In the Shadow of the Ancestors: The Prehistoric Foundations of the Early Arabian Civilization in Oman

The first edition of In the Shadow of the Ancestors (2007) was the first and only summary of decades of archaeological research in the Oman Peninsula. This second expanded had a long and winding journey toward publication. The passing away of Serge Cleuziou not long after the release of the first edition left Maurizio Tosi alone in completing this challenging enterprise. For this reason, and out of respect for his lifelong friend and colleague, he decided not to intervene too extensively on the main contents, but to add instead to the original eleven chapters a number of new ‘windows’ written by other scholars, in order to include more recent research and interpretations. In addition to the main contents, the new contributions by this younger generation of scholars, most of whom were students and collaborators of Cleuziou and Tosi, offers great testament to the legacy the authors leave behind them.
About the Authors
Serge Cleuziou (1945–2009). French archaeologist and social scientist at the University of Paris «Sorbonne», Serge Cleuziou was deeply interested in studying the multifaceted relationships between population and environmental resources by reconstructing ancient landscapes and manufacturing processes. He has been one of the founding fathers of archaeological research in Southeastern Arabia, where he excavated first at Hili and later along the Ja’alan coast in Oman.
Maurizio Tosi (1944–2017). Italian archaeologist and palaeoeconomist at the University of Naples «Orientale» and the University of Bologna, Maurizio Tosi researched the formation processes of prehistoric societies in Middle Asia. In 1977 he pioneered the archaeological research in Oman excavating Neolithic necropoleis and fishermen camps at Ras Al-Hamra.