Archaeological works at the fortified castle of Al Baleed (Husn Al Baleed), southern Oman: preliminary results from the fieldwork and the study of the materials

In April 2016 the Office of the Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs started a new project on southern Oman, at the site of Al Baleed, ancient Zafar. The works, still in progress, have been focused on the excavation of the fortified castle, Husn Al Baleed (10th-18th century), the study of the materials and the consolidation of the building in order to ensure the preservation of the complex and its proper visualization. This report will present some of the results achieved during the ongoing excavations and it will include the preliminary contributions of some experts which have been working on different materials discovered in the Husn and at the site: the pottery, the ceramics from the Far East, the ship timbers and the coins.