a layer of sand 2046, then silty sand 2048.

15.

Samples have been taken from the mortar.

Function of the enclosure wall in sector C

The function of the enclosure wall could not be established with certainty. Several aspects seem indeed contradictory:

. The high aesthetic quality of the wall is clear, apparent in the quality and colour of the masonry which consists of small modules of rocks, and in the impression of regularity due to the projections created by the strongholds and the buttresses on the western wall.

. There is no doubt that some strongholds were arranged in speci c locations for architectonic reasons. Indeed, the western wall face has often a strong inner-batter which needs to be contained by massive stone structures (strongholds and buttresses) (Figs. 7374).

. Finally, the enclosure wall has also a defensive role:

1. The natural strategic position of the outcrop enables easy military control over the entire region. The presence on the top of the mound of large walls which may belong to a fort or a tower seems to support this hypothesis.

2. The enclosure encloses a large area where crops were cultivated (see sounding 3), without apparently wishing to extend the con ned space (this is debatable in the east).

3. The monumentality of the enclosure is not questionable, although units 1 and 6 on the outcrop are only 1.20 m thick. In at areas, the enclosure wall measures at least 2 m thick and can go up to almost 4 m.

4. The inner partition wall (unit 8) also indicates the intention to divide areas and control spaces and movements. This wall could have been used to strengthen two weak walls (units 1 and 6) ascending the outcrop, to prevent blocks falling from the slope, or to improve the protection of the summit of the outcrop from the bottom.

The defensive aspect of the enclosure wall, our preferred hypothesis, is however limited by two indications:

1. The presence of strongholds only on the western wall.

2. The fact that the southern wall does not fully surround the summit of the outcrop. This could suggest that this defensive purpose was not directed against large armies but more against raiders.

It should be added that the enclosure wall appears to extend eastward and could therefore have protected a much larger space in the past, perhaps all of the oasis as suggested by several authors (see introduction to sector C).

The date of the enclosure wall is still very uncertain, spanning around 1 st -4 th cent. A.D. (most probably 1 st -2 nd cent.), according to the ceramic typology, but we need to collect more pottery on oors and to obtain radiocarbon datings. The 80 m long segment stands north of a modern asphalt road (which bisects the wall for a 9 m section in the middle), and inside the enclosure of the Department of Antiquities. It was chosen for ease of access, protection and cleaning.

The outer face of this segment had indeed been extensively cleared during Saudi Arabian excavations in 1986 (Fig. 73), while the interior was left intact (Fig. 74), with the exception of a small trench done by the Team of al-Dâyil. The inner mud-brick wall which rests on top of a stone foundation was completely cut in this area by the excavators (Fig. 75), in order to study its masonry.

This situation was unsafe for the wall as the pressure was strong on the outer face.

The rst step was a general attening of the space to the west of the stone wall, using a wheel loader and a larger track loader (Fig. 76). This rst step made it possible to assess the qualities of the machine operators.

We then used a wheel excavator to perform precise clearings against the enclosure wall (Fig. 77).

Under the continuous monitoring of the excavator G. Charloux, the wheel excavator rst removed tons of sand accumulated against the west face of wall in the last 24 years. Cleaning did not pose any problem here, the layers connected to the wall (destruction and oors?) were removed in 1986. The track loader then evened up the area before workers nished cleaning by removing sand layers near the wall and carefully cleaning the stone masonry (Fig. 78). In order to protect the wall, we have not gone down below altitude 613.50 m, probably 1 or 2 m above the ancient ground level.

The track loader also evened out the raised space on this side before workers cleaned the eastern face of the enclosure by shovel, 'tourieh' and brush (Fig. 79). Here, the masonry of the wall is fairly complex and highly variable, as seen on the sections (Figs. 7374).

This cleaning required a signi cant effort on the part of the French team because 13 workers of sector C were involved in this work for a week and a half. The result, very satisfying, offers an impressive glimpse of the monumentality of the enclosure wall for local and foreign tourists. This has also allowed detailed examination of the masonry wall.

It should be added that this clearing will require a restoration program in the near future, as the brickwork suffered badly from erosion in the past and should therefore be These workers are now involved in the old city restoration. 2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2011 The study of ceramic material was carried out on site during the rst year of the joint Saudi-Italian-French archaeological Project between October 1 and November 7, 2010.

This work was undertaken in close collaboration with archaeologists Guillaume Charloux and Romolo Loreto. It makes it possible, among other things, to understand the nature of the different phases of occupation, providing clues as to dating and circulation of goods and people.

After explaining our approach, we will make a number of remarks on fabrics, shapes and surface treatment, on the one hand, and on the characterization of Medieval occupation levels and attempts at dating, on the other. Lastly we will list some study aspects to pursue during the next archaeological campaign.

Recording System

Objectives and methodology of study

To best t the needs of archaeologists, four goals were set prior to the work eld:

. Recording all the pottery material from the 2009 Italian campaign (2 weeks of excavation, 48 buckets of ceramics).

. Establishing a morphological typology for the periodization of the ceramics, by drawing pottery shapes.

. Identifying and describing ceramic fabrics, in correlation with morphological studies and dating.

. Exploring the medieval Islamic ceramics of the site and providing chronological milestones.

The material is divided into two excavation areas (sectors A and C) and has some obvious similarities. Sector A (at the foot of Qasr Mârid) delivered a very signicant amount of material, although very little pottery was recovered in the excavation of sector C (3 km west, 3 soundings). We therefore chose not to distinguish these sectors in this general presentation.

The ceramic material was studied by levels in sector A 1 , and layer or stratigraphic unit (U.S.) in sector C, in both cases as desired by the archaeologists in charge of excavations.

The eldwork was conducted in the following six stages (pl. 1):

1. Sorting (for fabrics, shapes and designs), performed after washing the ceramic lots.

This provided an initial assessment of the nature of the layer as well as permitting some easy restoration. For instance, the excavation of oor layer 2013 related to the enclosure wall (Sector C, sounding 1) gave a small complete jar in fabric 1 (Fig. 12)

broken on the oor due to the collapse of the mud-brick elevation. Its stratigraphic position makes it a potentially important piece of evidence for dating. Moreover, to date it is the only complete form found on a oor. No doubt restoration of it is essential, making it available for a wider public in the site Museum. The non-diagnostic sherds were reburied in a pit at the eastern foot of Qasr Mârid 2 .

2. Selection and marking of signi cant sherds (mainly rims and bases). The recording system follows that established by Italian archaeologists in the 2009 campaign, that is to say the initials of Dûmat al-Jandal (DJ), the year in abbreviated form, the capital letter corresponding to the study sector (U.S. number in sector C and bucket number in sector A) followed by the number of fragment (eg. DJ. 10.A.63-47), usually written on the inside wall of the sherd. The signi cant sherds, which were numbered with a black indelible pen, were marked with a black dot for photos and a red dot for drawings to avoid omissions during further study.

3. All sherds of a same level (or even U.S.) were then photographed on both sides. To facilitate the utilization of these photographs, we kept as much as possible to pottery subsets, previously identi ed during the sorting (fabrics, shapes and decorations).

The body sherds were arranged clockwise, and the registration number is centered below. The black background textile used for pictures facilitates drawings and photomontages. For levels in sector A, where material is more abundant, a brief description of each photograph in a list makes possible to nd a sherd quickly.

3.

Given the absence of a morphological typology for the Jawf region and for all periods seen in Dûma, selection of shapes for the drawing was deliberately very broad -every rim and form.

4.

Note that all the drawings of sector C were veri ed by G. Charloux.

b. Preliminar y results and general remarks

Fabrics (Fig. 1 and Table 1)

Fine and coarse unglazed fabrics were described and numbered from 1 to 22. Some fabrics have closely related subtypes denoted by a lowercase letter. This rst list and description (attached below) will allow local and regional productions to be identi ed in the future. Il will also assist in recognizing imports and characterizing speci c technical features that will complement our knowledge of production, andcirculation of pots, techniques and artisans.

These fabrics were sampled (sherds stuck onto cardboard) to facilitate identi cation. Macro-pictures of each fabric type were made.

This rst inventory is mainly based on material obtained from sector A: it presents all fabrics and covers the entire period from the early Nabataean to the 19 th century attested during 2009 and 2010 campaigns. For a preliminary chronological sequence see Fine fabrics (7 types)

Fabrics 1 and 2, easily identi able, are the most frequent in sites A and C. They are abundant in the lower levels (Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine/Sassanian). The large amount of fabric 2 suggests, as a preliminary basis, that it is locally produced. The existence of sherds with 'two-tone' fabric (black and red clearly separated), both close to fabrics 2 and 3, may suggest that the fabric could be identical, baked in a reducing atmosphere voluntarily or simply over-baked. The ceramics in fabric 1 are, in turn, slightly less frequent in all studied lots, except perhaps at the junction of Levels 3 and 7. We also noted that it is very fragile and friable, which raises questions about whether it was in fact transportable 5 .

There are also some more rare ne fabrics (5, 6, 7, 8) perhaps belonging to imported wares.

Further morphological studies and comparisons should clarify these points.

Coarse fabrics (15 types)

Coarse fabrics were found in a wide variety 6 . They represent a smaller number of shapes that were only found in Levels 2, 3, 4 and 6 of sector A. They are virtually absent from sector C apart from some sherds in Fabrics 10 & 10a (only one campaign). This may be due to the nature of the occupation.

Most of these fabrics have an addition of temper, identi able when it is vegetal (9, 11 and 18) or crushed red pottery (grog) (14,18,[START_REF] Lindner | Fragments n° 2, 3-4, 6-9 in Fig. 9 feature Fabric 2[END_REF]21), but harder to determine as a voluntary addition when mineral 7 . The variety and speci c inclusions (shape, color, quantity) suggest that taking into account regional geological maps would quickly bring about some interesting results 8 . Clays or purple and green clayey soils are abundant in the wâdî of Dûma (marked on the eastern edges for example), and are visible at the foot of the Mârid castle.

As a preliminary basis, we can note that the use of some of these fabrics varies over time. We observed for example that fabrics [START_REF]Dekorgruppe 2c according to Schmid[END_REF]11,19,22 are rare in the upper levels 5. Unless this weakness is due to bad conservation in the soil? 6. This may re ect the variety of places of manufacture or production household, but also a wide range desposits of raw materials, particularly of minerals used as a temper.

7.

Because these mineral inclusions may be naturally present in the sediments, for example, schist (?) in fabrics 19 and 20 or alluvial sand in fabric 22.

8. [START_REF] Sayari | Quaternary Period in Saudi Arabia[END_REF][START_REF] Sindi | The geological studies of the area of the Ash-Shuwayhtyyah, Saudi Arabia[END_REF]. (2,[START_REF]Fragment no 1 features Fabric 3 with surfaces and sections in a black, greyish, dark brown colour and fabric with ne grey sand, whiteish, round and pointed quartz (?)[END_REF][START_REF] Philby | [END_REF]6) but more frequent in Level 10. Other fabrics (9,14,16,18,[START_REF] Lindner | Fragments n° 2, 3-4, 6-9 in Fig. 9 feature Fabric 2[END_REF] remain extremely rare in all levels, and we cannot yet draw any conclusions. This rst identi cation and interpretation of the fabrics based on two excavations seasons, is also the foundation for a broader questioning concerning the presence of a craft sector in Dûma or in the region 9 .

F o r m s a n d m a n u f a c t u r i n g t e c h n i q u e s (Figs. 23456, 12)

The morphological study will draw on the corpus of drawings consisting of 350 drawings for 8 levels for sector A and 70 drawings for thirty stratigraphic units for sector C.

While awaiting a detailed study, some general features emerge:

. Open forms are dominant in the corpus. At this stage of the study, the number of forms appears relatively small for a full range of sizes. The forms in coarse fabric belong to hemispheric basins or with oblique rims, suggesting the most diverse domestic functions. It is found that the hand made ceramics are dominant in the upper levels (2,[START_REF]Fragment no 1 features Fabric 3 with surfaces and sections in a black, greyish, dark brown colour and fabric with ne grey sand, whiteish, round and pointed quartz (?)[END_REF][START_REF] Philby | [END_REF]6) of sector A; this trend reversed sharply in the lower levels (5, 7, 8, and probably 9 and 10). In sector C, we noted the rarity of hand made ceramics (Fabrics 10 and 10a only). A large number of vessels could be related in their shapes to cooking pots but they show no traces of re. We observed the recurring presence of tenons (or buttons) placed on top of vertical or outward walls of pots (see for example Figs. 3-5, 7, 10, 11). Sometimes very small in size, their "functional reality" may be questioned. We noted that several fragments are composed of coarse gravel or angular crushed red pottery (grog) and then shaped by pinching and rotating with ngertips. Concerning the hand made ceramic, we found no traces of shaping with bat nor coil building.

Only a few at bases indicate the shaping of the pottery wall rst as a cylinder

9.

No indication of ceramic production has been found on the site. The quantity of metal slag is also very small which suggests that industrial zone were not located on the vicinity of the castle. Several reddened areas were however seen in the palm grove. There is also a production site of pottery comprising twenty kilns, about 40 km east of Sakâkâ and contemporary potters are known 300 km south-east from Hâ'îl. and second with the addition of a base. The characterization of manufacturing methods should be continued.

. Closed shapes predominate in the wheel-shaped ceramic assemblage, and are abundant in the lower levels (5, 7 and 8) (see for example in Fig. 6). There is a correspondence in form between ceramic fabrics 1 and 2, which might suggest that they are contemporary or at least that one of these productions is inspired by the other. Archaeologists and I have been surprised by the diversity and quality of the forms encountered: elaborate table vessels with complex rims, jars and globular jugs of various sizes, cups, bowls, some with annular base and thin to very thin walls (Nabataean egg-shell pottery with red slip decoration). We are currently preparing a typology of the pottery for easier study. Figures 2 to 6 show a selection by level of remarkable forms. See also Loreto, Sector A: fi gures 9 and 10 with characteristic Nabataean pottery from Level 5).

