Arab. arch. epig.

2015: 26: 43–54 (2015)

Printed in Singapore. All rights reserved

Buried far from home: Sasanian graves at Jebel

al-Emeilah (Sharjah, UAE)
Human skeletons were recovered in two unmarked burials blown to the surface of a Adelina Kutterer1,
dune south-west of Jebel al-Emeilah in the Central Region of the Sharjah Emirate Sabah A. Jasim2, Eisa Yousif2
1
(UAE). Sasanian stamp seals were found associated with one of the individuals. A Institute for Archaeological
bone fragment of this individual provided a direct radiocarbon date placing it in the Sciences, University of T€ubingen,
Middle Sasanian period. With the aid of strontium isotope analysis it was possible to R€umelinstr. 23, 72070 Tübingen,
determine that the two individuals were immigrants to the area that is now part of the Germany
2
UAE. Directorate of Antiquities,
Department of Culture and
Keywords: Sasanian period, United Arab Emirates, strontium isotopes, stamp Information, Government of
seals, osteo-archaeology Sharjah, PO Box 5119, Sharjah,
UAE
e-mail:
adelina.kutterer@uni-tuebingen.de

1. Introduction dune. Three small concentrations of white bone fragments

Archaeological evidence for the Sasanian period in eastern were noticed and identified as burials. They were later
Arabia is scarce. Knowledge of Sasanian political involve- excavated by members of an archaeological team from
ment in the region and its history relies to a large extent on T€ubingen University.
the relative wealth of historical documentation (Kennet The burials were labelled Burials 1, 2 and 3. The human
2007; Mouton 2008; Potts 1990; Ulrich 2011). The rea- remains in Burials 1 and 2 were preserved to the extent
sons for the scarcity of archaeological evidence may be an that the original positions of the skeletons could be deter-
economic decline and a decrease in population size or mined. The skeletons were labelled Skeletons 1 and 2
activities, which are less detectable for the archaeologist according to the number of the respective burial. Burial 3
(Kennet 2007). Human skeletal remains adorned with only yielded small bone splinters—which according to the
Sasanian seals, found by chance on an inconspicuous sand find of a single phalanx were of human origin—but no
dune south-west of Jebel al-Emeilah (Central Region of associated archaeological objects. This burial was sepa-
Sharjah Emirate UAE) (Fig. 1), support the latter assump- rated from the other two by about 35 m. It therefore
tion. remains uncertain whether this burial is actually connected
The focus of this study rests on bio-archaeological to the other two interments. As there are no indications as
efforts to corroborate the archaeologically determined to its chronology, it will not be considered further in the
chronology and elucidate the geographical provenance of following analyses. All three burials were found in the
these two individuals. plain dune sand without recognisable grave-pits or other
associated markings or constructions.

2. The burials 2.1.1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT BURIAL 1

2.1. Archaeological observations During the first visit to the site, parts of the skull and leg
Badly preserved human bone remains and some stone bones of Burial 1 were visible on the surface. After further
beads were found during routine survey activities of the cleaning it was determined that the corpse had been buried
Sharjah Directorate of Antiquities in November 2012. The in a flexed position on its left side. One hand rested under-
bones were exposed by the wind on the surface of a flat neath the skull and the other in front of the face (Fig. 2/a).

43
A. KUTTERER ET AL.

recovered, apparently made of iron, with an inlay consist-

ing of glass. In the pelvic area a disc-shaped bead with a
horizontal piercing was excavated (Figs. 3/d and 4/a). The
most outstanding find was an anklet around the left foot
made of fifteen varying stone beads of different shapes,
sizes and colours. It consisted of six spherical (Fig. 3/a)
and seven barrel- or oval-shaped beads (Fig. 3/b) of semi-
precious stone as well as four Sasanian stamp seals (see
Fig. 2/c and Figs. 3/c and 4/b–e).
All the stamp seals have one flat and one convex surface
and small, vertical perforations (Fig. 3/c). A standing bull
(zebu) is engraved on the flat, oval-shaped surface of one
of them (Fig. 4/c). The second seal has a more roundish
shape and probably depicts a human hand (Fig. 4/e). It
could also be interpreted as a uterus, belonging to the
Fig. 1.
A map showing the position of Jebel al-Emeilah in the UAE.
group of magic religious seals (Gyselen 1995), but the
gesture of the depiction, in which the thumb and forefinger
are touching, argues against this interpretation and in
(a) (b) favour of a hand (1995). The third one is a dome-shaped
seal that is a little smaller than the others and round. The
flat bottom is engraved with an unidentified object (Fig. 4/
d). On the third one, the flat oval-shaped surface displays
irregularities and was left blank (Fig. 4/b). According to
Brunner (1978) depictions of human hands and bulls are
(c) common in the Sasanian repertory of stamp seals. In order
to contribute to the chronology of these seals, it was
decided to obtain a radiocarbon date from bone material of
this skeleton (Burial 1).

