Conclusion: Between Two Civilizations (redux)

This book began by placing ancient Oman between the great powers of Mesopotamia and the Indus Civilization. Studies of ancient "Magan" -particularly the Omani side- have been far more limited than in these two areas, and the now-defunct core-periphery narrative that has pervaded archaeological research in the Arabian Peninsula and Southern Iran for decades is a reflection of that lacuna. As numerous scholars have noted, we must first understand the local and regional situation before we can truly understand interregional dynamics. To do so, however, we must have a cultural and chronological baseline and a basic understanding of the types of monuments that define these archaeological periods.