. Molded pottery is very rare, only three fragments were found (Levels 3, 4 and 6): two belong to closed shapes (probably a jug made of two superimposed hemispherical halves), the second could belong to a type of vessel commonly called 'pilgrim ask'.

. We already notice that some forms are closely related to one fabric type, often also to one type of manufacturing technique (either handmade -modeled or wheel-shaped), also indicated in the Table 1. This is the case for small vessels with carinations, cooking pots with neck encountered in fabric 7, large jars or basin in fabric 19, pots in fabric 13 (...). Only ceramic in fabric 1 are found wheel-shaped and modeled, while fabrics 2 and 3 are only wheel-shaped. This seems also to be the case with other fabrics (4, 6 and 8), but we still have manipulated too few sherds to get a secure opinion.

. All sectors and levels included, we noticed the absence of lamp fragments and the limited presence of large storage vessels (diameter > 30 cm).

Remarks on Islamic Pottery

Only one coin, probably Islamic (still to be analysed), was found in sector A from the lowest part of Level 3b; and few artefacts (soapstone vessels, gurines) can provide stratigraphic information, apart perhaps from the many glass bracelets found in the upper levels.

Further chronological information will be provided by comparative study of pottery (apart from clearly identi ed types which provide some chronological markers); this must still be jointly conducted with archaeologists.

Our study of the Islamic assemblage already provides some additional elements for an understanding of Levels 3 and 6 (Figs. Level 3 rests on top of an original building with a circular room (L10A). On its oor (Level 6) (Figs. 6, 11), which was cleared on a small surface, some great glazed ceramics were found as well as a few sherds of a Sassanian-Islamic jar (7-8 th cent.).

None of the major types of glazed ceramic, produced in 'Abbâsid 'Irâq (Basra in particular) in the 9 th century, such as 'lustre ware', pottery with blue or green decoration, or molded ceramics with green colored glaze, have been identi ed yet. In the rst layer beneath the surface (Level 2), two parts of Ottoman molded pipes give us an easy post quem artefact (drawings on Fig. 2 and photographs Fig. 8), but the low level of occupation of this part of the city in the 19 th century should also be a point of re exion.

The modest nature of all medieval and modern levels investigated so far are also in accordance with ancient texts that indicate the loss of importance of Dûma from the 9 th century and throughout the 10-11 th century, as the site is away from commercial and pilgrimage networks 12 . These levels are dominated by coarse pottery, which is often dated by association with glazed wares. Given their absence, we shall have to rely on comparisons and morphology. Many rims of bowls or jugs (?) uncovered in many layers are found in abundance in sector A from Level 7, offering a lot of remarkable and diagnostic assemblage.

A rst typology of pots should soon be compared with reliable Byzantine, Umayyad and 'Abbâsid contexts from 'Irâq, Syria and Jordan. A priori the most popular exogenous types are not present here, which would con rm the local nature of production between the 9 th century and the 19 th century 13 . The identi cation of contemporary wheel-shaped ceramics in ne fabrics will be easier once the typology of forms from the lower levels is supplemented by processing and elimination of intrusive material. At this point, dating chronological phases to "late / middle / early Islamic", although convenient in the eld research, may be premature given the current state of our knowledge on ceramics.

In sector C, the ceramic assemblage appears homogenous (fabric 2 is dominant) in both occupation levels related to the enclosure wall (in its western part) and on the promontory (pottery from the survey). No clear indication of early Islamic occupation has been identi ed; a single fragment belonging to a jar called "Sassanian-Islamic" comes from the surface (layer 2006).

12. Ibid. 13. Little House (L6) is covered by Level 2 and was built on Level 3. . Complete the range of fabrics and our observations by using a magnifying glass.

. Determine systematically the forms available in each fabric.

. Constitute in collaboration with the archaeologists a typo-morphology of Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic pottery to serve as a reference tool for the region.

. Continue the investigation on the presence of potters in the region in recent years and identify places of deposits of raw material.

. Prepare a storeroom that can also be used as a North-Arabian sherd collection in the Museum of Dûma, and continue the training in drawing ceramics for our Saudi colleagues (pl. 2).

The substantial quantity of ceramics uncovered in sector Area A during the 2009 campaign will provide insight into local and regional productions, still very poorly understood for the medieval and modern periods. The study of lower Levels 7, 8 and the following, and several oors (2010 season) corresponding to ancient occupations, will make possible to specify the chronological sequences of sectors A and C. The study will, in the future, provide new and useful markers for the study of Nabataean, Roman and Islamic material culture of desert margins, and will thus contribute to enriching our knowledge of ancient Arabia.

Pre-Islamic Pottery

Romolo Loreto (University of Naples, "L'Orientale")

The ceramic vessels found in the stratigraphic sounding dug at the foot of Byzantine ware (6 th -7 th cent.)

Among the Pre-Islamic materials the most recent items are Byzantine sherds.

From level 7 a number of examples of early Byzantine coarse-ware came to light (Fig. 1, n°1-10). The Byzantine coarse-ware was produced throughout the Early Byzantine Empire, e.g. in Palestine and Egypt. They include bowls, cooking pots and storage vessels, hemispherical or globular in shape, often with ribbed external surfaces, presumably to improve grip 1 .

1. Bakirtzis 1989: pl. I-XV; Dark 2001: 31-42;Gerber 2001: 7-12;Harrison et al. 2003: 144, 146. A fragment of a handle in "eastern sigillata A" 2 (or " ne red slip ware") was found in the occupation level of Building A (level 5) close to the western edge of the structure, between the rocky ank of the hillside and M6 (Fig. 2,n°1). Some fragments of "eastern sigillata A" were found also in the foundation level of Building A (Fig. 2,n°2). This was the most common form of red varnish "terra sigillata orientale" (or "eastern sigillata"), of Syro-Palestinian origins. The red varnish Roman ceramic ware was produced between the mid-2 nd century BC and through most of the 2 nd century AD. It circulated above all in the eastern Mediterranean basin, reaching as far as Dura Europos, Seleucia and the Nile Delta.

Nabataean fine ware from Jordan

The highest number of fragments and greatest variety of forms, decorations and fabrics have come from the levels representing the Nabataean tradition.

A number of examples of the so-called "eggshell" pottery type came from the foundation level of Building A (level 10) (Fig. 2, n°4-7). This category is securely dated to the rst quarter of the 1 st cent. AD. It is Nabataean ne ware imported from Jordan, widely attested in Petra 3 , Madâ'in Salih, Taymâ' 4 , Aila ( Aqaba) 5 , Mâdabâ 6 and also in Timna (from the Nabataean level of the Hathor Temple) 7 , Bosra 8 , etc. 9 . Sherds from level 10 are thin bowls with a red or orange paste, decorated on both inner and external surface with naturalistic elements in red painting 10 . A handle of a Nabataean ne ware juglet was also collected (Fig. 2,n°3).

Nabataean decorated ware (1 st -2 nd cent. AD)

A huge amount of Nabataean decorated ware came from level 10. This group of ceramic items can be divided into two classes:

1. Red painted 11 or red painted with impressed motifs which found parallels from Oboda 12

and Petra 13 or inner circles with deeply incised lines (Fig. 3, n°1-6). This category features a great variety of decorative solutions and ceramic fabric. It will be studied during the 2011 campaign.

2. Zig-zag incised motifs and palmette motifs impressed similar to local at-Tuwayr models (Fig. 4, n°1-6) 14 . This category of materials presents at least two types of fabric, both very common among the Pre-Islamic materials found at this site:

a. Fabric 2a. The fragments in Fig. 4, n° 1-2, 4-6 feature a fabric ranging in colour from orange to beige, with white or beige external surfaces and natural interiors.

The fabric has circular or elongated white nodules (less than 2 mm) in irregular quantities on surfaces of ne grey sand, whiteish, round and pointed quartz (?) (less than 2 mm) (Fig. 5);

b. Fabric 5. The fragment in Fig. 4, no 3 features a fabric ranging from greenish to grey. The fabric has grey and brown pointed grains, with a small quantity of whiteish nodules (less than or = 2.3 mm) (Fig. 6). 12. Negev 1986: 62-72. 13. Khairy 1983: Fig. 15, type 6-8. 14. al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 207-215

Locally made Nabataean table ware

A huge amount of juglets (Fig. 7, n°1-5) 15 , jars (Fig. 8, n°1-4) 16 and bowls (Fig. The ceramic repertory that can be attributed to this category features several types of fabric used to make the same forms. As an example let us look at the at bottomed bowl in Fig. 9 that came to light in abundance. These bowls, locally made, feature at least 3 different types of fabric:

Pottery items from Sector C

The ceramic ware to emerge from the excavations conducted in sector C is generally in a less well preserved state than the materials found in sector A, making it more dif cult to analyze the forms. The material is quite homogeneous on account of the lack of elements from the Islamic tradition and the coarse ware typical of the Late Islamic period, which was extremely abundant in the Islamic levels in sector A.

One can immediately recognize associations of materials from the Nabataean period, characterized by a variety of forms which partially conform to what was found in sector A, and materials from the Roman-Byzantine era (Fig. 13). In reality, it is only the Nabataean pottery that enables us to recognize a phase of occupation that can be securely dated. The materials that can be ascribed to Roman-Byzantine phases have no particularly distinctive features. The type of fabric and forms identi ed to date can be assimilated to the levels dating from the 2 nd -6 th century AD found in sector A.

Nabataean ware from sector C

According to the materials found in sector A we can recognize various Nabataean pottery items from sector C. As seen above these categories can be dated to the 1 st -2 nd cent AD.

It is possible to distinguish two kinds of decorated pottery and a type of table ware:

Nabataean decorated ware from sector C

1. Red painted or circles with deeply incised lines decorated ware. A small number of red painted ware 22 with or without circles with deeply incised lines (Fig. (Fig. 5). This kind of decorated sherds came from levels 2021 (Fig. 16, n°10-13), 2022, 2027, 2033 and 2036 (Fig. 15, n°1-5, 9). It comprises jars, juglets and bowls.

Nabataean table ware from sector C

As in sector A, a huge amount of pottery items of every day usage came from levels 2033, 2036 (Fig. 15, n°6-8, 10), [START_REF]Hamdû Timmâs[END_REF], 2011, 2013, 2021 (Fig. 16, n°1-9, 14-15) (Fig. 16, n°1-9, 14-15).

This pottery type is ascribable to Nabataean pottery models from Jordan (Fig. 9, n°2, 3-4, 6-9 from sector A) 24 . The peculiar feature, as seen in sector A, is the locally made paste: type 2a (Fig. 5). Only jars, juglets and bowls were collected.

Main objectives

-Surveying the enclosure wall located northwest of Dûmat al-Jandal (sector C).

-Surveying the surrounding environment (water channels, roads, walls, recent infrastructure, slope lines [ridges, talwegs, cliffs, embankments], grid level points inside and outside the enclosure wall to get an overall view of relief and a better interpretation of the site).

-Linking of enclosure wall area (sector C) with the excavations of sector A, and localization on the plan of 1986 soundings by Saudi team, in a common coordinate system detailed below.

Equipment

Differential GPS LEICA SYSTEM 500 (Figs. 12).

Coordinate system

Coordinate System used is UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator), based on the so-called "Mercator" projection. Topographic survey conducted in RTK (real time) in a UTM approach system with an accuracy of ve meters from the exact system both in altimetry and in planimetry. Centimetric precision obtained in real time is the vector between the pivot and the mobile station. It becomes centimeter accuracy when the pivot is positioned at a known point, or when it is positioned for enough time to calculate its location using permanent networks.

Coordinate System

Local coordinate system in planimetry (close to the origin) + approximate height system, calculated by interpolation contours of a map rendered by photogrammetry (aerial photography taken in 1976).

Coordinate System

UTM approached by planimetry. Conservation height of 2009 system.

Note: All data point coordinates are derived from this "local" system.

Procedure

-General observations, visit of sites.

-Search for traces of the enclosure wall, interpretation of visible elements, sketch drawings, research of existing stations used in 2009.

-Topographic survey with DGPS.

-Data export process, controls and plan restitution on software Autocad Covadis.

Station points and references located in the system

Historic area

-Station A (altitude reference) (dot on a concrete base) (Fig.

Notes

A few days before the end of the 2010 season we localized two referenced points which may be used in the UTM system (Figs. 9-12). They have the form of a concrete base, with a metal rod and a "dot" inserted indicating coordinates (E, N, EL) of the point. They are located two kilometers northeast of Qasr Mârid.

After locating these points, we observed an inconsistency between this system and our own. As we do not know their origin and the manner in which they were calculated, our system was kept. to surveying, de ned as the complex of actions required to obtain "integrated knowledge" of the architectural artefact to be conserved and protected.

The survey results had to ful ll some speci c quali cations:

1. provide detailed metric and morphological information, with particular reference to construction peculiarities, in order to allow future stylistic investigations of the archaeological remains; The archaeological remains were recorded with a total station Leica TCR 407 to measure the spatial coordinates of detail and control points for the quick digital photogrammetric survey (Fig. 1).

All local plans have been georeferenced to the general site plan.

Photogrammetric survey was performed with a semimetric digital camera Canon Powershot S80 8.0Mpx equipped with a 24 mm calibrated lens. Photogrammetric shots were divided in strips (photographic coverage with a minimum overlap of 30% between individual images) corresponding to the single different walls (Figs. 2a-2b) and the geological longitudinal sections for the stratigraphy study (Fig. 3), both in sector A and C. Photogrammetric procedures and ortorecti cation of images were used for lines and edges CAD reconstruction and automatic extraction of points.

