Arms and Armor of Ancient Arabia

Armaments in the archaeological record are often treated as chronological or cultural markers without a broader interpretative framework. While some research concerning Ancient West Asian weaponry focuses on status and identity, the functional study of arms and armor, including construction and use, is largely neglected. This dissertation seeks to create a holistic database of artifacts, textual and pictorial sources, fully considering the multi-faceted nature of weaponry on the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring regions from the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. An innovative 3D-based object recording strategy will subsequently be employed, analyzing traces of construction and use, permitting insights into a set of technological and cultural-historical questions.