British Institute of Persian Studies

Sistan and Baluchistan Project

Author(s): S. M. S. Sajjadi
Source: Iran, Vol. 43 (2005), pp. 87-91
Published by: British Institute of Persian Studies
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4300684 .
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 SISTANAND BALUCHISTANPROJECT

By S.M.S.Sajjadi
Iranian CulturalHeritage and TourismOrganisation

The eighth campaign of excavations at Shahr-i Sokhta of the graveyard.Both the surface of the squareand its
took place from the 15 December 2004 to the 15 March deeper levels, down to 130 cm. of depth, are covered
2005. Because of the unprecedentedheavy rainfall,the with solidified layers of gravel, sand, clay and salt. A
expeditionwas not able to continue its work at the other total of 12 graves, 6 Simple Pits and 6 Bipartite ones
sites of this project:Bampur,Talebkanand Dahaneh-ye have been found in this square.Graves 5400, 5401, and
Qolaman.For the same reason,the excavationsat Shahr- 5405, all located in the southern section of the square,
i Sokhtehwere limitedto the graveyard.The meteorolog- contained only fragmentsof humanbones, while graves
ical situationof the region duringthis campaigncreated 5402 and 5404 also contained skulls. Eight graves also
serious problems,as, besides the very heavy rainfall,the had a poor collection of grave goods, while graves 5402,
famous winds of Sistanalso lifted large amountsof sand. 5405, 5407 and 5408 were empty.
Excavations:Six squareshave been excavated:HTT, HTX. (Table 3). This square is located in the south-
HTX, HYM, IPP, measuring 100 sq.m. each, square western section of the centralpart of the graveyardand
MID, 75 sq.m. and square HYD, measuring 50 sq.m., measures 10 x 10 m. One Simple Pit and two Bipartite
for a total of 525 sq.m. A total of 49 graves have been Pits have been excavated here. All three graves
unearthed,containing 52 human being and 6 goat kid contained both human skeletons and grave goods.
skeletons. Four different grave types have been found, HYD. (Table4). This squaremeasures 5 x 10 m. and
18 Simple Pits (type 1), 28 Bipartite Pits (type 2), 2 has been excavated to the depth of 150 cm. One Simple
Catacombs (type 4) and 1 Circular Pit with Closed Pit and three Bipartite Pits have been found in this
Entrance. Both catacombs have been found in square square. Graves 5008 and 5011 contained one human
HMY (Table 1). skeleton, grave 5009 contained two human skeletons
During this campaign the geophysical studies of the with their grave goods, and grave 5010 was completely
site have been started,in collaborationwith the National empty.
Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, HYM. (Table 5). This squareis located in the south-
Triesteand Eurekos.The archaeobotanicalstudies of the easternpart of the central section of the graveyard,and
organic material continued in collaboration with the it measures 10 x 10 m., while having been excavated
Laboratoriodi Bioarcheologia of the Museo Nazionale down to 180 cm. of depth. The thickness of the
D'Arte Orientale in Rome. A new topographicmap of solidified crust of salt, clay and soil in some partsof the
the site has also been prepared. trench reaches 70 cm. posing serious difficulties to the
HTT. (Table 2). This square measures 10 x 10 m., excavations. A total of sixteen graves have been found:
and is located in the western portion of the central part six graves of the Simple Pit type, eight Bipartite Pit

TABLE 1
No. Square No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Dimension
Graves 1 2 4 9 Skeletons Objects Goats
1 HTT 12 6 6 0 0 12 27 0 100
2 HTX 3 1 2 0 0 3 14 0 100
3 HYD 4 1 3 0 0 4 12 0 50
4 HYM 16 6 8 2 0 17 179 4 100
5 IPP 8 1 6 0 1 10 57 1 100
6 MID 6 3 3 0 0 6 27 1 75
Total 6 49 18 28 2 1 52 316 6 525
88 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

TABLE 2
No. No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.Age
Graves 1 2 Skeletons Objects Goats
1 5400 * 1 4 0 ? ?
2 5401 * 1 3 0 ? ?
3 5402 * 1 0 0 Child -
4 5403 * 1 1 0 Female 30-35
5 5404 * 1 1 0 ? ?
6 5405 * 1 0 0 ? ?
7 5406 * 1 7 0 Male 30-35
8 5407 * 1 0 0 ? ?
9 5408 * 1 0 0 Female 20-25
10 5409 * 1 6 0 Child
11 5410 * 1 2 0 Child -
12 5411 * 1 3 0 New Born -
Total 12 6 6 12 27 0 -

TABLE3
No. No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.
Graves 1 2 Skeletons Objects Goats Age
1 5300 * 1 1 0 Female ?
2 5301 * 1 10 0 ? 55 ?
3 5302 * 1 3 0 Male 45-50
Total 3 1 2 3 14 0 - -