Photogrammetric measurements and automatic image matching were used to compute external orientation parameters with bundle adjustment using the topographic points.

The resulting planimetric and altimetric residuals were lower than 1 cm. Photogrammetric procedures were therefore used to compute the external orientation parameters of all images in the ortorecti cation process through the application of a trinocular recti cation algorithm and image feature matching to eliminate geometrical and optical distortions.

As nal results were CAD produced vector plans of single archaeological structures, general sector A and C plans (Fig. 4) and a digital archive of ortorecti ed images with both geometric and morphological data (Fig. 5). The archaeological remains found in the oasis are both original and surprising for the quality of their construction. Their study is sure to provide many discoveries to come.

Finally, the site is truly beautiful. It goes without saying that local and international tourism will develop quickly, and we hope our research will contribute to the popularity of the oasis. On the whole the wealth of the ceramic assemblage in each period is due to the local features of the vessels, which renders them dif cult to date and classify (Siméon, The Recording System). A rst attempt at dating the 10 recognized levels, however, was proposed by R. Loreto as a basis to establish the chronological sequence of the site (Loreto, Sector A).

The western enclosure was also targeted for excavations in 2010, in addition to the architectural and topographic survey (Charloux et al., Sector C; Morel, Topogra-phy). Test soundings have sought to understand the construction processes of the en-closure and to recover pottery assemblages in situ for dating (sounding 1).

Approxi-mate dating is to the 1 st -4 th century AD (most probably 1 st -2 nd cent.), but we need further studies, among them C14, to be sure of this. We also tried to determine the function of the enclosure by digging in both its perimeter (sounding 3) and a monumental wall outside (sounding 2). It should be noted that this segment should now be the object of speci c maintenance, to protect the brick with a thick coating of plaster.

The cleaning and presentation

In the future, the focus of the Project should be primarily on surveys of the oasis and the study of scattered archaeological remains. Many structures remain to be discovered and put on the GIS map of the site. The high population growth now characterising Dûmat al-Jandal is another constraint in our work and an obligation to achieve results fast.

New archaeological soundings will also give a more accurate chronological picture, in both sectors A and C. In particular, sector A will offer the opportunity to carry out an extensive excavation in order to recognize the ancient urban development of the historic center. The opportunity to carry on with regular excavations at Dûmat al-Jandal (ancient Adummatu) will give us important information about the most ancient settlement's periods of the al-Jawf oasis and the opportunity to know the complex political, economic and social relationships linking the historical actors of these ancient periods in Saudi Arabia.

Finally, the protection of the archaeological remains, important but also costly, must be done in collaboration with the Saudi authorities.

Through this fi rst report, we hope to have put in place the foundations for a global re ection on the oasis and a fruitful collaboration between Saudi, Italian and French parties, with a constant concern for fairness and respect for each other.

Guillaume Charloux & Romolo Loreto

September 14th, 2011

  al-Mu ayqil for his tireless participation and support of the Saudi-Italian-French project in Dûmat al-Jandal, to Prof. Christian Julien Robin for his friendship and constant advice, and to Dr. Geoff Emberling for his useful comments on this report. 2010 Season at Dûmat al-Jandal Guillaume Charloux & Romolo Loreto In June 2008 Alessandro de Maigret was invited by the Supreme Commission of Tourism in Riyâdh to carry out an archaeological survey on the site of Dûmat al-Jandal, in the Saudi province of al-Jawf, after the approval of an "Italian proposal for research at Dûmat al-Jandal" by the Research Committee of the Saudi General Organization for Tourism and Antiquities (GOTA). In 2009 GOTA in Riyâdh, under the direction of Alî I. al-Ghabbân, granted Alessandro de Maigret permission to undertake archaeological excavations on the site, under the patronage of the Italian Institute for Africa and Orient in Rome and with the support of the president Gherardo Gnoli. A formal Joint Cooperative Agreement for a period of ve years was signed at Riyâdh on May 5 in the presence of HH. Prince Sultân bin Salman bin 'Abdulaziz and the Italian Ambassador Eugenio D'Auria. A rst archaeological campaign was carried out between April 23 and May 7 2009.

  Institute for Africa and Orient University of Naples "L'Orientale" (Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici) French National Center for Scienti c Research (UMR 8167, Orient et Méditerranée) Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Financing for the 2010 project was provided by: Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in Riyâdh French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE) French Embassy in Riyâdh, Service de coopération et d'action culturel (SCAC) French National Center for Scienti c Research (CNRS) UMR 8167, Orient & Méditerranée, "Composante Mondes sémitiques" Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE/DGSP) Italian Institute for Africa and Orient

Fig. 3 .

 3 Fig. 3. Central historic area of D mat al-Jandal oasis, looking south-east

  1. Loreto R. Joint Saudi-Italian archaeological project at Dûmat al-Jandal. Preliminary report of the 1 st excavation campaign (2009), at the Ancient Arabia Colloquium, Cambridge -Clare Hall (July 2010). 2. Loreto R. Dûmat al-Jandal (Arabia Saudita): fonti testuali e prime testimonianze archeologiche dell'antica Adumatu, at the University of Naples "L'Orientale" -Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici. (March 2011).

3 .

 3 Charloux G. Dûmat al-Jandal, une oasis sur les pistes caravanières d'Arabie saoudite, at the Paris A CNRS of ce, Ivry-sur-Seine (May 2011) 4. Charloux G. & Loreto R. Dûmat al-Jandal (Arabie saoudite), premières explorations de l'oasis par la Mission archéologique Italo-franco-saoudienne, Note d'information at the Institut de France -Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (May 2011). 5. Charloux G. & Loreto R. The Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project in Saudi Arabia, at the 15 th Rencontres Sabéennes, in Moscow (May 2011). 6. Loreto R. The Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project at Dûmat al-Jandal (Ancient Adumatu). A rst relative chronological sequence for Dûmat al-Jandal. Architectural elements and pottery items, at the Seminar for Arabian Studies in London -British Museum (July 2011). 7. Charloux G. Known and Unknown Archaeological Monuments in Dûmat al-Jandal, at the Seminar for Arabian Studies in London -British Museum (July 2011). D ma I 8. Charloux G. Dûmat al-Jandal, une oasis sur les pistes caravanières d'Arabie saoudite, at the French International High School, Riyâdh (october 2011) 9. Charloux G. Dûmat al-Jandal, une oasis sur les pistes caravanières d'Arabie saoudite, at the French Embassy, Riyâdh (october 2011) 10. Loreto R. The Saudi-Italian-French Project at Dûmat al-Jandal, at the Italian Embassy, Riyâdh (october 2011) 6. Publications 1. de Maigret A. 2010. Joint Saudi-Italian Archaeological Project at Dûmat al-Jandal. Preliminary Report of the First Excavation Campaign (2009). Newsletter di Archeologia CISA (L'Orientale). Vol. 1: 67-83. 2. Loreto R. 2011. Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project in Saudi Arabia. Dûmat al-Jandal 2010. The excavation of Sector A. Newsletter di Archeologia CISA (L'Orientale). Vol. 2: 179-217. 3. Charloux G. & Loreto R. 2011. Deserto Verde. Archeo, Attualità del Passato 321 (november): 26-37. 4. Charloux G., Loreto R., al-Tirâd A. K., al-Qa îd A. A., al-Dayîl A. I., al-Mâlikî T. A., Marcolongo A., Morel Q., al-Qahtânî D. M., al-Qahtânî M. H., Schiettecatte J. & Siméon P. 2012. Dûmat al-Jandal, Immémoriale oasis d'Arabie Saoudite. Archéologia 495 (january): 46-55. In press 5. Charloux G. in press. Known and Unknown Archaeological Monuments in Dûmat al-Jandal. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 2011. 6. Charloux G. & Loreto R. in press. Dûmat al-Jandal (Arabie saoudite), premières explorations de l'oasis par la Mission archéologique italo-franco-saoudienne. CRAIBL 2010. 7. Loreto R. in press. The Saudi-Italian-French Archaeological Project at Dûmat al-Jandal (Ancient Adumatu). A rst relative chronological sequence for Dûmat al-Jandal. Architectural elements and pottery items. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 2011.

Fig. 1 .Fig. 2 .

 12 Fig. 1. Localization of Dûmat al-Jandal in the Arabian Peninsula, and the main roads of Arabia

Fig. 4 .

 4 Fig. 4. Map of the Region of Dûmat al-Jandal, after Carruther 1922b: 414

In the 19

 19 th century the inhabitants of the oasis could rely on cattle, camels and goats, and these animals were rarely killed for meat. The supply of animal fat and sheep depended on the Bedouin. The hunting of wild animals, which continued throughout the 20 th century, ensured a more varied diet: antilopes, ostriches, hares, partridges 41 . In an extraordinary episode dating from the Moslem conquest of the oasis in 630, two wild "horned cows" (oryx?), frequently depicted in cave paintings, came to rub their horns against the gates of the stronghold, encouraging the sovereign Ukaydir to go out hunting, bringing him straight into the trap set for him by Khâlid bin al-Walîd, a companion of the Prophet 42 . We also know the presence of foxes in the area 43 . A caracal, or desert cat, has recently been sighted in Harrat al-Harrah 44 .

Fig. 5 .

 5 Fig. 5. The oasis during the 19 th century, photograph by Musil 1927

  the case of the rst two, Assyrian and biblical sources, at least three places in the Near-East bearing the name Dûma -Dûmat al-Hîra, Dûmat al-Jandal and one other to the north-east of Damascus 51 -could lay claim to being Biblical Dûma and Adummatu. The situation of the oasis of Dûmat al-Jandal, isolated in the centre of the desert of Northern Arabia, is generally recognised to best correspond to the few indications given in the Assyrian sources. The most convincing con rmation of the correct identi cation of the oasis comes from the discovery of several Nabataean inscriptions in the region of Jawf which in turn allude to the name of "Dûmat". Moreover, between the 8 th and 5 th century BCE the region of Dûmat al-Jandal was in all likelihood one of the centres of the tribal confederation of Qedar (Cedar) 52 . These two names are found in association not only in the Assyrian annals (Adummatu / Qedar) but also in biblical texts (Dûma / Qedar). What is more, the Qedarites venerated Atarshamein 53 and Han-'Ilat (Allât), as we know from three silver bowls discovered at Tell al-Maskhutah in the far east of the Nile Delta which were offerings made to Han-49. Genèse 25:14: 55; Chroniques 1:30: 443. 50. Isaïe 21:11: 1112. Confusion between Dûma and Edom (Idumée), which has the same root ('dm), may exist in this case

'

  Ilât (one by Qainu, son of Geshem, king of Qedar)54 . Atarshamein belongs to the groups of divinities brought by Sennacherib when he captured Adummatu. This divinity is also mentioned in the Thamoudic or Safaïtic graf ti found in the region of Jawf, together with two other divinities Rudâ, Nuhai 55 , also mentioned by Essarhaddon. As for the Arab Venus Alilat/Alitta, she is twice referred to by Herodotus in connexion with Cambyses' campaign in Egypt in the 5 th century 56 .Assyrian and biblical sources indicate that the Qedarites were nomadic groups living in tents in the desert with their ocks and camels. Their territory was located on the western frontier of Babylonia, probably stretching to the western limit of the fertile crescent since in about 652 BCE they invaded the eastern part of Transjordan. The invasion ended in defeat and the stipulation of a treaty between Assurbanipal and Qedar, signed by Iauta ( m Ia-ú-ta-'), son of Hazael 57 . In 599 BCE Nebuchadnezzar sent his army to attack the Qedarite encampments in the western part of the Syrian desert, an episode recounted by the prophet Jeremiah 58 . In the 5 th century BCE the territory of Qedar extended as far as Sinaï, after the Qedarites had helped the Persians against the Egyptians 59 .

Fig. 6 .

 6 Fig. 6. Approximate fac-Simile published by Torrey 1934: 30, written and given to him by a Jou

Fig. 7 .Fig. 8 .Fig. 9 .

 789 Fig. 7. Rubbing of a Nabatean Inscription from the Jawf Region (after Savignac & Starcky 1957: pl. V)

  to the Moslem conquest Arab sources speak of the presence of the tribe of Kalb 101 at Dûma and in the north of Arabia. The "Banû Kinâna, Banû AbdWadd and Banû Âmir al-Akhdâr" 102 , all installed in the region of Dûma, seem to have been subgroups of the powerful Bedouin tribe 103 . It is likely that this tribe had long been in occupation, probably since the 1 st millennium BCE, of a vast territory to the north of Arabia, stretching from the south of Syria to the region of Hâ'il. A Thamoudic graf ti "O Rûda, the petition of Kalb is here", found at Sakâkâ, appears to link the Kalb with the ancient Arab god Rudâ, mentioned in other graf ti 104 and in Neo-Assyrian texts. The tribe of Kalb 96.According to I. Shahid (1995: 35): "The presumption is that this branch of Kinda [the Sakûn] was in charge of the defense of wâdî al-Sirhân as early as the period of the reorganization of the Limes Orientalis around 530".

