Al-Khutm

Al-Khutm (Bat, Oman): a monumental Bronze Age tower

Scientific director:

• Prof. Maurizio Cattani

Field supervisors:

• Enzo Cocca
• Ilaria Garbelli

Activities:

Topographic and GIS survey, stratigraphic excavations, 3D photogrammetry and LiDAR documentation, anthropological and bioarchaeological analyses, artefact and pottery studies, radiocarbon dating, conservation.

Chronology:

Two principal phases are indicated by stratigraphy and ceramics:

• Late Umm an-Nar period (late 3rd millennium BCE) – Original construction, high-quality masonry, and well-preserved clay floors.
• Wadi Suq period (early 2nd millennium BCE) – Extensive remodelling: terracing of outer spaces, reorientation of walls, blocking of doorways.

The tower remained in use for several centuries, possibly into the mid-second millennium BCE.

Description and wider context:

The tower of Al-Khutm (Dhahirah region, Sultanate of Oman), forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage landscape together with the nearby complex of Bat and necropolis of Al-Ayn. This area preserves one of the most complete Bronze Age cultural landscapes in the Arabian Peninsula, with burial monuments, towers, and settlement remains dating back 4,000–5,000 years.

In Mesopotamian texts, south-eastern Arabia is referred to as the 'Land of Magan' a region pivotal to trade and cultural connections linking Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and other parts of the Indian Ocean. The third millennium BCE saw the development of distinctive settlement forms, monumental architecture, and new technologies such as copper metallurgy, set within growing social complexity.

Around seventy-three Bronze Age towers are known in south-eastern Arabia, dating from the early third millennium to the early second millennium BCE. They are concentrated in specific regions, particularly Hili, Bat, and Bisyah, and vary in size and setting. Most measure 20–25 m in diameter, although some reach 35–45 m. Few have been fully excavated.

Al-Khutm circular tower, c. 20 m in diameter, has slightly flattened east and west sides to adapt to the mound's shape. The wall survives to 3.5–4 m in height, built from large squared blocks (c. 120 × 90 × 25 cm) laid in nine courses.

Inside, a central corridor leads to a series of narrow perpendicular rooms. Perimeter walls enclose the north-eastern and western sides; the latter, preserved to 2.3 m, curves for about 45 m and includes offsets to fit the bedrock. Excavations revealed compact clay floors and evidence for bedrock cutting during construction.

Discovery and excavation history:

Al-Khutm was first recorded by Beatrice de Cardi in the 1970s, when it was largely hidden under more than three metres of collapsed stone. A comprehensive excavation and conservation project started in 2015, directed by Prof. Maurizio Cattani (University of Bologna) with an Italian team, funded by Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Culture.

The aim was to expose the monument, record it with modern techniques, and prepare it for public presentation.

Conservation and public access:

Recent work aimed to stabilise the structure and enhance its presentation. The removal of collapse has revealed the tower's form for the first time in millennia. 3D photogrammetry and GIS recording have created a permanent archive. Future plans include completing excavation in the northern sector, refining dating with radiocarbon and ceramic analysis. The tower has now been integrated into local heritage trails and visitor facilities.