The brief desription on the UNESCO site was intriguing

“The protohistoric site of Bat lies near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the neighbouring sites, it forms the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world”

Somewhere which is “world unique” should be worth seeking out! The Lonely Planet "Arab Gulf States" didn’t mention the place however. But it was there on the map which came with our rentacar and we did have a few spare hours after visiting Bahla and Jabreen forts before we had to be back in Nizwa. Unfortunately the route to it seemed to go round 3 quarters of a circle - there was a dirt road to avoid this but our rental agreement had been VERY specific that all insurance was void on dirt roads! When we reached the dirt road locals confirmed that it wasn’t good enough for a saloon. So on to Ibri which is on the main road from the UAR and the border oasis of Buraimi. From there we made our way north to Ad Dariz (turn off just before) and finally another 16kms to the village of Bat. If you try it you will need to keep asking at Ad Dariz as it is not well signed and locals do not seem be aware of what it is that tourists might be going to see. Just before Bat, where the metalled road ends, turn left - ie NOT into the village. After about 1 km you will come across a line of metal fencing on the left and a circular fenced enclosure on the right. This latter contains the structure shown in the picture on the UNESCO web site – the remains of a tower from around 2500BC.

You will need to go behind the fence to see the main area of beehive tombs. The fence is a farce since there is a rough road which just goes round the end of it. One must be concerned for the integrity of the site. Although Omani government notices warn that it is an archaeological site and that nothing must be damaged the whole area is open to plunder from locals wanting stones and from 4x4 enthusiasts driving everywhere.

The mention of a “Palm Grove” in the UNESCO description gives the wrong impression. This is desert country and the necropolis lies on dry ground over a large area with the remains of “beehive” tombs dotting both the valley and the tops of the surrounding hills. Unfortunately by now it was getting dark. Although I understand that there are at least 2 tombs in a reasonable state of completeness (ie looking like “beehives”!) we only had time to look at some which were in a poorer state of repair. The circular nature of the structure (see photo) was clearly visible however together with the skill involved in interlocking the stones to create the beehive dome. Some 4500 years ago a bronze age people had created a culture of some longevity and complexity of organisation and belief of which these stones were now the only record. The sun set deep red, the dust blew – and we had a 3 hour journey back to Nizwa . We may not have seen a magnificent ruin, well presented for tourists and beautifully restored but it had been a worthwhile excursion to experience these desert remains!