  628 123 . The Prophet sent 'Abd al-Rahmân bin 'Awf to Dûma at the head of 700 men to convert the inhabitants to Islam, culminating in the marriage of 'Abd al-Rahmân bin 'Awf with Tumadîr bint al-Asbagh bin 'Amr al-Kalbî, the daughter of the Christian chief of the Kalb tribe 124 . The third military expedition in 630 came after the battle of Tabuk, in view of the Byzantine threat from the north 125 . Khâlid bin al-Wâlid was sent with 420 men to Dûmat al-Jandal to attack Ukaydir. The trap set for Ukaydir led to the death of his brother Hassân in the struggle. An agreement was nally reached enabling Khalîd to enter the oasis. Ukaydir was granted a pardon by the Prophet at Medina, and consented to pay a tribute. According to al-Balâdhûrî, he converted to Islam but violated the treaty and ed towards Dûmat al-Hîra 126 . Ukaydir may have been slain by Khâlid, but there are different traditions about the fate of this sovereign of Dûma.

119.

  See article by Veccia Vaglieri 2010.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Schematic map of the oasisarea partly surveyed in 2010 (inside the red limits)

2 .

 2 The second begins at the Sûq Khattâb, to the north-west of the Qasr Mârid, and goes northwards in a straight line, to the base of the al-Jâl mountain, along the side of the present-day asphalt road. It was noted on a photograph of Shakespear in 1914 14 and on the 1964 aerial photograph.13.al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 306, pl. LI-LII. 14.Carruthers 1922: 408b.

Fig. 3 .Fig. 2 .

 32 Fig. 3. The "al-Suhaym" rampart (numbered 1 in Fig. 2)

  1909) and reconstructions, as indicated by changes in masonry and the state of the ruins, notably the very high west wall which has horizontal anchor points indicating the start of walls and the existence of rooms at least 10 m above the courtyard. al-Mu ayqil 31 identi es ve construction phases and dates the rst one to the turn of the 1 st century based on the quality of the masonry and the discovery of Nabataean pot sherds at the bottom of a sounding dug in the courtyard but which had no connections with walls.2. A more recent annex to the south comprising a courtyard and mosque, dominated by a round tower to the south situated on a rocky outcrop. Another tower protects a well on the north-west side.

Fig. 4 .Fig. 6 .

 46 Fig. 4. Qasr Mârid, from the north, reconstructed at the end of the 20 th century

Fig. 7 .

 7 Fig. 7. Qasr Farha (?), photographed by Musil 1927: 160

Fig. 8 .

 8 Fig. 8. Supposed location of al-Qusayr. GeoEye-1 © GeoEye; <2011>; Distributed by e-GEOS (for GE-1 and IKONOS)

  5 x 10 m), open to the north, is rectangular and located against the qibla wall facing south southwest. It is reached by the door in the western wall of the mosque after climbing the stairs. Three rows of stone pillars (respectively 10, 10 and 9 pillars) support a reconstructed ceiling made of tamarisk wood beams and khûr. It is possible to climb onto the upper terrace from the entrance staircase.

Fig. 11 .

 11 Fig. 11. Plan of the 'Umar bin al-Khattâb mosque, from al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 209

Fig. 12 .

 12 Fig. 12. The minaret of the 'Umar bin al-Khattâb mosque

Fig. 14 .Fig. 15 .Fig. 16 .Fig. 17 .

 14151617 Fig. 14. Openings in the interior masonry of well PU1, near Qasr Mârid, looking north-west

Fig. 18 .Fig. 19 .

 1819 Fig. 18. Well PU11 and the surrounding structures GeoEye-1 © GeoEye; <2011>; Distributed by e-GEOS (for GE-1 and IKONOS)

Fig. 20 .

 20 Fig. 20. qanât line, looking west

Fig. 22 .

 22 Fig. 22. Illegal excavation of a cairn, looking north Fig. 23. Circular stone structure, looking east

  Romolo Loreto (University of Naples, "L'Orientale") Sector A was excavated between 5 October and 4 November, in the presence of the author, Dr. Andrea Marcolongo, Thâmir al-Mâlîki and 'Abdul 'Azîz al-Dâyil. Excavation activities concerned the trench dug in 2009 (Sector A) and new extensions of the area in question, namely the eastern ank of the acropolis beneath Mârid Castle, presumably the site of the oldest Nabataean and Assyrian settlement. In the topographic grid drawn up in 2009, Sector A corresponds to Quadrant N6 (20 x 20 m), square I (10 x 10 m). The 2009 excavation focused in particular on sectors N6-Ib, c, d (Figs. 1-5). The program of the second campaign in Sector A had the following objectives: 1. complete excavation of Quadrant N6-Ia and extend the limits of trench southwards, in Quadrant N6-II a, b, c, d. This extension was designed to bring to light the archaeological structures and Levels concerning wall M6, discovered during the previous campaign, whose construction technique and relative ceramic ware can be ascribed to the Pre-Islamic era, and more precisely to the Late Nabataean/Roman-Byzantine epoch (Figs. 5-6);2. undertake a systematic de nition of an extensive excavation area that goes beyond the exploratory and test digging carried out in the 2009 campaign and will bring to light the oldest structures that lie beneath the medieval village. This will yield more data concerning the site's occupation phases and provide a rst chronological sequence covering both the Islamic and the Pre-Islamic periods;3. de ne a rst typological classi cation of the Pre-Islamic ceramic ware of ancient Dûmat al-Jandal and thus of the north-eastern area of the Arabian peninsula.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Archaeological map of the site of Dûmat al-Jandal at the end of the 2009 campaign. General layout of the medieval village of Hayy ad-Dira' beneath Mârid Castle

Fig. 2 .Fig. 3 .Fig. 4 .Fig. 6 .

 2346 Fig. 2. Layout of the excavation trench at the end of the 2009 campaign and location of Sector A in the archaeological map. Quadrant N6-Ia-d

  re-used pottery items) (Fig. 57) 1st century BC-1st century AD from the 4 th -6 th century AD (dating based on the ceramic ware found in the reused Levels of Building A) back to the 1 st century BC, i.e. to the Early Nabataean period indicated by the pottery found in the foundation Levels of Building A (luxury eggshell and sigillata orientale ceramic ware) 1 .

Fig. 7 .Fig. 9 .

 79 Fig. 7. Sector A at the end of the dig 2010, seen from the west. Size of trench 17.50 x 10 m. From Quadrant N6-Ia, b, c, d to southern Quadrant N6-IIa, b, c, d

  10), the rst structure to be excavated in 2009. It is a small stone wall, measuring 0.40 m in width, built on the surface of the hill (Level 1). It comprises only two courses of stone blocks laid on top of a layer of wind-borne sand (Level 2). Various ceramic fragments were picked up on the surface of the hill of the acropolis, both of Islamic and Pre-Islamic manufacture (Hellenistic, Nabataean and Byzantine). Among the surface nds we can mention a heavily oxydized bronze coin whose weight and size link it to a Pre-Islamic period, speci cally the Hellenistic-Roman era. This ephemeral structure, called M1, can be associated with a Late Islamic period relating to the last occupation phase of the village of Hayy ad-Dira' in the 18 th century AD.

Fig. 10 .

 10 Fig. 10. Wall M1. Late Islamic

Fig. 11 .Fig. 17 .Fig. 18 .Fig. 19 .Fig. 21 .Fig. 20 .

 111718192120 Fig. 11. Accumulation of wind-borne sand in Level 2 against and above walls M2, M10, M12 & M13

  24-25). Its walls, 0.45 m in width, are conserved to an average height of 2.30 m if measured from the internal surface of L6 and 1.60 m when measured from the open space L3. The walls were built using reused blocks of different sizes laid in an irregular fashion. The walls M2, M12, M13 and M10 must have comprised an upper part in mud-bricks (18 x 30 x 7 cm), found collapsed both inside L6 and outside the building's perimeter (Level 2a).

Fig. 24 .

 24 Fig. 24. Building L6 constructed on Level 3a and the open space L3 on top of M5

  27-31). The ceramic ware found on the surface of L6 and in the accumulation levels have not yet been studied, but the fabric and forms denote a production from the Islamic epoch of pottery in daily use.

Fig. 25 .

 25 Fig. 25. Building L6 built on Level 3a and the surface L3 on top of M5

Fig. 33 .

 33 Fig. 33. Building L6 built on top of Level 3 and M5. Seen from the west

Fig. 34 .

 34 Fig. 34. Level 3a covers the oldest Islamic structures (north half of trench, Quadrant N6-Ia-d). Seen from the south

Fig. 36 .Fig. 41 .Fig. 42 .Fig. 43 .Fig. 45 .

 3641424345 Fig. 36. Everyday Islamic pottery from Level 3. Flat bases

Fig. 47 .

 47 Fig. 47. Quadrant IIa. M11 (Early Islamic). M10 still visible in cross-section above Level 3b (Middle Islamic II-III)

Fig. 48 .Fig. 50 .

 4850 Fig. 48. Removal of the Middle Islamic structures made it possible to reach the structures relating to M6: M17, M20 pertaining to a building of impressive size and made using construction techniques which were more technologically advanced than the buildings in the medieval village

Fig. 52 .

 52 Fig. 52. M26, current northern edge of Building A

Fig. 53 .Fig. 54 .

 5354 Fig. 53. Building A and southern trench section, seen from the north

  e. the surface of compacted earth, measuring 0.20-0.30 m in depth, which constituted the ground level of Building A. L8, or Level 9, features a series of small stone blocks compacted with soil and some ceramic fragments. It is interesting to note that among the fragments used to compact L8 there were rims and walls of jars decorated with moulded motifs showing palmettes, clearly from the Nabataean tradition, and some bases and walls of elements of the sigillata orientale type. It appears possible that the builders of Building A used older materials when they laid the ooring of L8 (Figs.58-59).As the test dig progressed a new level emerged (Level 10) composed of a massive deposit of ne gravel and a very large quantity of ceramic ware, both in fragments and complete. This level was 1.30-1.50 m deep and lay directly on the bare rock on the eastern ank of the acropolis. It was clearly a technical expedient for creating a homogeneous surface, evening out the irregularities of the rocky outcrop, providing a horizontal base for Building A.

Fig. 57 .Fig. 59 .Fig. 60 .Fig. 61 .

 57596061 Fig. 57. Test dig in L8(3 x 4m). The dig revealed the system of foundations for Building A: a massive layer of ne gravel and discarded pottery (Level 10) was used to even out the irregularities of the rocky outcrop. Level 9 was then built on this base

Fig. 62 .Fig. 63 .Fig. 64 .

 626364 Fig. 62. Plan of the structures excavated in Quadrants Ib, Ic and IIa, IId

Fig. 65 .

 65 Fig. 65. sigillata orientale type sherd

  2009 campaign near M7, which has yielded Islamic ceramic ware with some fragments of typical glass paste bracelets. M8, M27 and M28 are all characterized by a rather poor quality construction technique. They comprise irregular stone courses to a height of 0.50-0.80 m, 0.50-0.65 m thick, surmounted by mud-bricks which are in part still visible in the eastern half of M8.

Fig. 66 .

 66 Fig. 66. M7. Early Islamic structures. Seen from the north-west

Fig. 69 .

 69 Fig. 69. Plan of the structures excavated and the relative chronological phases

  2, can be dated to a Late Islamic period. It is interesting to note that the oldest photos of the site of Dûmat al-Jandal and Mârid Castle, taken at the beginning of the 19th century, show the eastern ank of the hillside with none of the structures we have excavated visible. , UMR 8167), Abd al-Hâdî K. al-Tirâd (SCTA), Ahmad A. al-Qa îd (SCTA), Abd al-Azîz I. al-Dâyil (SCTA), Thâmir A. al-Mâlikî (SCTA), Andrea Marcolongo (CNR), Quentin Morel, Dar ân M. al-Qahtânî (SCTA), Mansûr H. al-Qahtânî (SCTA), Jérémie Schiettecatte (CNRS, UMR 8167) & Pierre Siméon (CNRS, UMR 8167) Sector C is located roughly 3 km west of Qasr Mârid, historical center of Dûmat al-Jandal, where the Saudi-Italian Project concentrated its efforts in 2009 and 2010.

Fig. 1 .Fig. 2 .Fig. 3 .

 123 Fig. 1. Satelitte image of Sector C (north on top, see fi g. 7). GeoEye-1 © GeoEye; <2011>; Distributed by e-GEOS (for GE-1 and IKONOS)

Fig. 4 .Fig. 5 .

 45 Fig. 4. Drawing of the Western Area of the Oasis (Enclosure wall at the bottom of the valley) byEuting (1896: 139)

3 .

 3 Archaeological sounding 2: cleaning up of a long water retention wall (?) located west of the enclosure wall; 4. Archaeological sounding 3: opening of a chrono-stratigraphic survey inside the enclosure; 5. Clearing of north-south facades of an enclosure segment on a distance of about 80 m.

.

  The identi ed layers are numbered DJ.10.C.2000 (DJ for Dûmat al-Jandal, 10 for 2010, C for the sector and 2XXX for the layer number) up to DJ.10.C.2XXX [note that, in the surveys and descriptions that follow, we have only indicated the nal number for convenience]. It is important to add that the number of the excavated layer (DJ.10.C.2XXX) corresponds to the number of so-called "Zanbil" (or bucket) in sectors A and B (DJ.10.B.2XXX). All important layers were sieved with an 7 mm mesh. . Similarly, diagnostic ceramic sherds were numbered DJ.10.C.2XXX-1 up to X, depending on the number of the layer in which they occurred. . An O. was added to the objects (DJ.10.C.O.2XXX-1 up to X), while P denotes the samples (DJ.10.C.P.2XXX-1 up to X). The descriptions of 19 walls, 16 loci, 49 layers, 85 diagnostic ceramic sherds, 2 objects and 10 samples were recorded in 2010 in four databases File Maker Pro (Walls, Locus, Individual sherd, Objects) plus a relational database (Zanbil-layer, Fig. 6). All these data can be imported into Access format, so as to integrate the different databases (Sectors A and C). The 742 photographs taken on the eld were also entered into a relational database FMPro (Fig. 6), based on those established at Madâ'in Sâlih and Najrân using an original model developed by Jérôme Hacquet (CNRS, UMR 9993, Musée Guimet). After cleaning by a workman, the ceramic ware from sector C was classi ed, photographed, drawn and stored by P. Siméon, ceramologist and archaeologist. The drawings were checked by G. Charloux. Descriptions were entered into the database by G. Charloux. The plans of the three soundings of sector C were made by photogrammetry, by Andrea Marcolongo, architect, using vertical photographs taken from a metal rod. The benchmarks were taken on the eld by G. Charloux and A. Marcolongo, with a total station Leica TCR 407. The import and calculations were performed by G. Charloux on Autocad and Covadis. The readjustments and drawings were made by A. Marcolongo, with veri cations by G. Charloux.

