The 2005 campaigns at Khor Rori, Oman - Università degli Studi di Pisa

Different goals characterized the campaigns of 2005: to verify the existence of the necropolis and to explore different area of the city (area A, F, B) in order to understand the urban layout of the city.
North of the city four cave-crypts and an overground structure were investigated.
Cave 1 is the most interesting for the monumentality of the complex and the peculiarity of the entrance. Unfortunately the cave was badly looted in antiquity and used as shelter by Bedouins until the modern time. However, we may assume that the complex was connected with funeral practice and the material found during excavations confirms that the place was in use contemporary to the city. In area A the excavation of BA5 was completed and in street A45 a deep sounding was dug confirming that BA6 was constructed during the initial urban plan of the city. BA6 was the most prominent private house unearthed, until now, in Sumhuram and presents, in its south-eastern corner, several unclear rooms.
In the south-eastern corner of the building two different occupational phases have been recognized: during the upper phase a complex consisting in six small premises was brought to light, in the lower phase it was a two rooms building. A new trench was opened, during this campaign, north-east of the so-called bins, excavated by Albright where part of a room of a building designated as BB1 and what is supposed to be part of a square and a street were determined.
large amount of fragments of inscribed bronze bowl was found in square A77 and a fragment of inscribed stone, datable to the 2nd cent. BC was found in street A74.In area F the main goal was to verify the layout of the structures excavated by Cleveland.
Two complete buildings (BF1 and BF2) and part of a third one (BF6) were excavated. The area was occupied for a long period as it possible to see in section: phase of construction of the city walls, foundation filling and first buildings inside the city; occupational phases of the so-called KRI period; occupational phase of the so-called KRII period and recent occupational phase.