Stone Scale/Weights of Bronze Age from Sistan, Iran

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

Professor of Archaeology, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran. Tissaphernes Archaeological Research Group

Abstract

In Sistan, with an area of 8117 square meters, some 1660 archaeological sites have been explored during two phases of field surveys. The National Geographical Organization of the Armed Forces of Iran has divided Sistan into 22 geographical districts. The south of Qale Rustam Domain with an area of 295 square meters was the aim of second phase of investigation that could discover 280 archaeological sites. Most of them belong to Bronze Age. The site number 152 in the South of Qale Rustam Domain, which is located near the Iran-Afghanistan border with an area of 27000 square meters, was formed simultaneously with Shahr-e Sokhta. During the investigation, two stone objects resembling handbags, as well as a plenty of potsherds were found. The potsherds found at the surface level, both simple and designed are of the types found in phases 5-8 of Shahr-e Sokhta, which date back to the first half of the third millennium B.C. The specific function of these bags is still unclear, but seems to be weights or scale. However, based on chronological studies, these bags, like the other cultural proofs found around them especially pottery, can be attributed to the first half of the third millennium B.C.

Keywords

Main Subjects

🔓 © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Tissaphernes Archaeological Research Group, Tehran, Iran. Open Access. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeriv- atives License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The ethical policy of Persica Antiqua is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and complies with International Committee of Persica Antiqua Editorial Board codes of conduct. Readers, authors, reviewers and editors should follow these ethical policies once working with Persica Antiqua. The ethical policy of Persica Antiqua is liable to determine which of the typical research papers or articles submitted to the journal should be published in the concerned issue. For information on this matter in publishing and ethical guidelines please visit www.publicationethics.org.

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Persica Antiqua
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
January 2022
Pages 27-36

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 November 2021
  • Accept Date: 20 December 2021

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