Fig. 6 .Fig. 7 .

 67 Fig. 6. FMPro Database of layers (top) and images (bottom)

Fig. 9 .

 9 Fig. 9. Unit 1, looking south

Fig. 8 .Fig. 10 .Fig. 12 .Fig. 13 .

 8101213 Fig. 8. Topographic plan of unit 1, looking south

Fig. 15 . 3 Fig. 16 .Fig. 17 .

 1531617 Fig. 15. Topographic plan of unit 3

Fig. 18 . 19 . 3 Fig. 20 .

 1819320 Fig. 18. Stronghold's box cleared in 1986, looking east Fig. 19. Architectural cut between a stronghold and the western enclosure wall unit 3

Fig. 21 .Fig. 23 .

 2123 Fig. 21. Northern wall line (unit 4), from the west

Fig. 24 .Fig. 25 .Fig. 26 .Fig. 27 .

 24252627 Fig. 24. Southern wall line (unit 7), on top of the promontoire, looking west

Fig. 28 . 2 Fig. 29 .Fig. 30 .

 2822930 Fig. 28. Inner partition wall (unit 8), seen from the west

Fig. 31 .Fig. 33 . 6 Fig. 34 .

 3133634 Fig. 31. Topographic plan of units 5 and 9

Fig. 35 .

 35 Fig. 35. Large structure visible on top of the promontoire, looking north

Fig. 37 .Fig. 38 .Fig. 40 .

 373840 Fig. 37. Sounding 1 plan, sector C

Fig. 41 .

 41 Fig. 41. Building L2002, sounding 1, looking south

Fig. 42 .

 42 Fig. 42. Building L2002, sounding 1, looking north

Fig. 44 .

 44 Fig. 44. Accumulation of silt and eolian sand above building L2002 , sounding 1, looking south

  yellow eolian sand on rock 2019, following the slope of the latter 2015: series of thin horizontal orange-yellow eolian sands, of ne gray gravel layers, and of 12 cm thick beige-brown silt. 2007: thin horizontal layer of beige-brown silty clay, on top of which wall M2001 was founded. 2010: series of thin horizontal layers of orange-yellow eolian sand.

  45): M2002 (mud-brick wall forming the eastern part of the enclosure) is unusual in being based on a cluster of blocks located in the extension of the lling of the foundation pit. The western part of this cluster is relatively well organized and properly prepares the installation of wall M2002. Therefore the lling of the foundation pit of M2002 abuts against the eastern face of wall M2001.

Fig. 45 .

 45 Fig. 45. Enclosure composed of two walls M2001 (right) and M2002 (left), sounding 1, looking south-west

Fig. 46 .

 46 Fig. 46. Sounding 1 at the end of the 2010 season, looking south

Figs. 47

 47 Figs. 47-48. Floor L2001, before and after clearing, sounding 1, looking west

Fig. 50 .

 50 Fig. 50. Floor L2001 and sherds belonging to jar DJ.10.C.2013-7, sounding 1, looking west

Fig. 49 .

 49 Fig. 49. Jar rim DJ.10.C.2013-7 found above oor L2001, sounding 1, looking south

Fig. 51 . 2 Sounding 2 ,

 5122 Fig. 51. South section (exterior); hardened surface L2012 on the mud-brick layer abutting the buttress M2003, sounding 1, looking south

Fig. 55 . 3 Sounding 3

 5533 Fig. 53. Sounding 2

Fig. 59 .Fig. 61 .

 5961 Fig. 59. Sounding 3 plan, sector C

Fig. 62 .

 62 Fig. 62. Sounding 3, looking south

Fig. 64 .

 64 Fig. 64. Upper level of sounding 3, looking north-east

  photograph published in 1976 which does not show any crop in the area 14 .

Fig. 66 .

 66 Fig. 66. Upper level of sounding 3, looking north

Fig. 69 .

 69 Fig. 69. South faces of walls M2013 (top) and M2015 (bottom), sounding 3, looking north

Fig. 72 .

 72 Fig. 72. Floor L2015 on top of layer 2041, looking north

. 2037 :

 2037 beige sandy silt, very bedded, clearly distinguishing the upper and lower layers over the entire sounding. The archaeological material found in layer 2037 is associated with wall M2013, present on the oor surface created by 2038 (L2014). No material was observed lying on this oor. Under layer 2037 was located layer 2038, a very speci c brown to beige-orange silty soil. It corresponds to layer 2039 to the south. The two layers 2037 and 2039 were cut by a large pit, numbered 2040, lled with clayey silty soil, beige coloured on top and dark brown in its lower part. This pit has been located at the end of the clearing of 2039, which implies that the material registered with numbers 2037 and 2039 got mixed with that of 2040 during the excavation. The bottom of the pit ll 2040, very dark and compact, has instead been excavated with more care in sands 2041/2042 (Figs. 61, 70-71). The circular hole measuring 130-80 cm wide and 135 cm in height has a pronounced slope towards the east. Layer 2041 is made of melted mud-bricks, collapsed on the eolian sand. Its bottom indicates the location of a oor L2015 (Fig. 72), identi ed in plan and section. No material has been recovered in place. The mud-bricks (32 x 23 x 9 cm) visible in the section are oblique and parallel due to their fall. They are still linked by a gray-green silty mud mortar, quite compact and hard 15 .

Fig. 73 .Fig. 74 .

 7374 Fig. 73. Topographic plan of the south segment of unit 3, cleared and studied in 2010, with location of sections

Fig. 75 .Fig. 77 .

 7577 Fig. 75. Western face of the enclosure wall segment (unit 3) excavated in 1986, before cleaning, looking north

  protected from rain, using suitable mud coating. Local authorities ( Abd al-Hâdî al-Tirâd, Ahmad al-Qa îd), were informed of this critical aspect and assured us of their help with the arrival of specialist workers on site during the next study season in 2011 (Figs. 82-83).

Fig. 81 .

 81 Fig. 81. Cleaning of the eastern face of the enclosure wall (unit 3), looking north

4 .

 4 Only diagnostic sherds were drawn3 . The drawings were made on tracing and graph paper (A3 format) at the scale 1/1. The indicated diameter is in all cases the outer diameter (exact or approximate). The vessel pro le is placed to the left. Under the drawing is indicated the number of the pottery sherd, its fabric number (denoted P1 to 22 so far) or, alternatively, and a description of the surface treatment and the decoration (color, texture, inclusions). All technical or morphological comments were also noted in the drawing. 5. Extra time was spent at the end of the mission to check the drawings 4 . A rst series of pottery vectorization was performed on site by R. Loreto (78 drawings) and by myself (208 drawings); the largest part of the "scanning" and vectorization was conducted in Italy and France. Diagnostic pottery sherds were recorded in the Pottery Database by the archaeologists with the following rubrics: Locus number / Sherd number in locus / Fabric number / Form, function / Diameter / Vessel Part/ Decoration technique / Decoration / Slip / Comments. These rubrics were discussed and accepted by all the participants.

6 .

 6 Finally the bulk of uncovered material from 2010 campaign (about 125 buckets) was cleaned, and stored away from dust. The entire protocol was facilitated by the excellent working conditions (of ces, storerooms, draft tables in the al-Jawf Museum) made available to us by our colleague, Ahmad al-Qa îd, director of the museum.

  Fig. 1a. Ceramic fabrics at Dûmat al-Jandal in 2010

  Fig. 1b. Ceramic fabrics at Dûmat al-Jandal in 2010

Fig. 2 .Fig. 3 .

 23 Fig. 2. Selection of sherds from Level 2

Fig. 5 .Fig. 6 .Fig. 7 .Fig. 8 .Fig. 9 .Fig. 10 .Fig. 11 .

 567891011 Fig. 5. Top: selection of sherd drawings from Level 5, Bottom: Photographs show only closed forms in Fabric 1. See also Loreto, Sector A, Figs. 8-9

Plate 2 .

 2 Initiation to drawing ceramic sherds: our Saudi colleagues Thâmir A. al-Mâlikî (top) and 'Abdul 'Azîz al-Dâyil (bottom) Further research plans . Complete the material study of Levels 2, 3, and 4 from 2010 campaign in sector A, corresponding to the extension of the excavations to the NE and SW.

  the acropolis (Sector A) and during excavation of the western enclosure wall (Sector C) display a wide variety of forms, fabrics and decorations making it possible to recognize multiple cultural traditions related to different periods.Excavation of Sector A, in a complex and articulate urban context which went through several overlapping phases of occupation, has made it possible to collect a series of associations of materials belonging to various cultural phases ranging from the Ottoman era to Early Islamic periods and from the Roman-Byzantine occupation to the Nabataean era. Finally a few materials enable us to identify traces of the Hellenistic and Partho-Sasanian traditions.Excavation of Sector C, on the contrary, points to a radically different context.Two decisive factors must be noted: in the rst place it was not an extensive excavation but a trial dig and thus offered only limited possibilities of collecting large quantities of materials; in the second place the excavation of forti ed areas whose function is neither properly residential nor urban but rather military or something else does not generally yield large quantities of material left by occupation unless in sectors close to gates or doorways. Leaving out of consideration the function ful lled by the city walls, the area of the settlement was not reoccupied after its abandonment. On the basis of the architectonic evidence, once the walls had ful lled their function, they were not reused for any purpose except as the source for building material for the modern town centre. Thus the repertory of ceramic ware yielded by this excavation is entirely devoid of materials from the Islamic tradition of the type found in Sector A. The pottery gathered belongs to a period going from the late Nabataean and Roman-Byzantine period.The ceramic ware was catalogued using an Access database including the stratigraphic units related to each excavation site. 150 lots (zanâbîl) were gathered, each weighing about 2.5 kg. The drawings of the pottery items are made by Pierre Siméon; the photographs and vectorization are the work of the present author and P. Siméon.Pottery items from Sector ADuring the 2010 campaign we studied the ceramic repertory yielded by the 2009 test dig and began to study the material yielded by the extensive 2010 excavation. The latter yielded such a large quantity of pottery (120 zanâbîl of which 30 just from the foundation level of building A -Level 10) that study of the materials can only be completed during the 2011 campaign. Here we present a chronological account based on the forms, decorations, fabrics and manufacturing techniques that make it possible to identify the cultural traditions underlying the ceramic associations found. This responds to the aim of the rst exploratory and trial excavations to establish a rst chronological sequence for ancient Adummatu. A typological study of the extensive, above all Pre-Islamic, material has to await the 2011 campaign.

Fig. 1 .Fig. 2 .

 12 Fig. 1. Byzantine items

11.

  Dekorgruppe I according to Schmid 2000: Figs. 73-77.

Fig. 3 .Fig. 4 .Fig. 6 .

 346 Fig. 3. Nabataean decorated ware

  with a paste locally made from level 10 present a strong similarity in shapes with Nabataean pottery from Jordan. The coarse bowls (Grouppe 1 and 6 according to Stephan Schmid) 18 are also common at Thâj 19 and Ab Kusheiba 20 .

Fig. 7 . 3 Fig. 9 .

 739 Fig. 7. Locally made Nabataean table ware (jars and juglets)

Fig. 10 .Fig. 14 .

 1014 Fig. 10. Fabric 1

  came from levels 2023 and 2035 (Fig.14, n° 1-4). The pastes and shapes will be studied during the next campaign together with sector A items. Actually it is possible to recognize only at bases and body fragments;22. Dekorgruppe I according toSchmid 2000: Figs. 73-77.

Fig. 13 .Fig. 14 .

 1314 Fig. 13. Roman-Byzantine sherds from sector C

  23.al-Mu ayqil 1994b: 207-215. 24. Gruppe 1 and Gruppe 6 according toSchmid 2000: Figs. 1-17, 44-51.

Fig. 15 .Fig. 16 .

 1516 Fig. 15. Nabataean sherds from sector C

Fig. 1 .Fig. 2 .

 12 Fig. 1. Quentin Morel using a differential GPS

  located on the plan (100510_ref.dwg). They are identi ed by a letter on the plan and indicated by a metal rod on the ground

Fig. 3 .FigFig. 4 .

 34 Fig. 3. Station A

Figs

  Figs b. 9-10. UTM1 (plan 110110.dwg)

2 .

 2 provide qualitative information through the detailed recording of actual color values and stone masonry of each single wall; 3. assure reliable documentation with extended levels of precision and accuracy (paramount in case of demolition) in order to allow the study of original demolished artifacts or in case of damage or conservation necessities; 4. share in the experimentation of new documentation methodologies based on digital surveying techniques.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Topographic survey, Sector A

Fig. 2b .Fig. 3 .

 2b3 Fig. 2b. Photogrammetric survey of wall, elevation

Fig. 4 .

 4 Fig. 4. Overall vector plan, Sector A

2 .

