Abstract
In Oman, the numerals of sheep and goats in the present time reflect a clear disparity in both animals' populations numbers. The Agricultural Census 2018 stated that the livestock of Oman contains 2,302,000 goats and 605,000 sheep. The divergence between the two animals is attracting attention and notice through the unexpected and conspicuous population numbers. In addition, archaeological excavations in Oman and the United Arab Emirates indicated the same situation during prehistory. This paper examines the discrepancy in the numbers of the sheep and goat populations in Dhofar region, southern Oman. There must be an explanation for this disproportion between goat and sheep in prehistoric and present times. This is an attempt to find the compels and the conditions that characterize this discrepancy. It examines the environmental conditions in Dhofar for both animals and the preference of the traditional herdsmen in Dhofar over sheep and goat. Moreover, the paper examines the effect of copper in soil and grass on both animals and finally provides the archaeological record of the osteological remains of sheep and goat. The examination of these factors can possibly facilitate a reasonable analogy between the present and prehistoric situation.
Keywords
Publication details
- Journal
- The Journal of Oman Studies, 25, 98-108
- Publisher
- Ministry of Heritage and Tourism
- Open access
- Gold open access
Cite this article
APA 7
ElMahi, A. T. (2024). Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers? The Journal of Oman Studies, 25, 98-108. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers
MLA 9
ElMahi, Ali Tigani. "Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers?" The Journal of Oman Studies, vol. 25, 2024, pp. 98-108. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers.
Chicago (author–date)
ElMahi, Ali Tigani. 2024. "Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers?" The Journal of Oman Studies 25: 98-108. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers.
Harvard
ElMahi, A. T. (2024) 'Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers?', The Journal of Oman Studies, 25, pp. 98-108. Available at: https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers.
Vancouver
ElMahi AT. Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers? The Journal of Oman Studies. 2024;25:98-108. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers
IEEE
A. T. ElMahi, "Present and Ancient Numerals of Sheep and Goats in Oman: What is in the numbers?," The Journal of Oman Studies, vol. 25, pp. 98-108, 2024, https://omanscience.com/en/articles/present-and-ancient-numerals-of-sheep-and-goats-in-oman-what-is-in-the-numbers.