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ДĀRAT AS-SAYBANĪ: DOCUMENTATION AND HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN
sablah, further highlighting the intertwining of water sources and habitation. The settlement exhibits a later fortified extension at the base of the hill, whose architecture is unlikely to have been driven by defensive requirements. It illustrates the increased wealth and political status of its tribes and inhabitants, the Bani Riyam confederation. Dwellings are complex and often overlapping, with dwelling entrances in some cases placed at the upper floor level. These configurations are unique to the ‘hilltype’ of settlements but also indicate the close tribal and familial relationship Some dwellings incorporate male meeting halls (sbal/ sablah), a feature not normally found in the settlements of ad-Dākhilīyah region (e.g., ManaΉ and Nizwā). In such instances, various methods are used to ensure privacy within the dwelling. The extensive fossil deposits to the north and west of the Ήārah are unique attractions of the settlement region. More scientific research is necessary to establish its nature. There are a large number of decorated ceilings within dwellings. The sheer number of these, in itself, is significant. Figures 5.1-5.8 provides a catalogue to architectural, constructional and decorative features found within the harah.
5.2. HISTORICAL VALUES Дārat as-Saybanī in an example of late settlement development during the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries AD, paralleling developments in al-Дamrā and the rebuilding of many settlement quarters at the time
(e.g., Ḥārat al-Yemen in Izkī). Characterised by rapid construction or reconstruction, these settlements indicate development approaches of the period under YaΜaribah imamate which was impacted by major movement and ascendency of tribal groups (e.g., the Banī Riyām in this case); The more recent historical developments in the late1950s have left tangible impact on the settlement, marking the settlement’s place in Omani history. One such building is E5.
5.3. SOCIAL VALUES
The Ήārah evolution illustrates the gradual upward social mobility of certain families, resulting in very large dwellings at the bottom of the hill. This relatively recently gained freedom from topographic constraints experienced through increased wealth resulted in the creation of a new civic area. This space enclosed a large open space where the mosque had always stood. Importantly, this settlement development is an important record of the ascendency of a tribal grouping, the Bani Riyam over three centuries and therefore could be studied in greater depth to understand the spatial manifestation of the social dynamics. However, such a study will also have its more generic methodological value. The social and political history of the Ήārah suggests complex negotiation and tendency for patience amongst the resident groups. The wide range of meeting halls – from semi-private to communal ones – show a diversity of attitudes towards congregation and community activities, certainly a distinctive feature amongst settlements of the Interior.