 2 Three main areas of research and activities were set up in October-November 2010 in accordance with the local authorities, represented by Abd al-Hâdî K. al-Tirâd, Ahmad A. al-Qa îd and Dr. Khalîl I. al-Mu ayqil.1. Survey of the oasis began in its western part and in its historic centre(Charloux et al., Survey 2010). At this stage it is no more than a simple overview of what the oasis contains, but it is already an important basis to x future research directions. The Project's objective is to obtain a complete picture of archaeological remains at Dûmat al-Jandal, but also the environmental context that enabled such a development, and to give an account of the site's evolution.The variety of archaeological remains is quite exceptional. Monumental structures of the 19 th century are found alongside cairns and stone circles. Emblematic monuments of Dûma, the mosque of Umar, and Qasr Mârid, stand side by side with the ruins of ancient villages, where the remains of monumental enclosures are still preserved in places. The hydraulic system is striking, composed of the well-known qanât. The ne constructed wells are vast, complex and unusual, with stairs and openings at different heights in masonry and cantilevered structures to draw water. The stone enclosure wall to the west of the city is impressive, with its many defensive bastions and buttresses. Over 2.5 km of walls, standing over 4 m high in places, are still preserved(Charloux et al., Sector C). Excavations in the historic area(Loreto, Sector A and Marcolongo, Topographic Survey) revealed a complex stratigraphic sequence spanning nearly 2000 years. The extensive deep sounding opened in 2009 revealed stone architectural entities up to the modern Islamic era. It brought to light the late Pre-Islamic levels (Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine) characterized by a huge architectonic building (Building A) and assemblages of ceramics and objects of pre-Islamic traditions. The Nabataean presence has again been con rmed by a recognizable archaeological assemblage at the bottom of the deep sounding (Loreto, Pre-Islamic Ceramic). To date no trace of the Assyrian presence mentioned in textual sources (Charloux & Loreto, Historic Sum- mary) has emerged. However, Hellenistic and Partho-Sassanian items were collected.

  of some archaeological remains was made at the request of Prof. A. al-Ghabbân. The clearing of a segment of wall in Sector C, partly uncovered in 1986, was completed in 2010. It also enabled us to study it (Charloux et al., Sector C).

Fig. 1 .Fig. 2 .Fig. 3 .

 123 Fig. 1. From left to right, Romolo Loreto, Abd al-Azîz I. al-Dâyil, Mansûr H. al-Qahtânî, Thâmir A. al-Mâlikî, Quentin Morel, Dar`ân M. al-Qahtânî, Pierre Siméon, Andrea Marcolongo & Guillaume Charloux

Fig. 4 .Fig. 7 .Fig. 8 .Fig. 9 .Fig. 10 .

 478910 Fig. 4. Abd al-Hâdî K. al-Tirâd, director of the al-Jawf Region Antiquities (SCTA), standing on the western enclosure wall

Fig. 13 .Fig. 15 .Fig. 16 .

 131516 Fig. 13. Jérémie Schiettecatte in the Museum of ce (CNRS, UMR 8167)

  table. The wells are now practically empty and deep level pumping has become the norm.

	35. Blunt 1881: 123; Wallin 1854: 148-149.
	36. Wallin 1854: 145; Forder 1902: 623.
	37. Still present today in the oasis.
	38. Wallin 1854: 150.
	39. Id.

40.

Blunt 1881: 114; Forder 1902: 623.

820, twice referred to the Bedouin oral traditions, recalling the link between the tribe of Kalb and a god named Wadd. The idol 111 , brought from an unknown locality by a person called Awf bin Udra 112 , was set up at Dûmat al-Jandal in the wâdî Qurâ 113 . The des- cendants of Awf bin Udra saw to the administration of the cult, and we know that it

  Kitâb al-Asnâm 110 the Abbasside savant Hishâm Ibn al-Kalbî, who died in about

	the idol thus: "It was the statue of a large man, the largest there could possibly be. He had
	two cloaks, wearing one, and with the other draped over him. A sabre at his waist, a bow
	on his shoulder, in his hands he held a spear adorned with a pennon and a quiver full
	of arrows". This description clearly calls to mind the representations of gods in the 1 st
	millennium BCE. The German-Saudi excavations at Taymâ' recently yielded a stela with
	a similar representation, in a style which recalls the neo-Assyrian tradition. Moreover the
	god Wadd was popular 114 in Northern Arabia in the 1 st millennium BCE among both the
	Mineans and the Nabataeans. He is also mentioned in the Qûran as calling on the popula-
	tions who had remained faithful to him, showing the cult's longevity.
	Together with this evidence of idolatry, the Arab authors refer to a Christian pre-
	sence at Dûma before the arrival of the prophet. According to al-Tabarî, the king of Dûma
	named Ukaydir was a Christian Kindite 115 . As Lecker pointed out, there is no indication
	of a decline in the cult of idols prior to the coming of Islam 116 . The Jewish and Christian
	monotheistic faiths did not have much of an impact on the illiterate local populations. In
	fact a Christian carpenter from Mekka named Abû Tijât, the son-in-law of a member of
	the family of the Umayyades, made his living by manufacturing idols 117 , in spite of the
	struggle waged by Islam against pagan images.
	In this context, and without any more exact information, there is no reason to
	suppose that different religious beliefs did not exist alongside one another at Dûmat
	al-Jandal prior to the arrival of Islam. A millennary cult of the idol Wadd could have
	persisted together with a Christian faith that may have re ected opportunism and geo-
	involved offerings in kind, in particular milk. A certain Abû al-Mundir al-Kalbî described political interests 118 .
	105. Veccia Vaglieri 2010.
	106. Porphyrius 1747: lib.II. 56: 165.
	107. Eusebius Pamphilius 1890: 1141.
	108. Stephanus Byzantinus 1678: 244.
	109. Cf. Hoyland 2001: 183-186.
	110. Ibn al-Kalbî 1969: 7, &7c; p. 46 and 47, &49d-51b.
	111. On the question of the idols, see Lecker 2005. 114. Lecker 2011, forthcoming.
	112. Awf bin Udra ibn Zayd-al-lât bin Rufayda bin Tawr bin Kalb bin Wabara bin Ta lib bin Imrân bin Qudâ a. 115. al-Tabarî 1990: 58.
	113. Today this wâdî is not part of the oasis, but the mention of the toponym also occurs in other medieval texts (al-Wâqidî: vol.3: 1), 116. Lecker 2005: 35-36.
	and according to C. Robin appears to refer to the oasis of al-Ulâ (cf. Robin 2008: 178), which denotes the imprecision of the words 117. Ibid.
	reported and perhaps confusion or elision of cities in Arabia. 118. Another solution would be that groups in the region with different origins (Kalb / Kindî) each possess their own beliefs.

  al-Balâdhûrî 2002: 96.

	In Kitâb al-Asnâm Ibn al-Kalbî relates that Khâlid returned later to Dûma to
	destroy the sanctuary of Wadd 127 , provoking the wrath of the god's worshippers, some
	of whom Khâlid put to the sword.
	Khâlid bin al-Walîd may also have captured Layla, the daughter of the Ghassanid
	military commander al-Jûdiyy 128 . However, de Goeje rejects this detail, arguing that the
	episode did not concern Dûmat al-Jandal but Dûmat al-Hîra 129 .

158. Owners of gardens lacking a well had to buy water from their neighbours. 159. Then during the 19 th century by the Sheikh of Shammar (Wallin 1854: 147). 160. Wallin 1854: 141-143; thirteen villages according to Guarmani 1866: 131; ten villages according to Musil at the beginning of the 19 th century (Musil 1927: 472-473); see al-Sudairi 1995: appendix IV for the description of quarters. 161. Sûk al-Rarb de

  19 th century, Wallin no longer speaks of separate villages but of twelve contiguous quarters 160 . The rst seven were located on the slope of the massif,

	from west to east: "1. Algharb 161 (subdivided into 6 units 162 , including Ibnu Huseiny, and
	'Ain Umm Salîm 163 mentioned by Burckhardt), 2. Alder' or Souk Ibn al-Der' [the oldest,
	around the mosque of 'Umar and Qasr Mârid] 164 3. Souk Alsa'îdiyîn ou Alsarrâh 165 [with
	a castle, Alkuseir] 166 , 4. Alrahîbiyîn 167 , 5. Al'alâg 168 , 6. Khadhmâ 169 , 7. Aldalhamiye 170 ;
	the others were on the valley oor: 8. Alkerâtîn to the west, 9. Alwâdî to the north (near a
	conical hill called Sabb'a) 171 , 10. Ghuttî to the north-east of Qasr Mârid, 11. Alsa'îdân (in
	Khadmâ), 12. Algar'âwy (between Khadhmâ and Aldalhamiye)".
	These quarters were inhabited by anything between 2 and 130 families and were
	the theatre of con icts 172 and alliances between tribal clans with ancestral origins, quite
	possibly nomadic: Shammar, Jubba and Shakrâ in Najd, Ruhaiba' village near the Syrian
	Hauran, and the wâdî Sirhân.
	Musil (1927: 472)
	162. "Ashwân, Ibnu Huseiny, Sinnâ' Almar'y, Algafriyé, 'Ein ummi Sâlim, Ibnu Ka'ayid".
	163. Szûk ain üm Szalim in Seetzen 1808: 387.
	164. Szûk el Dirreá, in Seetzen 1808: 387. It comprises 3 springs according to Wallin 1854: 142-143: "Alkubrà, Bard Zubeida, and
	'Ein Algamal".
	165. Called Shârâ by Huber (1891: 49) and Sûk as-Shara by Musil (1927: 472); Szûk es Szeijidijîn in Seetzen 1808: 387.
	166. The quarter is inhabited by ve tribes "Alsa'îdîn, Al'umar, Al'abbâs, Alsalmân, Alhaboob", according to Wallin (1854: 143).
	Threee of these names seem to correspond to the toponyms mentioned by Guarmani (1866: 132) El-Selman, El-Habbuh, El-Seidan.
	Beit Haboob mentioned by Palgrave 1866: 76.

  al-Jandal and in the region 173 , to whom we owe a great deal 174 .

	The rst surveys were carried in 1962 and 1967 by Winnett & Reed 175 . This short
	study concerns primarily the graf tes and inscriptions.
	The second expedition was supervised by the Saudi Authorities in 1976 176 and
	1977 177 . A small sounding delivered Nabatean and Roman material from lowest levels 178 .
	Numerous archaeological structures were observed and recorded, among them a wide
	rampart located west of the oasis 179 .
	The third campaign was undertaken in 1985-1986, under the direction of al-Dâyil
	and al-Shadûkhî 180 . Four places in the western part of the oasis were studied:
	1. Qasr Mârid area: six soundings were opened (trenches A1, B1, B2), exhuming a resi-
	dential quarter attributed to the Nabatean period 181 .
	2. "Al-Sunamiyât" in the center west of the oasis: the discovery of graves and human
	skeletons associated with the grave goods in seven soundings suggests an area ce-
	metery from the Nabatean period. There is perhaps the presence of monumental
	funerary structures 182 .
	3. "Al-Buhayrât": the two soundings have yielded no tangible results, although the re-
	lease of long parallel walls 183 .
	173. al-Mu ayqil 1994b.
	174. It is worth mentioning here the visits of M. Ghûl in 1968 and H. al-Jâsir in 1970 (see al-Jâsir 1981)
	175. Notably the visit of Winnett & Reed in 1962 (Winnett & Reed 1970).
	176. MC. Adams, Parr, Ibrahîm & al-Mughannum 1977.
	177. Parr, Zarins, Ibrâhîm, Waechter, Garrard, Clarke, Bidmead & al-Badr 1978.
	178. Ibid.: 37.
	179. Today.
	180. al-Dâyil & al-Shadûkhî 1986; al-Dâyil 1988.
	181. al-Dâyil & al-Shadûkhî 1986: 72.
	182. Ibid.: 74-76; al-Dâyil 1988: 37-40.
	183. al-Dâyil 1988: 40-41.

g r a p h i c a t t e s t a t i o n s at Hadhramawt (Yemen)

	Inscription Bâfaqih-al-Uqla : 1 Yd l Byn mlk rmt 2 bn R b l s¹yr d 3 gndl n Mrw h-s¹lqb E p i In pre-Islamic inscriptions the noun gndl occurs seven times, but this number should "Yada îl Bayân king of Hadhramawt | son of Ra ab îl came to|the gndl Marwah to
	not mislead. It always occurs in the same formula, in inscriptions from one site: al-Uqla be proclaimed ( ?)"
	(the name of a rocky outcrop isolated in the desert), about 15 kilometres west of Shabwa,
	the capital of ancient Hadhramawt.
	The numerous inscriptions from al-Uqla commemorate ceremonies that cannot be
	identi ed, apparently celebrated on the accession to the throne of a new sovereign. Most
	were found on the sides of a large rock surmounted by a small edi ce, at the foot and to
	the east of the outcrop of al-Uqla (zone A). Just one is incised on a large isolated rock,
	without any sign of a construction, to the west of the outcrop (zone B).
	Six of the seven inscriptions featuring the noun gndl (Ja 921 / 3; 923 / 3-4; 925 / 6;
	926 / 5-6; 928 / 6-7; 949 / 2, 3) were found in zone A. The gndl is systematically called
	Anwad um ( nwd m , hypothetical vocalisation). As an example, here is Ja 921 = RES 4910 =
	Pirenne E1 :
	1 l z Yl mlk =
	2 rmt bn m r s¹y=
	3 r d gndl n nwd m h-
	4 s¹lqb
	"Ilî azz Yalu king of Hadhramawt son of Ammîdhakhar, came to the gndl Anwad um ,
	to be proclaimed (?)"
	The seventh inscription was found in zone B. Here the gndl is called Marwah
	(Mrw , also hypothetical vocalisation).
	Beeston 1938: 317.
	2. Ph 29 and 52 correspond to Ja 928 (= RES 4852) and Ja 957 (RES 4878).
	3. Beeston 1939: 449.
	4. Jamme 1963: 39 (concerning Ja 921 = RES 4910 / 3).
	5. Pirenne 1990: 97.