2.1.2. ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AT BURIAL 2

The second burial (Fig. 5) was located 3.5 m south of
Burial 1. The skeleton was oriented with the head to the
south-west and was also placed on its left side in a flexed
position. The skull was badly preserved, consisting only
Fig. 2. of small bone splinters (Fig. 5/a). The exact position of
Burial 1 in situ: a. the skull and upper part of the skeleton; b. finger- the hands in relation to the skull could not be recon-
rings; c. anklet.
structed, but the arms were bent and the hands must have
been resting somewhere near the face. Fragments of sev-
The skull was oriented west-north-west, the face looking eral thin metal finger-rings were found in that area (Fig. 5/
north. The spinal column, ribcage and pelvic area were b). The pierced shell of a marine snail (Ancilla) was found
only preserved as a few small bone splinters. The feet and removed during the first discovery of the burials.
were missing and only a few phalanges of the hands could Otherwise no adornments were found with this skeleton.
be identified.
Some pieces of jewellery were discovered associated 2.2. Physical anthropology of the skeletal remains
with Burial 1. One bead, made of rose-coloured agate, was 2.2.1. ANTHROPOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR SKELETON 1
found in the area of the neck. Two rings, one of bronze, The skull of Skeleton 1 is quite brittle. The face is mostly
the other of bone, were found on a finger of the hand destroyed and only fragments of the maxilla are preserved.
resting underneath the skull (Fig. 2/b). Underneath the The mandible is in a relatively good state of preservation.
skull—and sticking to it—a poorly preserved ring was Most teeth are well preserved and can be examined (see

44
 SASANIAN GRAVES AT JEBEL AL-EMEILAH

(a) (b)

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(c)

Fig. 3.
Beads and stamp seals associated with Burial 1.

(a) (b)

(c) (d) (e)

Fig. 5.
Burial 2 in situ: a. fragmented skull: b. associated finger-rings; c. post-
cranial skeleton.

and the alveolar bone is porous and relatively severe bone

resorption had occurred. The third molar is displaced
backward. It cannot be deduced whether this displacement
Fig 4. happened ante mortem or whether it was the result of a
Sasanian stamp seals (b–e) found with Burial 1.
taphonomic process.
A reliable sex determination of Skeleton 1 was not pos-
Fig. 2). All three lower right molars, however, appear to sible, as diagnostic skeletal elements—such as the pelvis
have been lost ante mortem. The alveoli of the third and —are not preserved. The same is true for the skull parts
second molars are obliterated, while the alveolus of the that bear diagnostic features. The skull, mandible and
first molar cannot be described as the area is damaged. All post-cranial bones, however, are all very gracile and small
counterparts in the maxilla—that is, the upper right molars and a tentative sex determination as probably female is
—show no abrasion, implying an early loss of the lower therefore proposed.
molars. The third molar of the left mandible was also lost The preserved sutures of the skull indicate preliminary
ante mortem. Correspondingly, the upper counterpart obliteration. The development of the roots of the third
shows no abrasion. All other teeth exhibit tooth wear. molars is complete and the skeleton can therefore be deter-
Traces of some kind of inflammation are visible in the area mined as that of a young adult at least (Ubelaker 1989).
of the second upper left molar. The tooth itself is missing Most teeth are moderately abraded.

45
A. KUTTERER ET AL.

The post-cranial skeleton is badly preserved and very reservoir correction was not applied, because there are
fragmented. None of the epiphyses are intact and therefore no indications that the buried individual had lived on
no measurements could be taken. Macroscopic examina- a marine-dominated or otherwise specialised diet for a
tion revealed no pathologic lesions or abnormal features in longer period of his/her life.
the post-cranium.

