Drilling stone vessels in third-millennium BC Iran: new evidence from Hajjiabad-Varamin, Jiroft (Kerman Province)

Abstract

Stone vessels were widely used across the Middle East and East Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. Production sites in Egypt have been extensively studied but the evidence for other regional manufacturing centres, including the eastern Iranian Plateau, is less well understood. The authors report on an extensive craft activity area found at Hajjiabad-Varamin, Kerman Province, with evidence for the large-scale production of vessels made of translucent travertine/calcite. Drill heads or bits used to manufacture stone vessels are examined in broader temporal and geographical context. These finds raise questions about production techniques and demonstrate how apparently non-descript stones can add to our understanding of the Middle East in the third millennium BC.