To be or not to be local: a provenance study of archaeological ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta, eastern Iran

Negar Eftekhari,Elena Marrocchino,Parviz Holakooei,Carmela Vaccaro

doi:10.1007/s12520-021-01307-2

Abstract

Findings from the archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta in eastern Iran include a wide range of undecorated, monochrome, and polychrome ceramics with gray, red, and buff-colored bodies that date back to a period spanning from 3200 to 1800 B.C.E. Given the large number and variety of ceramics unearthed from Shahr-i Sokhta, the provenance of these wares has remained a subject of controversy. Based on compositional data obtained from quantitative wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy studies and petrographic observations, findings from this study provide information that can be used to determine whether the ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta were manufactured locally or were imported from elsewhere. We show here that the chemical components of a large group of ceramics with gray, red, and buff-colored bodies are similar to those found in local clay sources and kiln wasters, suggesting local production of these wares. However, one group of red and gray-colored wares demonstrated entirely different chemistry, suggesting a different origin. In support of the quantitative WDXRF data, petrofabric analysis of the first group of buff, gray, and red wares revealed poorly sorted basaltic clasts similar to those found randomly distributed in the matrix of local clays. By contrast, the non-local gray and red wares exhibited fine-grained clay bodies with sorted distribution of fine-grained quartz within the clay matrix.

Highlights

The Bronze Age archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) covers an area of 150 hectares in eastern Iran near the modern border of Pakistan (Fig. 1, left)
We questioned an old assumption regarding the provenance of polychrome ware from Shahr-i Sokhta and provided new results suggesting that these ceramics were most likely local, not imported products
This hypothesis re-opens this discussion and may raise new questions to be addressed by future archaeological studies of the region

Summary

Introduction

The Bronze Age archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta (Burnt City) covers an area of 150 hectares in eastern Iran near the modern border of Pakistan (Fig. 1, left). The main excavated parts of the site have been identified as the “residential area” (including “central quarters,” “oriental residential area,” “burnt building,” and “monumental area”), the “industrial zone,” and the “graveyard” (Fig. 1, right). Polychrome ceramics with buff-colored bodies were found at the cemetery site of Shahr-i Sokhta; these are considered to be imported products (Sajjadi 2004; Piperno 2006; Mugavero 2008; Cortesi et al 2008; Sajjadi 2009; Festuccia 2011). The pigments used for paintings on the polychrome ware were different from those used to decorate local buff-paste ceramics (Eftekhari et al 2018)

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