Archaeologists have unearthed a pair of 4,000-year-old cymbals in Dahwa, Oman, dating back to the third millennium B.C., specifically between 2200 B.C. and 2000 B.C. The discovery, made during a 2018 excavation of an ancient building, provides insights into ancient musical traditions and cultural connections in the region.
The cymbals, described as circular with a diameter of 138mm, feature an embossed middle and a small hole. Despite some copper oxidation, the artifacts are well-preserved. According to Khaled Douglas, an archaeologist from Sultan Qaboos University and lead author of the study published in Antiquity, the cymbals are unique finds for Oman.
Researchers hypothesize that the cymbals were used in rituals and public ceremonies, possibly within a cultic context. Chemical analyses suggest the cymbals were made from local Omani copper, despite resembling those from the Indus Valley Civilization. The discovery indicates that music played a vital role in inter-regional contact and that shared musical traditions fostered close ties among disparate societies during the Bronze Age.