Researchers from Goethe University have made an important discovery in the Wilayat of Ibra in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. The discovery of three copper ingots provides new information about the trade networks of the Bronze Age and how copper was transported across long distances. This discovery is significant because it sheds light on the importance of copper during this time period and how it was used for making tools and weapons.
According to a statement released by Goethe University, while researchers Irini Biezeveld and Jonas Kluge were investigating traces of several settlement sites in eastern Oman, they recovered a lump containing three copper ingots from a test pit. The ingots are believed to be 4,300 years old.
The lump containing the copper ingots was found in a test pit in Ibra, Oman. The ingots are in the shape of a round cone and are corroded on the outside. According to Dr. Stephanie Döpper, the academic supervisor of the two doctoral candidates who made the discovery, “A find like this is extremely rare.” Oman was an important center of copper production during the Copper Age. The region had abundant copper deposits, and the metal was traded to other parts of the world. The discovery of the three copper ingots in Ibra provides new insights into the ancient copper trade in the region.
The discovery of these copper ingots is significant because it provides insight into the trade networks of the Bronze Age. The researchers believe that the ingots were produced in a local smelting facility. Copper was an important commodity during this time period and was used for making tools and weapons. The ingots were likely transported from the mines in the Hajar Mountains to the east coast of Oman where they were then shipped to other parts of the world.
They also speculate that the copper was traded to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. These civilizations were known to have traded with Oman during the Copper Age.
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