Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman)

Connan, Jacques; H. Engel, Michael; Jackson, Robert B.; Priestman, Seth; Vosmer, Tom; Zumberge, Alex

doi:10.3390/separations8100182

Open AccessArticle

Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman)

by

Jacques Connan

^1,*

,

Michael H. Engel

²,

Robert B. Jackson

³

,

Seth Priestman

⁴,

Tom Vosmer

⁵

and

Alex Zumberge

⁶

¹

Laboratoire de Biogéochimie Moléculaire, Institut de Chimie, Université de Strasbourg, 23 rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 64000 Pau, France

²

School of Geosciences, The University of Oklahoma, 100 East Boyd Street, Norman, OK 73019-1009, USA

³

Independent Researcher, 40 Whalen Road, Randolph Center, Randolph, VT 05061, USA

⁴

Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK

⁵

Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum, Cliff St., Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia

⁶

GeoMark Research Inc., 9748 Whithorn Drive, Houston, TX 77095, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Separations 2021, 8(10), 182; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8100182

Submission received: 2 September 2021 / Revised: 24 September 2021 / Accepted: 30 September 2021 / Published: 12 October 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analytical Chromatography Applied to Archaeology)

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Abstract

Two samples of bitumen were obtained, one from a torpedo jar (c. 3rd–8th C. AD) from Masirah island and one from a Tunisian jar (c. 18th C. AD) from Muhut island off the central coast of Oman. Steranes and terpanes, as well as isotope data on chromatographic fractions, were used as tools to characterize the bitumen. Comparison of data with those already acquired on bitumen from torpedo jars from Thailand, Iran, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, India, and oil seeps from Iran and Iraq allowed us to conclude that the bitumen originated from different areas of southwest Iran. Those of the Muhut jar were likely from Khuzistan, whereas those from Masirah island appear to have been sourced from Kermanshah. These findings are in keeping with other similar geochemical studies undertaken on bitumen lined vessels from across the region (see more below).

Keywords: Oman; Tunisia; torpedo jar; bitumen; Muhut island; Masirah island; biomarkers; steranes; terpanes; carbon and deuterium isotopes

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MDPI and ACS Style

Connan, J.; H. Engel, M.; Jackson, R.B.; Priestman, S.; Vosmer, T.; Zumberge, A. Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman). Separations 2021, 8, 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8100182

AMA Style

Connan J, H. Engel M, Jackson RB, Priestman S, Vosmer T, Zumberge A. Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman). Separations. 2021; 8(10):182. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8100182

Chicago/Turabian Style

Connan, Jacques, Michael H. Engel, Robert B. Jackson, Seth Priestman, Tom Vosmer, and Alex Zumberge. 2021. "Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman)" Separations 8, no. 10: 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8100182

APA Style

Connan, J., H. Engel, M., Jackson, R. B., Priestman, S., Vosmer, T., & Zumberge, A. (2021). Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman). Separations, 8(10), 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8100182

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Geochemical Analysis of Two Samples of Bitumen from Jars Discovered on Muhut and Masirah Islands (Oman)

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