Oldest copper musical instrument discovered in Oman

Observer

29-04-2025

MUSCAT: The Archaeology Department at Sultan Qaboos University, under the supervision of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, has uncovered a pair of complete copper cymbals during excavations at the 'Dahwa 7' site, located on the outskirts of Wadi Al Sakhn in the Wilayat of Saham, Al Batinah North Governorate.
Archaeological evidence scattered densely across the surface indicates that the site was once a settlement of a local culture that thrived in the region between 2700 and 2000 BCE. After lying buried and hidden by the early inhabitants of the Omani Peninsula for over 4,000 years, the excavations have revealed, for the first time, cultural secrets and religious beliefs lost to time for millennia.
The archaeological team excavated several structures within the settlement, confirming that the site was highly prosperous. Its inhabitants relied heavily on copper mining for their livelihood, in addition to agriculture - particularly date palm cultivation - and livestock rearing. The discovery of large quantities of pottery imported from the Indus Valley, found within the settlement, indicates strong trade relations with the Harappan civilisation, which flourished in that region.
Among the four excavated structures was a small, isolated building perched atop an elevated plateau, overlooking the rest of the settlement in the southeastern area. The excavations revealed the building's layout: a rectangular room with a small entrance in its eastern wall, accessed via a rectangular threshold running along the wall. Inside, the team uncovered several architectural features, the most notable being a small stone table opposite the entrance, carefully constructed from thin stones and covered with a layer of yellow plaster.
The architectural elements suggest that the building served as a religious structure, making it one of the oldest temples discovered to date. Excavations indicate two main phases of use - an early and a late stage. After a period of use, a new floor was installed, beneath which a layer of clay was placed.
The cymbals found in this temple are the oldest ever discovered in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. Similar, possibly contemporaneous evidence has been found in Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley (present-day Pakistan), dating back to the Third Millennium BCE. Additionally, evidence points to the use of cymbals in Sumerian culture in the city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia.
Archaeological findings suggest that the tradition of using cymbals as musical instruments was primarily linked to religious rituals, as they were used in hymns performed during various ceremonies as early as the Third Millennium BCE. This indicates that the communities in Oman had strong connections with major civilisations - not only in trade but also in religious and intellectual spheres.
Geochemical analysis confirmed that the cymbals from 'Dahwa' site were made from local copper, likely sourced from an area near Muscat.
This discovery is significant not only due to the rarity of such artefacts but also because of the insights it provides into cultural influences and interactions between distant civilisations.
The findings of this discovery were recently published in Antiquity journal in the UK, garnering considerable attention from international scientific publications. — ONA