The role of wild terrestrial animals in late prehistoric societies of south-eastern Arabia: new insights from Saruq al-Hadid

Abstract

The nature of the relationship between humans and wild terrestrial animals has been little discussed in Bronze Age and Iron Age south-eastern Arabia, largely due to a relative paucity of their remains in contemporary faunal assemblages. In this paper we present the results of analysis of animal bone recently excavated from Saruq al-Hadid, a late prehistoric (2200–800 BC) site located in the desert interior of the UAE. Wild terrestrial animals, particularly oryx (Oryx leucoryx) and gazelle (Gazella sp.), were the predominant taxa identified, suggesting long-term, frequent exploitation of these species. Here we use these remains to examine the implications of this wild animal exploitation for subsistence strategies and social formation at the site and in the region, alongside late prehistoric use of the desert zone and the complexities of the relationship between humans and wild animals that occur in this environment. A reassessment of the zooarchaeological evidence from south-eastern Arabia highlights the potential economic and social significance of wild animals to late prehistoric societies in the region, and the necessity to factor this importance into considerations of concurrent social developments.