2.2.2. ANTHROPOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR SKELETON 2 4. Strontium isotope analysis

Remnants of the skull consisted of small fragments only 4.1. Basics
(Fig. 5/a). None of the long bones was complete and the Ratios of the strontium isotopes 87Sr and 86Sr are widely
ribcage and vertebrae were not preserved. One of the used in archaeological and bio-anthropological studies in
most distinctive anatomical features for the determina- order to reconstruct mobility patterns (e.g. Price et al.
tion of sex in adults—the greater sciatic notch of the 1994; Ezzo, Johnson & Price 1997; Grupe et al. 1997;
pelvis (Fig. 5/c)—was preserved, allowing for a tentative Schweissing & Grupe 2003; Price & Gestsdottir 2006; Bu-
determination as female (Ubelaker 1989). The complete zon, Simonetti & Creaser 2007; Montgomery 2010;
dentition was recovered. The roots of the third molars Hughes et al. 2014). For south-eastern Arabia the studies
were not yet complete. The skeleton can therefore be of L. Gregoricka (2013, 2014) are most important.
determined as that of a late adolescent (AlQahtani, Liv- The potential of strontium isotopes for identifying geo-
ersidge & Hector 2010; Ubelaker 1989) about 15 to graphic displacements of living organisms is based on the
18 years old. All other teeth were fully developed but fact that strontium is a regular constituent of biological tis-
not worn and did not exhibit signs of caries or other sues—including bones and teeth—and the isotopic com-
lesions. position of strontium in biological tissues varies according
to the geological underground on which an organism lives.
The heavier isotope 87Sr is a product of the radioactive
3. Radiocarbon dating decay of rubidium, which occurs in the earth’s crust and
Given the insecurities of the archaeological dating of Sasa- has a very long half-life. Therefore the abundance of 87Sr
nian stamp seals, it was important to take advantage of the in a particular geo-environment depends on the geological
direct connection between the seals and the individual history of the respective area. Old rocks contain more 87Sr
from Burial 1. The seals were clearly in use during the than younger ones, so that different regions may have dis-
lifetime of this person. A radiocarbon date for the skeletal tinctive 87Sr/86Sr ratios, depending on the age of their geo-
remains was therefore considered an important contribu- logical underground (Bentley 2006).
tion to archaeological chronology. Strontium is a relatively heavy element with an average
According to the results obtained by Zazzo, Munoz and atomic mass of 87.62. As an earth-alkali element, stron-
Saliege (2014) when dating Late Neolithic human skele- tium—to a very small extent—replaces calcium during
tons from Ra’s al-Hamra in Oman, bone apatite is more physiological processes such as the formation of bone or
suitable for radiocarbon dating than tooth enamel. Based enamel. Since the atomic mass difference between the two
on this observation it was decided to sample the humerus strontium isotopes is very small, the physiological pro-
shaft of Skeleton 1. The sample was treated with a calcium cesses involved in bone or enamel formation do not dis-
acetate buffer in order to remove potential diagenetic criminate between them. Thus, no fractionation takes
carbonate. At the MAMS-radiocarbon facility of the place during bone or enamel formation. The strontium iso-
Klaus-Tschira Laboratory at the Curt-Engelhorn-Centre tope ratios in biological tissues therefore directly reflect
for Archaeometry in Mannheim (Germany), the washed the ratios of the alimentary strontium uptake of the respec-
carbonate fraction of the bone apatite was extracted with tive individual (Bentley 2006; Blum et al. 2000).
the help of acetic acid (Balter et al. 2002). A date of Sources of biological strontium uptake are food and, to
1590  24 ybp (MAMS-17761) was obtained. This date a small extent, drinking water. Given that food and water
corresponds to a difficult part of the calibration curves. consumed by animals or humans come from local sources,
The calibration provides an age span of AD 419–538. the strontium uptake into their metabolism is directly con-
With a probability of 66%, however, the individual lived nected to the 87Sr/86Sr ratios represented in the respective
between AD 483 and 533, which corresponds to the bio-environments. This ratio, however, not only depends
Middle Sasanian period (AD 379–531) (Brunner 1978). A on the basic local geology but also on the geomorphic

