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Petrological characterisation of 'alabaster' from the Marib province in Yemen and its use as an ornamental stone in Sabaean culture |
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| Authors: | Christian Weiss D'arne O'Neill Roman Koch Iris Gerlach |
| Affiliation: | Institut für Paläontologie, Universität Erlangen, Loewenichstr. 28, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany e-mail: ,; Department of Archaeology, A14, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia e-mail:; Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Sana'a branch, c/o German Embassy Sana'a, P.O. Box 2562, Sana'a, Yemen e-mail: |
| Abstract: | 'Yemen alabaster', a calcareous sinter, is a unique building and ornamental stone of the Sabaean culture ( c. 1000 BC to 100 AD). This study characterises the quarries and describes the facies of their stones. Through thin sections, luminescence microscopy and geochemical analyses, 'Yemen alabaster' can be classified and assigned a quarry source. The stone is a calcareous sinter related to volcanism in the Marib province. It can be divided into several microfacies types different in luminescence and trace element contents. During Sabaean times it was mined in highly organised quarries including underground quarries and used extensively in the Sabaean kingdom. |
| Keywords: | Saba Sabaean Yemen alabaster calcareous sinter Sirwah Marib Awam miniatures |