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Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World
Brown University
Box 1837 / 60 George Street
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: (401) 863-3188
Fax: (401) 863-9423
[email protected]
Atam: A pre-Islamic structure found in the Arabian peninsula. Utum were large, multi-storied buildings built with stone. These buildings were thought to have been used as defensive structures, where a clan was able to take refuge during times of strife with other clans. This is an important concept to distinguish pre-Islamic Arabia from Islamic Arabia. After their conversion, clans were less likely to engage in violent conflict, and therefor utum were not as necessary for defense as they once were.