Guillaume Charloux, Thâmir A. al-Mâlikî, Quentin Morel, Dar ân M. al-Qahtânî & Pierre Siméon Archaeological Monuments in the Oasis The 2010 Survey

	Guillaume Charloux (CNRS, UMR 8167), Thâmir A. al-Mâlikî (SCTA), Quentin Morel,
	Dar an M. al-Qahtânî (SCTA) & Pierre Siméon (CNRS, UMR 8167)

  This monumental structure, studied in 2010, is detailed hereafter, see Charloux et al., sector C.

  The wells of Dûmat al-Jandal differ sub-

59.

Musil 1927: 473

. 60.

Wallin 1854: 140.

Table 1

 1

	Preliminary Archaeological
	Phases from D mat al-
	Jandal	Structures and Materials	Archaeological Levels	Provisional Dating
			level 1 (surface) -level 2 (wind-borne sand )
	Late Islamic	M1	(Figs. 10-11)	15th-18th century AD
	Middle Islamic I	Building L6, L2, M3	level 2b (M10 collapse) (Fig. 53)	8th-15th century AD
	Middle Islamic II	M10		8th-15th century AD
			level 3a-b (stone rubble) -(level 4, part of level 3 gravel)
	Middle Islamic III	Level 3a-b	(Figs. 33-35)	8th-15th century AD
			level 6 (occupation deposit above L10-L10a) (Figs. 66-67)
			-level 11 (wind-borne sand above the collapse of building
	Early Islamic I	M8, M27, M28, L10, L10a	A in Locus 9) (Figs. 55-56)	8th century AD
			level 7 (collapse of building A above Locus 8) (Fig. 51) -
			level 11 (wind-borne sand above the collapse of building
		M7, M15, M16, M11, M22,	A in Locus 9) (Figs. 55-56) -level 8 (life deposit above
	Early Islamic II	M23, M21 (?), L8a (?)	Locus 8) (Fig. 51)	7th century AD
		M21 (?), L8a (?)
	Roman/Byzantine	Building A construction	level 8 (life deposit above Locus 8) (Fig. 51)	2nd-6th century AD

34-35, 45).

  Wallin 1854: 145.

2. Huber 1886: 48. 3. Euting 1896: 125.

This locus abuts wall or locus M2010

		Shape number	Paste	Form	Part	Diam
		2022-1	P2	Jarre	Bord
		2022-10	P2	Jarre	Bord
		2022-11	P2	Bol	Bord
		2022-12	P2	Bol	Bord
		2022-13	P2	Bol	Bord
		2022-14	P2	Cruchette	Bord
		2022-15	P2	Coupe	Panse
		2022-16	P2	Coupe	Bord
		2022-17	P1	Jarre petite ?	Base
		2022-2	P6 ?	Jarre	Bord
	Material	2022-3	P2	Coupe	Bord
	18 shapes (+ 2 handles not	2022-4	P2	Coupe	Bord
	drawn)
		2022-5	P6 ? Marron gris Coupe basse	Bord
	+ 56 sherds
		2022-6	P2	Jarre	Bord
	3 sherds with decoration
	6P1 + 28P2 + 2P4? + 3P3 +14 P2B	2022-7	P2	Bassin	Bord
		2022-8	P2	Bassin grand	Bord
	Bones : 1 bag (os carbonisé, esquilles)	2022-9	P2	Bassin	Bord
	Sample

Object number total Material Function Point topo a DJ 284 Année Région N°image Photo type Légende Digital photo

Table 1 .

 1 Preliminary list of layers in Sector C

	/	610,00 ca.	616,90 ca.
	,
	2006

Table 1b .

 1b Preliminary list of layers in Sector C

	2023	In the south-west quarter of the 10m-large-		2028	2022	609,90	611,06
		sounding, in the central part :
		-western half : square pit (approx. 2 x 2 m)
		fi lled with eolian sand mixed with stones
		and mudbricks fragment.
		It covers a melted mudbrick massif.
		Its fi lling is disturbed by the whole dug
		through 2022 and 2023 for the setting up of
		a concrete block with pipes.
		-Eastern half : opening on the pit of the
		western half, a 60-cm-wide trench is
		fi lled up with the same content of stones,
		mudbrick fragments and eolian sand. The
		upper part of the trench (40 cm in depth)
		contained a lot of fallen large stones. The
		lower part (40 cm in depth) was a mixed
		layer of sand and mudbrick.
		This trench is rimered on the northern and
		southern side by mudbrick walls or melted
		mudbrick massifs in the lower part, by
		melted mudbrick massifs in the upper part,
		these two parts being separated by a layer
		of earth mixed with red and friable stone
	2024	Layer of 40 cm eolian sand accumulated	M2010	Earth	2021	610,73	611,15
		against M2010 (to the east), above a hard		ground
		ground made of earth (southern part)
		or hardened sandy ground with gravels
		(northern part).
		Located in the NW quarter of the 10m-
		large-sounding, and in the northwestern
		part of the SW quarter of the 10m-large-
		sounding :
		Very few sherds found above this ground
	2025	Composed of 2 layers :	M2011	Earth	2022	610,83	611,08
		1. Layer of red sand, under 2022.		ground
		2. Grey sand mixed with ashes and very
		small charcoals. Pby related to wall M2011
		against which it abuts to the east.
		In the SW quarter of the 10m-large-
		sounding, in the northeastern part of this
		quarter, north of the EW trench (2023)
	2026	Hearth? of sand mixed with many ashes	M2010	2027	2021	610,75	610,88
		and some small charcoals, approx. 50 cm in
		diameter and 10 cm in depth.
		In the NW quarter of the 10m-large-soun-
		ding, east of (and abutting) M2010
	2027	Hard yellow eolian sand.	M2010,	2047	2021, 2026 610,80 -	610,90 ca
		In the NE quarter of the 10m-large-soun-	M2011			610,69	-610,75
		ding, under an eolian sand layer (UF2021),
		removing of the same layer of hard yellow
		sand (eolian). It also covers what could be
		the northern extension of M2011 unear-
		thed in the SW and NW quarter of the 10
		m large sounding
	2028	Orange red sand mixed with few stones.		2045	2023	609,40	609,92
		Very few sherds in spite of sieving of the
		sand
	2029	Black-grey soft pulverulent ashy soil,	M2010		2027	ca 610,60?	ca 610,70
		probably the area of plants, located against
		eastern face of wall M2010.
		Sampled
	2030	Sampled compact yellow sand layer with	L2004		2022	610,99	611,09
		bottom from water channel L2004.
		Not sure to be interesting to study because
		of under layer of eolian sand?
	2031	Compact grey-beige hard compacted silty	L2009		Compac-	610,86	ca 611,00
		soil, making crust on top of pavement			ted eolian
		L2009, inside basin L2005.			sand

Table 1c .

 1c Preliminary list of layers in Sector C

	2032 Wall number Sounding Description Sampled compact yellow sand layer with	L2008		Length	Width	2022 Is abutted by 610,78	ca 610,87
	M2001	1	bottom from water channel L2008. Trace Eastern wall of unit 3 of the enclosure (which is of a dark line (plant)? composed of 2 walls M2001 and M2002) made of stone Not sure to be interesting to study because courses, globally oriented south-west north-east, but of under layer of eolian sand? with change of orientation to the southern half.		125 cm	2002, coun-terfort 2003, tower M2008, M2002
	2033 M2002	1	Silty clayey beige-light brown soil creating fl oor of the upper garden (L2013) Western wall of unit 3 of the enclosure, made of M2013 mud-brick elevation upper part and stone courses in	2035 + 2036 + 2037	2038 85 cm	2022 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005,	610,45	610,98
	2034		Black and white print of a racine (palm tree?) its lower part, globally oriented south-west north-east,		2033	2007 2008, 2013,	? ca 610,50?	ca 610,73
	2035		Silty clayey brown-grey soil creating fl oor of the upper garden (L2013) Only half of its stone under part is in foundation. M2001. but with change of orientation to the southern half, like 2033 (with 2036 + 2037)	2036	2022 2010, M2001	610,52	610,90 611,15 /
	2036 M2003	1	Pink to red clayey lited soil with north-south slope Buttress	M2013 à verif	2033 (with around 2035 +2037) 120 cm	2037 80 cm	2035 2000, 2004, 2017	610,31	610,66
	2037 M2004	1	Beige sandy-silty soil, with sand and small pebbles. Very much bedded of grey-blue limestones, located west of M2005. Buried north-south stone wall made of ca. 5/6 courses 2033 (with 2035 + 2036)	2040, 2039 40 cm	2036 2014	610,17	610,56 / 610,36
	2038		Made of 2 layers : Linked to 2007. Abuted by M2008 Founded on a greeyish sand, against white limestone M2013 1. Light brown to beige-orange silty soil (equals 2037) bedrock	2039?	2041	2033	609,65	610,50
	M2005	1	2. Second equals 2039 Buried north-south stone wall made of ca. 5/6 courses		45 cm	2014 (west),
	2039		Brown to beige-orange silty soil located west. of grey-blue limestones, parallel to M2004 which is	2038?	2041	2037 2016 (east)	609,59	610,19
			Abutting white limestone bedrock : its eastern face is			2039, 2041,	2037	609,04	610,42
			very irregular, although the western face (inside the			2042, 2043
			room?) is well built and regular.
	M2006	2	Wall made of 3/4 courses of grey-blue limestone, foun-	160 m	120
			ded on eolian sand.			mininum
	2041 M2007	1	Layer of Eolian sand and dark brown mud-bricks (32 x 23 x 9 cm) fallen horizontally on Surface with a clear N to S slope bedrock pavement). Founded on a greeyish sand, abutting white limestone a rather fl at surface (although different from M2015? a verif to M2004 (linked?) grey-blue limestone, linked to M2005 and perpendicular Buried east-west stone wall made of ca. 5/6 courses of		2042	2039, 2040, 2038 2014	609,39	609,88
	M2008	1	MB elevation probably localized to the west. North-south wall made of ca. 6/8 courses of grey-blue		110 cm	2014
	2042		Yellow eolian sand Virgin of material limestone, parrallel to M2005 and abutting the western M2015 face of M2007, abuted by M2014 to its west Founded on a greeyish sand, against white limestone M2015 founded in this sand layer (around 7 cm top of 2042) bedrock		2043	2040, 2041 609,22	609,76 / 609,38
	M2009	1	Founded on a greeyish sand, abutting white limestone grey-blue limestone, linked to M2004. Buried east-west stone wall made of ca. 4/5 courses of		eolian sand layer	2041, 2040 608,82 2014	609,22
			bedrock to its west and geological to its south-east
	M2010	3	Long stone wall, self standing, without wall abutting		11,30 m	0,50/0,62m	2021, 2022,
			against it.			(unear-		2024, 2027
			Limestone and limestone. Squarred stones, with regular	thed)
			outer face, set in horizontal layers of different height.
			The wall is directly founded on a hard ground (very
			compacted earth).
	2044		Brown compacted heterogeneous clayey layer, with many nodules, gravels, large and thin limestone blocks fallen from the upper level or roof. Totally sieved, not even one sherd !! 3 lower stone layers set without mortar (dry stone), M2004, maybe as foundations. M2005, Above layers (up to 4 preserved) coated with mud M2007, mortar. M2008, On the southern end of this wall, a 70-cm-long exten-M2009 sion abuts the wall. It is founded at the same altitude
			and on the same ground. It is made up with the same
			dry stones.
	M2011	3	Curvilinear irregular wall delimitating the northern part	343	60-80	L2009 (west)
			of pavement L2009 and water basin L2005.
			Dry stone masonry made of 2/3 limestone courses with
			slope to its north.

Table 2 .

 2 Preliminary list of walls in Sector C

	M2012	Curvilinear irregular wall delimitating the southern part	282		L2009 (east)
		of pavement L2009 and water basin L2005.
		Dry stone masonry made of a line of 1 obliquely set
		limestone course
	M2013	Wide straight E-W limestone wall from under layer of	7,55	67	2033, 2038
		the 'garden'.
		Dry stone masonry
	M2014	East-west wall or structure (?) made of ca. 3/4 courses
		of grey-blue limestone, perpendicular to M2004 and
		M2008.
		Founded on a greeyish sand, against white limestone
		bedrock.
		Seems to be founded one course higher to its north
	M2015	East-west stone wall under and in the same line than			2041, 2042
		M2013
		Dry stone masonry
	M2016	North-south stone wall, perpendicular and linked to	141	75	2033
		M2013
		Dry stone masonry ; 7 courses max.
	M2017	E-W stone wall in the continuation of M2013			2047
		Dry stone masonry
	M2018	N-S stone wall/structure in the continuation of M2010,
		abutting earth at its southern extremity
		Dry stone masonry with holes for the water
	M2019	Rectilinear N-S stone wall, located east of L2005 against	194 (248	31
		L2009	origi-
		Dry stone masonry	nally)

Table 2b .