46
 SASANIAN GRAVES AT JEBEL AL-EMEILAH

processes that lead finally to soil and subsoil formation. Jebel Faya. The western rim of the inland basin is formed
The influence of the latter should not be neglected, by a chain of anticline structures with an ophiolite core
because processes such as sediment transportation by and a partially preserved cover of Late Mesozoic lime-
rivers or glaciers over large distances may cause mixed stone. Further towards the west these formations dip under
geological sources of strontium uptake into living organ- the sands of the north-eastern extension of the Rub al-
isms (Bentley 2006). Khali desert. Where the sands are quarried deep enough
thick layers of ophiolithic gravel become visible.
4.2. Geological and geo-morphological environment Towards the east the inland basin is bordered by the Ha-
of the burials jar Mountains, which belong to the Oman Ophiolite Belt
The nearby surroundings of the two Sasanian burials can- and form its north-western end. The ophiolite itself has a
not have contributed much to the biogenic strontium con- complex structure of different lithological units, but in
tent of the skeletal remains. It is most unlikely that the two terms of their geological age they appear to be quite uni-
individuals lived where they were buried. The burial site form. Towards the north and south-east of the study area
lies in the eroded centre of the southern Jebel Faya anti- the ophiolite of the Hajar Mountains has a Mesozoic lime-
cline of which Jebel al-Emeilah is the south-eastern part stone cover. This information is based on the Geological
(Fig. 6). Aeolian sands on calcareous and ophiolithic hill- Map of the Northern Emirates 1:250.000 published by the
side scree form a hostile desert environment in this part of Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Minerals, UAE (2006)
the landscape. The nearby rocks are ophiolites belonging and produced by the British Geological Survey. A detail
to the south-eastern Arabian ophiolite belt of the Hajar of this map for the area under discussion is reproduced
Mountains and—on top of them—Mesozoic marine car- here in Figure 6. This official map is more precise than the
bonates (Fig. 7). sketch maps used by Gregoricka (2013, 2014).
The nearest archaeological site where the two individu-
als might have lived for some time is the proto-historic 4.3. Expected local ranges of 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios
city of Mleiha, some 11 km north-north-east of the burial Determination of the ‘local range’ of 87Sr/86Sr ratios is a
site (see Figs. 1 and 6). There the underground consists major task in bio-archaeological mobility studies under-
mostly of fan deposits of ophiolite gravel. Deeper under- taken in areas where such analyses are still uncommon.
ground the gravel lies on the same Late Mesozoic lime- Problems involved in this task have been discussed exten-
stone that comes to the surface at the nearby anticline of sively (Bentley 2006; Laffoon et al. 2012: 2372). Most
possibilities can be excluded for the area concerned. Small
mammals are too rare and too difficult to catch in this des-
ert landscape for reasonable locally differentiated base-
lines to be produced.
Domestic animals are also inappropriate because they
are often fed on imported hay, or —like camels—are
mobile to an extent that no ‘local’ strontium ratios can be
based on their products or tissues. Compiling existing
measurements of 87Sr/86Sr ratios derived from archaeolog-
ical animal bone finds studied earlier (e.g. Nafplioti 2011)
is also not applicable, because only the recent studies of
L. Gregoricka (2013) provide some strontium isotope
determinations for animal remains from a small number of
sites, which are not representative for the area concerned
and for which large-scale transhumance cannot be
excluded. As proposed by Laffoon et al. (2012: 2372) an
appropriate sampling strategy had to be tailored according
Fig. 6.
to the local conditions.
Detail from the Geological Map of the Northern Emirates (Ministry of In the context of an ongoing project on Neolithic mobil-
Energy, Petroleum and Minerals 2006) indicating the burial site and the ity in this region it was decided to use the wood of local
late pre-Islamic settlement site at Mleiha. trees and shrubs for establishing a broad database of

47
A. KUTTERER ET AL.

Fig. 7.
A map of the geological environment (based on Drechsler 2008: fig. 7).

