Near East3rd millennium BC · Al Ainain, Ibri, Al Dhahirah, Oman
Tombs from the third millennium BC in Oman hold pottery linked to Mesopotamia
A rescue dig at a planned housing site in Ibri found copper and bronze daggers, axes and arrowheads beside human remains and a large collection of beads.
In brief 3 key points
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- Tombs in Ibri held human remains, pottery, copper and bronze weapons and beads.
- Some pottery has been tied to Mesopotamia's Jemdet Nasr culture.
- Where the pots were made is not yet established.
Archaeologists in Oman have found human remains, intact pottery and copper and bronze weapons inside burial chambers from the third millennium BC. The tombs are in the Al Ainain area of Ibri, in Al Dhahirah province in the north-west of the country. Officials say some of the pottery is linked to Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq.
Oman's Department of Heritage and Tourism announced the find and gave the date. Researchers have not yet published a detailed study of the skeletons. They have also not published the precise origins of the pottery.
A rescue dig before house building
The excavation began in the week before the announcement. The site is earmarked for residential development. Walid bin Hamad Al Ghafri, director of the department in Al Dhahirah, spoke to the Oman News Agency about the work. He said the aim was to document the burial ground and recover objects threatened by construction.
The team recovered arrowheads, axes and daggers made of copper and bronze. They also found a large collection of beads. Some of the pottery came out of the chambers intact.
Some of the pottery has been associated with the Jemdet Nasr culture. This culture flourished in southern Mesopotamia around 3100–2900 BC. The connection suggests cultural links across the region. Officials have not established where every vessel was made. They also do not yet know how the pots reached the burial site.
Similar pots at other sites near Ibri
Al Ainain is the latest of several burial sites around Ibri with pottery tied to Mesopotamia. In August 2025 archaeologists announced 25 tombs from the third millennium BC at Al Sabikhi, another site in Ibri. Those tombs held skeletal remains and beads made from stone and shells. They also held pottery described as imported from Mesopotamia.
The Al Sabikhi graves are a separate site from the newly reported tombs at Al Ainain. In 2024 Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Tourism reported a burial at Al-Arid, also near Ibri. It held human bones and an imported Jemdet Nasr pottery jar.
Archaeologists also identified a copper-working area at Al-Arid. It had the remains of furnaces and fragments of metal.
Copper in Mesopotamian records
According to UNESCO, Mesopotamian records from the late third millennium BC name a land called Magan as a major source of copper shipped overseas. UNESCO associates Magan with Oman.
The wider region has long been known for its Bronze Age settlements and burial grounds. The archaeological complex at Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn near Ibri has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
Work at Al Ainain was not finished when the find was announced. Crews were expected to keep excavating the burial ground until the end of October.
Sources (1)
Official announcementfrom Oman Department of Heritage and Tourism
- 5,000-year-old tombs in Oman hint at links with Mesopotamia (GreekReporter)
Edited by Guiseppe Weijermars
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