A Preliminary Study of the Morphology and Spatial Distribution of Funerary Elements in the West and Southwestern Cemetery of Wadi al-Ma'awel, Oman

This study presents a comprehensive spatial and computational analysis of the funerary landscape in the Southeastern Cemetery of Wadi al-Ma’awel, Oman, focusing on tombs from the Wadi Suq and Iron Age periods. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology integrating fieldwork, GIS, spatial statistics, and machine learning, the research examines the morphology and spatial distribution of funerary structures, including Circular, Rectangular, and Ogival types. Results reveal strong positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating non-random clustering of graves by size, likely reflecting cultural or social practices. Cluster analyses identified distinct burial groups, suggesting cemetery segmentation tied to social stratification or familial lineages. The Random Forest model, enhanced by spatial features, achieved improved accuracy in tomb classification, outperforming baseline geometric analyses. The study underscores the utility of computational methods in uncovering latent spatial patterns and social dynamics in funerary contexts, while highlighting the need for richer datasets to improve classification of minority tomb types. These findings contribute to broader discussions on the interplay between funerary practices, collective memory, and socio-economic transitions in ancient southeastern Arabia.