48
 SASANIAN GRAVES AT JEBEL AL-EMEILAH

87
Sr/86Sr ratios for the area concerned. A similar approach reach the grasses and other low plants eaten by animals.
was applied by Valentine, Kamenov and Krigbaum These then enter the food chain of the human population.
(2008). In particular the use of trees seems most appropri- In this way the deep-rooted trees are major vectors for
ate for this purpose because they form the basis of impor- mediating the transportation of strontium from the geo-
tant processes that lead to the biological availability of sphere into the biosphere. In the context of the above-men-
strontium. tioned project a large number of wood samples were
As in other hyper-arid regions the local trees in south- collected throughout the Emirates. 87Sr/86Sr ratios were
eastern Arabia are very deep-rooted. Acacia tortilis and measured on twenty-nine of these samples. This set of
Prosopis cineraria are the most common trees in the area. strontium isotope ratios in woody plants (Table 1) was
The network of their roots is of similar size or larger than therefore used as reference for comparison with the
87
that of their branches. In particular the Ghaf tree (Prosopis Sr/86Sr ratios obtained from the two skeletons found
cineraria) is a major source of food for local plant-eating near Jebel al-Emeilah.
animals. Thus—in the case of the Ghaf tree—the averaged
underground strontium isotopic ratios are directly trans-
mitted to animals that contribute to human subsistence. 5. Residential mobility of the two individuals
The thorny Acacias do the same—but less directly—by buried near Jebel al-Emeilah
shedding their leaves and dry wood, which then transmit Studies on long-term mobility of humans or animals are
their mineral content to the surface soils, from where they based on comparisons of 87Sr/86Sr ratios in early and

Table 1. A list of 87/86strontium isotope ratios of the tooth enamel samples from the two skeletons excavated at Emeilah, and the twenty-nine wood
samples from all over the UAE.
Sample ID Type Comment Latitude Longitude 87/86Sr
549 Tooth enamel Emeilah Burial 1,M1 0.7081
550 Tooth enamel Emeilah Burial 1,M3 0.7080
552 Tooth enamel Emeilah Burial 2,M1 0.7080
553 Tooth enamel Emeilah Burial 2,M3 0.7081
386 Botanical sample Acacia 25.32202 55.86142 0.7087
387 Botanical sample Acacia 25.83335 56.02973 0.7087
388 Botanical sample Acacia 25.29930 55.49724 0.7088
389 Botanical sample Avicennia, Mangrove 25.00538 56.36763 0.7092
390 Botanical sample Acacia 23.79809 55.52812 0.7085
391 Botanical sample Acacia 24.31216 55.79544 0.7084
392 Botanical sample Avicennia, Mangrove 25.53138 55.59283 0.7092
393 Botanical sample Acacia 25.12369 55.84816 0.7086
394 Botanical sample Acacia 25.05904 55.99524 0.7086
395 Botanical sample Acacia 24.82210 56.12086 0.7085
396 Botanical sample Prosopis 24.95888 55.79212 0.7086
397 Botanical sample Acacia 24.99327 56.21597 0.7085
542 Botanical sample Acacia 25.57563 55.65447 0.7089
543 Botanical sample Acacia 25.00007 55.66258 0.7087
544 Botanical sample Acacia 25.60079 56.28722 0.7086
545 Botanical sample Prosopis 24.79071 55.59431 0.7087
601 Botanical sample Acacia 25.03938 55.81446 0.7086
602 Botanical sample Acacia 25.00370 55.79470 0.7087
603 Botanical sample Acacia 25.79837 56.07564 0.7085
604 Botanical sample Ziziphus 23.13312 53.78238 0.7085
605 Botanical sample Shrub 23.75565 53.65244 0.7088
606 Botanical sample Acacia 23.24101 54.34167 0.7087
607 Botanical sample Prosopis 22.96649 54.23739 0.7087
608 Botanical sample Akazie 25.39391 56.01283 0.7087
610 Botanical sample Prosopis 24.40181 55.37806 0.7087
611 Botanical sample Prosopis 24.10345 53.47748 0.7089
612 Botanical sample Shrub 24.24675 54.70476 0.7088
614 Botanical sample Acacia 25.22258 55.35185 0.7090
615 Botanical sample Prosopis 22.97402 53.40297 0.7086