 2b Preliminary list of walls in Sector C

	Locus	Square	Locus type	Description
	number
	L2001		Floor	Floor abutting the oriental face of wall M2002 (enclosure).
				The material on the fl oor is incorporated to layer 2013, while the material coming from
				the bedding for the fl oor is 2018.
				Its surface is rather irregular on whole sounding, with a slope going up against the
				enclosure.
	L2002		Room	Buried square building with door, and staircase (M2014, M2008), made of limestone
				courses walls (M2004, M2005, M2007, M2009) founded on geological greenish sand-
				silty soil 2020.
				Seems to keep an exact N-S E-W orientation.
	L2003		Water channel	Stone built water channel with oblique stones placed on its sides and small stones at the
				bottom.
	L2004		Water channel	Straight N-S stone built water channel with oblique stones placed on its sides and small
				stones at the bottom. Dry stone masonry.
				Begnning of the structure on top of the northern side of pit L2010
	L2005		Water basin	Stone built water basin with a line of oblique stones placed on its southern side (M2012)
				and stone pavement L2009to its northen part, with wall M2011.
				Dry-stone masonry.
				Hard compacted layer on top of pavement L2031
				Pavement under: 1. earth + ash to its west, 2. sand layer, 3. 1031
	L2006		Cultivation pit	Shallow cultivation area under eolian layer, west of L2007, with upper sides
	L2007		Cultivation pit	Shallow cultivation area under eolian layer, east of L2006, ascending on its sides.
	L2008		Water channel	Curvilinear N-S stone built water channel with oblique stones placed on its sides and
				small stones at the bottom.
				Irregular dry stone masonry.
				Joigning L2004
	L2009		Pavement	Pavement made of large fl at irregular limestone blocks under 1031, at the bottom of
				basin L2005.
				Does not cover the complete surface of the basin!
	L2010		Qanât, water channel	Deep narrow E-W pit
			pit
	L2011		Pit	Recent shallow pit made for the installation of a recent ciment evacuation structure
	L2012		Floor	Floor east of the enclosure wall
	L2013		Floor	Floor of garden
	L2014		Floor	Floor related to M2013
	L2015		Floor	Floor related to M2015 (upper MB elevation)?
	L2016		Floor	Floor related to M2015 (upper MB elevation)?

Table 3 .

 3 Preliminary list of loci in Sector C

	Layer 2014

Table 1

 1 in the chapter Excavation of sector A. It must be supplemented by new fabrics

	from future eldwork. Furthermore, glazed ceramic fabrics (present in very small quanti-
	ties) have not yet been analyzed.

Table 1 .

 1 Fabric descriptions

	Fabric Body texture Colours surface and body	Visible inclusions and estimate quantities	Various comments	Stratigraphic
						data
	1	fi ne, friable	yellowish, whitish, light	quartz sand (?) (> 2 mm), grey fi ne grains, mica (?)	wheel-thrown and hand-made	Level 5
			green, surface and body	very fi ne brillant rare
	2a	fi ne, hard	white to beige surface, bright	white nodules rounded or elongated (> 2 mm)	wheel-thrown only	Levels 5, 7, 8,
			orange core	irregular quantity, whitish quartz (?) rounded and		9... Sector C
				angular (> 2 mm), grey fi ne sand in surface
	2b	fi ne, grains	beige/cream surface, bright	white nodules	wheel-thrown	Sector C /
		visible	orange body			2013
	3	fi ne, hard,	black/ greyish body, dark	fi ne grey sand, whitish, quartz (?) rounded and	wheel-thrown	Level 5
		sandy surface	brown or grey surface	angular (> 2 mm) , white nodules
	4	fi ne, hard	light brown in surface,	black elongateds angular whitish nodules (> or =	wheel-thrown only	Level 8
			brown to grey body	6 mm)
	5	medium	light brown to grey surface	grains grey and brown angular, nodules whitish	rare	?
		dense, hard	and body	sparse (> or = 2,3 mm)
	6	fi ne, hard,	dark grey to brown and	black angular sand, fi ne	wheel-thrown, specifi c forms,	Level 4
		dense	orange surface and body		imports ?
	7	fi ne, hard	brown in surface, light grey	/	hand-made and wheel-thrown,	Levels 2, 7
			to beige yellow body		slip decoration red or brown
					interior and exterior
	8	fi ne sandy	light grey surface and body	very homogène	wheel-thrown, (subtype of P1 ?) ?
	9	coarse	orange surface, black to	white nodules rounded and irregular abondant,	Much more vegetal temper is	?a
			purple body	grey grains, black angular, sparse, vegetal temper	noticed in the orange surface
	10a	coarse, dense,	internal surface light	black elongated schiste (?) (inferior or equal to	ribbed surface	Level 3
		hard	orange, grey coloured	3-4 mm) abondant, white grains elongated and		(mixed
			external surface, pinkish to	angular, red angular very sparse		context),
			orange body			level 10
	10b	coarse, hard	pinkish to beige surface	red brick grains elongateds (> or = 4 mm), grey an-	hand-made	Level 8, Sec-
			and body	gular grains sparse (crushed fi red pottery [grog] ?)		tor C, 2013
	11	coarse, dense,	beige to grey surface and	grains angular black (abondant) and red brique	hand-made	?
		hard	body	(inf ou = 3 mm), sometimes to 8 mm deep, vegetal
				temper
	12	coarse	yellow to grey body and	roundeds grains black and grey (> or = 4 mm)	hand-made, grey and red brick	Level 6
			surface		couloured slip	(fl oor)
	13	coarse, friable pink to bright red surface	white nodules rounded and irregular, ondant, grey	hand-made, maybe related to	Levels 2, 3,
			and body	and black angular grains sparse	P15 and P21	4, 6
	14	coarse friable	beige, greyish surface and	crushed fi red pottery (grog) (7,8 mm)	hand-made, very rare	?
			body
	15	coarse	bright orange and pink	white rounded irregular nodules (> or = to 6 mm)	hand-made, near P13 but more	?
			surface and body	medium frequency and black angular grains sparse	dense body
	16	medium	black, dark grey in surface	white irregular nodules very frequent (like shells),	wheel-thrown or hand-made ?	?
			and body	elongated black and red sparse grains	Maybe overcooked ?
	17	coarse, friable beige/ greyish to light brown	rounded and brown gravels, black to grey (> or =	hand-made	?
			surface and body	to 9 mm)
	18	very coarse,	beige coloured surface, light	crushed fi red pottery (grog) (> or = to 1 cm) and	hand-made only	Levels 2, 3
		hard	orange to pinkish body	vegetal temper (> or = to 1-2 cm)
	19	coarse, friable grey core, orange surface	black elongated schiste (?), very abondant, only in	hand-made	?
			couloured	the center of the core
	20	coarse, friable bright orange surface, dark	angular gravels red-brown colour, elongateds,	hand-made, very rare	?
			grey to black body	(inferior or equal to 3-4 mm)
	21	coarse, hard	pinkish to beige surface	crushed fi red pottery (grog) (> or = 7 mm), white	hand-made, near P13 but	Level 4
			and body	irregular nodules, very abondant	denser body
	22	coarse, friable beige/ cream and light	alluvial sand, grey, brown, transparent, grains of	hand-made	Level 10
			orange surface and body	quartz (?) subrounded and matt (1 to 3 mm)

Musil 1927: 531-552.

al-Sudairi 1995.

Also featuring in Western sources in the forms Daumet al-Jandal,Dûmat al-Djandal, Dûmat al-Gandal, Doumat-alJandal, Doumet-alJandal, Dawma, Dowma.

al-Mu ayqil 1994b.

Seetzen 1808: 387.

Musil 1927: 162-163.

The Western Enclosure Wall. Sector C Fig. 68. Deep trench, sounding 3, looking north

609,20 609,63 2045 Modern grey to white 1-3 cm gravel layer in pit L2010. Plastic pipe in it. 2033, 2035, 2038, 2039, 2041, 2042,2043 2043 2028 608,39 609,40 2046 Yellow orange sandy layer 2048 2043 608,50 608,82 2047 Silty clayey brown-beige soil creating fl oor

cm DJ.10.C.2013-7

Acknowledgements 2010 Season at Dûmat al-Jandal

Acknowledgements

providing us with scienti c and nancial support. Regional Authority for Tourism and Antiquities, in the person of Abd al-Hâdî K. al-Tirâd, director of the Jawf Antiquities who made every effort to help us in the eld, and who participated in the activities of the Project in 2009 and 2010. -The al-Jawf Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, in the person of Ahmad A. facilitated our stay in Dûmat al-Jandal by giving access to the Museum facilities and of ces. He also participated in the activities of the Project.

French Republic:

-Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We address many thanks to Jean-Michel Kasbarian for the Ministry's nancial support and to Catherine Delobel for solving administrative and nancial dif culties.

The recording System & Some Preliminary Remarks on the Islamic Pottery Plate 1. Top: Washing the ceramic lots; bottom: sorting for fabrics, shapes and designs.

Participants

The project is currently directed by Dr. Guillaume Charloux and Dr. Romolo Loreto, under the patronage of Prof. Christian J. Robin

Description of the enclosure wall

The enclosure wall is composed of 9 units (Fig. 7), divided more or less arbitrarily based on a visible break or "bend".

Its western part (units 2-3) was built in the depression formed by the valley, at an average elevation of 611 m above sea level, and it follows the edge of the limestone plateau (unit 4) to the north at an elevation of 619 m (Fig. 1).

To the south (units 1, 6 & 7), the wall divides and goes diagonally up the east and west slopes of the limestone outcrop, climbing from an elevation of 620 m to an average of 664/668 m. The two walls meet again at the top, for a distance of about 500 m, but they do not enclose the whole outcrop. In the centre of the outcrop, a tell seems to form the very top of the archaeological site, at an elevation of 683 m.

To the east of Sector C we found no trace of a north-south wall limiting the enclosure.

On the contrary, since we exposed the stone foundation of a wall measuring 1.2 m thick running eastwards beyond the area studied, this could indicate the continuation of the enclosure eastwards as well as the inclusion of a much larger zone than previously thought.

An interior enclosure wall (unit 8) follows the base of the outcrop, running eastwest, thus subdividing the enclosed space: to the south, a sort of naturally defended acropolis, and to the north, a more or less at and very extensive lower town. The whole covers an area of about 36 ha. This monumental enclosure is composed of two abutting walls, apparently contemporaneous, one of cut stones and the other of mud-bricks on stone foundations, both of which display structural creativity and much variety in the masonry. The enclosure seems to have been built in sections, according to a technique well known in the Arabian peninsula . Seven quadrangular bastions and about fty buttresses, which complete the defensive system, were found in 2010. The architectural study is just beginning, but it seems that there is no junction between these two structures (stronghold and M2001). At the centre of the stronghold, the space is divided by a stone wall. Some slabs covering the empty boxes remain on the top of one stronghold, which may indicate the occupation level. In addition, a buttress was found inside a bastion; it therefore shows the existence of at least two construction phases of the enclosure, however probably made during a single large development event. This is also shown by the multiple changes in the masonry: late enhancement of the wall, abrupt stop of the masonry (vertical cut), turn without obvious reason, uneven thickness of the wall, etc.

All these clues seem to show both human and technical efforts in this structure (monumentality, aesthetic effects of masonry and regularity of strongholds and buttresses) but also a certain lack of planning prior to construction. It is therefore likely that the strengthening of the western enclosure can be linked to heavy oods from the wâdî, as well as the need for ostentation.

Inner wall M2002 also presents many interesting features. It can be followed on most of the western and northern segments. It is also found in other segments, where only the stone base is sometimes preserved.

In sounding 1, the mud-brick elevation of wall M2002, placed on a stone foundation, has a fairly strong batter. The Western Enclosure Wall. Sector C Note that we have not gone down as deep as the previous excavations, in order to protect the stone foundation and any archaeological remains, as well as to give a at circulation path from the gate of the enclosure and to keep uniformity of altitudes with the adjacent road.

The problem was bigger on the inner eastern side of the enclosure, since the mudbrick wall had not previously been exposed. With our knowledge of the archaeological context from sounding 1, the help of the topographic survey of the area and the study of the layers in place during cleaning, we avoided destroying elevations of mud-brick wall.

The wall indeed expands very strongly here.

A rst trench was dug north of the segment, at the place of al-Dâyil's trench.

Once we had checked the layers, especially that sand was accumulated under the destruction layers of mud-brick elevations, that there was no oor on top of the sand (or no trace of it), and that we were higher than the clearance on the west side, we removed the thick On wheel-shaped ceramics, the application of a slip is common:

. Pink or beige on fabric 1 (inside);

. Brown, red, white, almost systematically on the ceramics in fabric 2 (outside or inside).

It can be applied in alternating strips which outline the carination of the neck;

. White slip covered with a red slip on some ceramic of fabric 2 (outside);

. Gray (outside) and yellow (inside) on ceramics in fabric 7;

. Gray (outside) on the ceramic in fabrics 4, 7 and 12.

The other decorations are limited in number:

. Decoration by 'tilting', associated with three stamped patterns (vegetal / 'palmette' (common), 'coffee beans' and 'sun' (lower case), located on the shoulders and under the collar of globular jugs or small jars;

. Many pottery pro les are deeply marked by wheel-shaping. The outer walls showing undulations are also more speci c of Levels 7, 8 and 9.

On modeled ceramics, wall surfaces have some characteristics:

. Polished or lustred (outside / inside) using a hard tool (eg roller) whose traces are still visible;

. Brown spots or large color variations that indicate irregular, domestic (?) or in lump (?)

cooking, except for one type of pot with tenons whose surface is pink and 'marbled'

(fabric 13, many examples in Level 4 -see Fig. 10);

. A slip is sometimes applied to the whole surface, and in general we nd little painted decoration, apart from the vessels in fabric 7 (painted inside and outside with red brick slip). Other stations are on the plan (assemblage.dwg), they are preceded by the pre x "C".

Pre-Islamic Pottery

-Nails on the asphalt road (Fig. 4)

-Metal rods (Fig. 5)

-Paint marks (Fig. 6)

-Nail on a concrete base (Fig. 7)

-Concrete construction bases and elevation references for the areas of search are also included (Fig. 8).

Areas between sectors A and C