An integrated approach to protohistoric monumental tombs in the Arabian Peninsula – ARABIANCAIRNS

ARABIANCAIRNS is based on an integrated approach combining archaeology, biological anthropology, isotope geochemistry, geoarchaeology, and spatial analyses. This interdisciplinary framework makes it possible to investigate simultaneously the chronological, cultural, biological, and environmental dimensions of the protohistoric societies of the Arabian Peninsula.

The project relies on several complementary research activities. Archaeological surveys and excavations are conducted in a range of geographical settings to acquire new data on funerary monuments and their surrounding environments. Human remains and archaeological materials are subsequently examined through specialized analyses—including bioanthropological, isotopic, and radiocarbon studies—providing new insights into funerary traditions, health status, diet, mobility, and the social organisation of ancient populations.

At the same time, the newly acquired data are integrated with information from the scientific literature and international collaborations into a relational geospatial database. This infrastructure enables archaeological, chronological, and environmental datasets to be combined across multiple spatial and temporal scales. The statistical and spatial analyses currently underway will provide a better understanding of the spread of funerary traditions, territorial dynamics, and the interactions between the different regions of the Arabian Peninsula.

Since the beginning of the project, ARABIANCAIRNS has generated an unprecedented body of data at the scale of the Arabian Peninsula by combining field investigations, laboratory analyses, and the development of digital research tools.

Several archaeological survey, excavation, and study campaigns have been carried out in different geographical settings to document the diversity of funerary monuments and the societies that built them. Fieldwork has notably been undertaken within the framework of the French–Saudi Archaeological Mission at Dhabtiyah (Saudi Arabia), the French Arabian Seashores Mission (Oman), and the French Archaeological Mission at Bisya (Oman). These operations have documented numerous necropolises, generated new data on funerary architecture, burial practices, and archaeological contexts, and produced standardized field records, 3D models, and digital documentation.

One of the project's major achievements is the creation of a relational database dedicated to the protohistoric funerary monuments of the Arabian Peninsula. The database currently records nearly 100,000 tombs, identified through satellite surveys and complemented by field observations, published archaeological data, and international collaborations. It now represents one of the most comprehensive reference datasets available for the study of this archaeological heritage at the regional scale.

In parallel, several series of radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dates have been produced to establish a robust chronological framework for the monuments under investigation. These new chronological data provide a much clearer understanding of the construction, use, and reuse of the tombs, significantly improving our knowledge of the evolution of funerary practices over several millennia.

Bioanthropological and isotopic analyses have also been conducted on human remains recovered from several archaeological sites. These studies provide new insights into the populations who built and used these monuments, particularly regarding their health status, diet, mobility, and aspects of their social organisation.

Finally, spatial analyses are currently underway. By integrating archaeological, chronological, and environmental datasets, they aim to reconstruct the evolution of funerary landscapes, territorial dynamics, and the exchange and communication networks that structured the Arabian Peninsula throughout Protohistory.

These initial achievements demonstrate the relevance of the interdisciplinary approach developed within ARABIANCAIRNS and already represent a significant advance in our understanding of the protohistoric societies of the Arabian Peninsula.

The next phase of the project will focus on the integrated analysis of the datasets now available. Spatial and statistical analyses will reconstruct the diffusion trajectories of funerary traditions, identify the environmental factors influencing the location of necropolises, and better characterize the exchange networks that connected the different regions of the Arabian Peninsula.

The new radiocarbon dating series, combined with archaeological and bioanthropological evidence, will further refine the chronological framework of the megalithic phenomenon and provide a renewed synthesis of its development over several millennia.

The project will also result in several international scientific publications, the continued expansion of the relational database, and the development of the open-access WebGIS initially planned within the project.

These research tools will strengthen international collaborations, facilitate data sharing, and support the protection, management, and promotion of the archaeological heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. Ultimately, the project's outcomes will provide a solid foundation for the development of new international research initiatives devoted to the study of the protohistoric societies of Arabia.

ARABIANCAIRNS aims to analyze the large-scale megalithic phenomenon of cairn tombs, emblematic of protohistoric Arabia (c. 5500-300 BCE). Considered as territorial markers, they are still visible today by hundreds of thousands over an immense territory. They appear in a context of climatic aridification after the Holocene Climatic Optimum and seem to be linked to the development of production economies (pastoralism then agriculture). Because of the virtual absence of settlements for this period, these tombs constitute essential archives for understanding the societies that occupied Arabia for millennia, at such crucial moments in their evolution. Above all, these monuments testify to a profound socio-cultural reconfiguration as they mark the development of interregional economic and cultural networks that would later flourish in Arabia. However, the fragmented nature of the research carried out so far prohibits a global apprehension of this phenomenon as well as an understanding of regional interactions.
Based on a large and well-distributed corpus, on the acquisition of new data, and relying on a strong expertise on these monuments, ARABIANCAIRNS aims at reconstructing the history of these tombs and their builders through an integrated, multiscalar and interdisciplinary approach combining archaeology, biological anthropology, isotope geochemistry, paleoproteomics, geoarchaeology and spatial analyses. Our goals are to (1) characterize the cultural identities, subsistence strategies, lifestyles, and interconnections of the societies that erected these tombs; (2) define a reliable chronological framework for understanding the temporal diffusion of this megalithic phenomenon; (3) create a GIS for necropolises and associated metadata throughout the Arabian Peninsula in relation to their environment and provide a geoarchaeological framework for tracking exchange networks.