49
A. KUTTERER ET AL.

later forming teeth (Montgomery 2010; Slovak & Paytan wood samples was performed by incinerating c.30–40 g
2012). Since tooth enamel is not renewed once it has of the wood in an oven at 550°C. The resulting ash was
formed, it represents an isotope archive of the childhood used for determining 87Sr/86Sr ratios.
of an individual, providing information on the geology Isotope ratio measurements were performed on the
of the place where the individual has spent his/her child- FinniganMAT 262 TIMS located at the isotope lab of the
hood during the time when the enamel formed. If signif- Geochemistry Group of the University of T€ ubingen
icant differences are found, they provide evidence for (Germany). Powdered enamel samples were weighted into
trans-location or, if not, for potential local residence of Savillex© Teflon beakers. Strontium was leached from the
the respective individual. It is recommended that a range ashes of the wood samples with 5M HAc by placing the
of 2 standard deviations from the mean of the local closed beakers on a hot plate at 80°C overnight. Samples
values—in our case determined from tree samples— were centrifuged and the liquid including the dissolved
should be applied in order to delimit the potential vari- strontium was pipetted into a new beaker and dried down.
ability of human values for the respective local range Tooth and bone samples were then dissolved in HNO3
(Grupe et al. 1997). Individuals with 87Sr/86Sr ratios (65%) in closed beakers on a hot plate at 80°C overnight
higher or lower than this range can thus be classified as and subsequently dried. Wood and tooth samples were
non-locals. then redissolved in 2.5M HCl for the separation of stron-
tium by conventional ion-exchange-chromatography using
5.1. Sampling and analytical procedures quartz glass columns filled with BioRad AG 50W-X12
In spite of the poor preservation of the skeletal remains of (200–400 mesh). Subsequent purification of strontium was
the two described individuals from Jebel al-Emeilah, their achieved in micro-columns filled with Eichrom© Sr-spec
teeth were remarkably well preserved and thus appropriate resin. Strontium separates were loaded with a Ta-activator
for anthropological analysis and strontium isotope studies. on Re single filaments and isotope ratio measurements
Tooth enamel is considered the optimal material for were performed in dynamic mode. Analytical mass frac-
obtaining reliable results (e.g. Trickett et al. 2003; tionation was corrected using a 88Sr/86Sr ratio of 8.375209
Hedges, Stevens & Koch 2006; Hoppe, Koch & Furutani and exponential law. External reproducibility for NBS
2003). When buried, tooth enamel is considered more SRM 987 (n = 9) is 0.710258  11 for the 87Sr/86Sr ratio.
resistant to diagenetic alterations than bone. The total procedural blank (chemistry and loading) was <
Samples of tooth enamel of the first and third molars 1130 pg for strontium. The analytical error was 0.000012.
were taken in order to obtain results for two different onto-
genetic stages during the life of the two individuals. The
first permanent molar (M1) starts to develop in utero and 6. Results of strontium isotope analyses
the mineralisation of its crown is completed by approxi- The strontium isotope ratios of twenty-nine analysed wood
mately 3 years of age (Knipper 2011). The third molars samples (Table 1 and Fig. 8) collected in the United Arab
(M3) develop later during childhood and the time of their Emirates range from 0.7084 to 0.7092 with a mean of
crown mineralisation is relatively variable. Mineralisation 0.7087  0.00019 (1r). The 2r-range thus extends from
starts around 7 and is completed by 16 to 20 years of age 0.7083 to 0.7091. These values coincide with the range
(2011: 132–134). used by Gregoricka (2014) of 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7086–
The first and third molars of both skeletons were sam- 0.7090 based on faunal samples. The values of the tree
pled using a dental drill. After the surface layer of the samples are used as a local baseline for comparison with
enamel was removed and discarded, c.5 mg of the inner the ratios determined for the two individuals from Jebel al-
enamel was isolated. Based on established methodologies Emeilah. Values outside the 2r range are considered as
(modified after Balasse et al. 2002), enamel powder was deriving from non-locals (Grupe et al. 1997). The
87
then broken down in 1.5 ml of 2.5% NaOCl solution in Sr/86Sr ratios for the first and third molars of both skele-
order to eliminate organic matter. Afterwards the samples tons are very similar to each other and range from 0.7080
were treated with a 0.1 M lithium-acetate buffer (contain- to 0.7081 (Table 1). Thus they are all clearly outside the
ing 0.1 M lithium acetate dihydrate, 99.999% trace metals 2r range of the total of the twenty-nine wood samples
basis and 0.1 M acetic acid). This buffer dissolves second- (Fig. 9).
ary carbonate inclusions and also washes out diagenetic One wood sample (Table 1, sample 601) derives
strontium. Sample preparation of the cleaned comparative directly from the burial site. This sample and four others

