Arab. arch. epig. 2003: 14: 8–23 C 2003 Blackwell Munksgaard Printed in Denmark. All rights reserved ISSN 0905-7196 Preliminary report on the excavations at Wadi Shab, Area 1, Sultanate of Oman MAURIZIO TOSI AND DONATELLA USAI During January and February 2001 the Joint Hadd Project investigated a prehis- toric site located in the Tiwi area, along the easternmost stretch of the northern coast of Oman, at the mouth of the still active Wadi Shab. The site (Fig. 1) was visited in the autumn of 1983 by the Italian Archae- ological Expedition to the Sultanate of Oman (1) and was sounded by Paolo Biagi in 1992 (2). It is known in the literature as GAS1 (3). A C14 determination, from an ashy sediment (Layer 2) uncovered by Biagi (4), indicates the first quarter of the fourth millennium BC as the possible date of this site (5). Renewed interest in the GAS1 site was prompted by road paving plans and house construction. In fact, the coast road linking Sur to Muscat actually crosses the site, damaging quite a large part of it. Furthermore, the data gathered previously by Biagi suggested that investi- gations there could be quite productive. The first step in this direction was a gen- eral survey of the site in order to determine where to place a test trench. The best area, because it was the least disturbed, seemed to be at the very southern edge of the promontory facing the sea. A systematic, intensive collection was made of an area measuring 11¿5 m, using a 1¿1m 2 grid. Actual excavation was limited to a 5¿5m 2 area where a stone structure was still vis- 8 ible on the surface. The soil from the exca- vation was sieved (using 3 mm mesh) and the material collected according to the 1 m grid. The residual anthropic deposit turned out to have a maximum depth of only about 40 cm (Fig. 2c). At least three occu- pational phases could be recognised. How- ever, the surface material, which includes a mixture of both prehistoric and Late Is- lamic finds, suggests that significant ero- sion has affected the site. A 2–4 cm thick deposit of small limestone rubble (US0 or SUP) was excavated over the whole area bringing to light a round, stone structure (US39) resting on powdery, dark grey, ae- olian soil (US1) mixed with small rubble and very rich in archaeological finds which included Late Islamic pottery and glass beads. A better preserved layer with structural evidence was discovered under US1 that sealed a large fireplace built of stone ar- ranged in a circular pattern, almost 2 m in diameter (Fig. 3a) and, nearby, another cir- cular stone structure of uncertain function. A number of post holes (US6–15), with no apparent discernible pattern, were clearly visible on the top of the deposit to which these features were related (US2). The last structural evidence preserved at the site was brought to light after removing