50
 SASANIAN GRAVES AT JEBEL AL-EMEILAH

An exact determination of the geographical origin of

the two individuals is not possible as the 87Sr/86Sr ratios
for different regions of the world can be very similar
(Price, Burton & Stoltman 2007). When comparing the
measured values with sample sets taken from the literature
(Fig. 9), the two skeletons from Jebel al-Emeilah cluster
near faunal samples from Tepe Yahya (Iran) and human
and faunal samples from Bahrain (Gregoricka 2013).
Human samples from Ur in Mesopotamia (Kenoyer, Price
& Burton 2013), however, also have very similar values.
The Sasanian Empire—with its centre in the area that is
now Iran—had a sphere of influence that incorporated all
of these areas. The best that can be said, therefore, is that
the two individuals were most probably immigrants to
south-eastern Arabia and that one of them possessed Sasa-
nian stamp seals. These seals had legal and commercial
functions and belong to the most abundant class of Sasa-
nian artefacts found in Iran and Mesopotamia. The motif
of a human hand is symbolic, while the image of a bull
has cultural, religious and also economic significance
(Brunner 1978).
The cause of death of the two Sasanians could not be
determined but, especially for the adolescent of Burial 2,
the deaths were untimely. In spite of the proximity of their
graves the question as to whether the two died together
and/or at the same time remains open. Given the fact that
an old north–south road passes nearby, one might specu-
Fig. 8. late that the two were travellers to the area, for whatever
A map of the UAE with the strontium isotope values of the measured purposes.
wood samples.
Evidence for Sasanian-period occupation of the area
was found, for example, in the fort at Mleiha (Mouton &
Cuny 2012; Kennet 2007; Benoist, Mouton & Schiettec-
(Table 1, samples 393, 394, 396 and 602) collected in the atte 2003). Intrusive finds of that period were also exca-
near surroundings of the graves are marked in Figure 9 vated near Jebel al-Buhais in the Umm an-Nar tomb
with a curly bracket. These five values have a range of BHS88 (Jasim 2012: 263), only a few kilometres away
0.7086 to 0.7087. The observed differences between the from Jebel al-Emeilah. Further Late Sasanian-period finds
wood samples and the enamel samples are considered as were unearthed in association with intrusive burials con-
evidence that the two individuals buried near Jebel taining weaponry and armour in another Umm an-Nar
al-Emeilah did not spent their childhood and early youth tomb on the other side of Jebel al-Emeilah (Benton &
in the area where their skeletons were found. Potts 2010; Potts 1997; Kennet 2007), less than 1 km
from the burials presented here. Future excavations will
need to show whether other Sasanian-period interments
7. Discussion are hidden underneath the sands in this region.
The measured 87Sr/86Sr ratios for the first and third molars
of the two individuals interred near Jebel al-Emeilah are
close to each other and do not fall into the local range of 8. Conclusions
87
Sr/86Sr ratios for the central UAE (see Fig. 9). Thus, With the help of geochemical methods it was proved that
both individuals clearly spent their childhood and youth at the two individuals buried near Jebel al-Emeilah during
another location. the Sasanian period were non-locals to the area now cov-

51
A. KUTTERER ET AL.

Fig. 9.
Strontium isotope values of enamel samples of the two human skeletons excavated at Emeilah and of twenty-nine recent wood samples from the UAE.
The 2r s.d. of the local values is delimited by the dotted line. Comparative strontium isotope ratios of tooth enamel of humans and fauna from Bahrain
(Barbar and burial mounds), Kuwait (Failaka) and Iran (Tepe Yahya) from Gregoricka (2011), and tooth enamel of humans from Mesopotamia (Ur)
from Kenoyer, Price and Burton (2013), are included for comparison.

ered by the UAE. The strontium isotope ratios in their Acknowledgements

teeth—representing their childhood and youth—fit values We would like to thank Ilka Sch€onberg-Kleinhanns and
known from south-central Iran, but other areas in the large Ronny Sch€onberg (Isotope Geochemistry Group of T€ ubin-
sphere of Sasanian influence, such as Bahrain and Meso- gen University) for measuring a large series of 87Sr/86Sr
potamia, cannot be excluded. Moreover, the examples ratios in the context of our project, and David Kirschenheuter
described above increase the small number of burials of for sample preparation. The project was funded by the Ger-
that time period in eastern Arabia (Kennet 2007). A direct man Research Foundation (DFG) and the Government of
radiocarbon date of around AD 500 for the individual Sharjah (UAE). Thanks are also due to two anonymous
wearing the stamp seals adds much needed chronological reviewers.
information to the general knowledge about this period in
south-eastern Arabia and beyond.

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