TABLE4
No. No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.Age
Graves 1 2 Skeletons Objects Goats
1 5008 * 1 1 0 Female 20-30
2 5009 * 2 8 0 Child
3 5010 * 0 0 0 0 0
4 5011 * 1 3 0 Child -
Total 4 1 3 4 12 0

gravesandtwo Catacombs. All of themhadone human CircularPit with ClosedEntrance(GraveType9). Six

skeleton,except for grave 5115, which containedthe graveshad one humanskeleton,while one grave,no.
remainsof a male,a femaleandtwo goatkidsskeletons. 5201,containedfourchildren.Graveno. 5200,although
A totalof 179gravegoodshavebeenfound,61 of which it hadthe largestcollectionof gravegoods(27 objects),
belongedto thecatacombtypegraveno. 5114,and54 of had no humanskeletons.Graveno. 5207, had 40-45
whichbelongedto the othercatacomb,graveno. 5116 individualssexuallyunidentified,and also containeda
(Fig. 1). goatkid skeleton.
IPP. (Table6). This squareis locatedin the western MID.(Table7). Thissquarehasa surfaceof 75 sq.m.
sectionof the centralpartof thegraveyardandhasbeen Twenty-fivesq.m. of this trenchhave been excavated
excavateddownto 180 cm of depth.In this trenchtoo, duringthe seventhcampaign.The squarewas analysed
the thicknessof the solidifiedcrustof salt,clay andsoil downto 190cm of depth.A totalof six graveshavebeen
reaches 80 cm. A total of eight graves have been excavatedhere:threeof thembelongto the firstgrave
excavated,six BipartitePits, one SimplePit and one type (SimplePits) while the otherthreebelongto the
 SISTAN AND BALUCHISTAN PROJECT 89

Fig. 1. Grave 5116 (Type4. Catacomb).

Fig. 2. Painted Brown on Buff WarePlate Grave No. 5116.

Fig. 3. Painted Brown on Buff WarePlate Grave No. 5114.

90 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

TABLE 5
No. No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.
Graves 1 2 4 Skeletons Objects Goats Age
1 5101 * 1 2 0 ? ?
2 5102 * 1 2 0 Child
3 5103 * 1 2 0 Child
4 5104 * 1 1 0 ? ?
5 5105 * 1 8 0 Female 40-45
6 5106 * 1 15 * Child
7 5107 * 1 3 0 Male ?
8 5108 * 1 1 0 Child
9 5109 * 1 1 0 Child
10 5110 * 1 4 0 Child
11 5111 * 1 1 0 New Born
12 5112 * 1 1 0 New Born
13 5113 * 1 13 0 Female 35-40
14 5114 * 1 61 * Female 20-25
15 5115 * 2 10 * a. Male a. 45-50
b. Female b. 40-45
16 5116 * 1 54 0 Male 40-45
Total 16 2 8 2 17 179 4

TABLE6
No. No. of GraveType No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.
Graves 1 2 9 Skeletons Objects Goats Age
1 5200 * 0 27 0
2 5201 * 4 1 0 Child
3 5202 * 1 14 0 Female 20-25
4 5203 * 1 1 0 Male 40-45
5 5204 * 1 2 0 Female 20-25
6 5205 * 1 1 0 Child
7 5206 * 1 5 0 Male 25-30
8 5207 * 1 6 1 ? 40-45
Total 8 1 6 1 10 57 1 -

secondgravetype(BipartitePits).Gravesnos.4603 and jar. The most interestingcollectionwas collectionD

4605 had no gravegoods and graveno. 4608 was the though.In this partof the trench,locatedin the south-
only one with a goat kid skeleton.In this trenchfour west, therewere a groupof objectsincludinga bone
collectionsof objectshavebeenfoundthatcouldnotbe shaft, some stone tools with unidentifiedfunction,
attributedto any grave:A, B, C and D. CollectionA, potteryvessels and a metal dagger,foundalong with
locatedin the northernpartof the trench,containeda some other fragmentsof bones on a smooth floor.
very small clay vessel. CollectionB, in the south- Duringthe lastcampaign,veryclose to this surface,the
westernpart,containedthreepaintedbuffwarebeakers tracesof two narrowandsmallrooms,almost2 x 1 m.,
and two paintedbuff ware bowls, togetherwith one havebeenfound,buttheyweretotallyempty.According
piece of mat.CollectionC, locatedin the southernpart to the datafoundin thispartof the trench,it seemsthat
of the square, contained two pottery vessels, one thiscollectioncouldbe partof thenecropolis,wherethe
unpaintedbuffwarebowl andone unpaintedbuffware deadwereprepared forfuneraryceremoniesandburials.
 SISTAN AND BALUCHISTAN PROJECT 91

TABLE 7

No. No. of Grave Type No. of No. of No. of Sex Approx.

Graves 1 2 Skeletons Objects Goats Age
1 4603 * 1 0 0 Female 18-22
2 4604 * 1 4 0 Child
3 4605 * 1 0 0 Male 20-25
4 4606 * 1 7 0 Female 40-45
5 4607 * 1 5 0 New Bornm
6 4608 * 1 1 * Female 40-45
Total 6 3 3 6 27 1

For the moment this is only a hypothesis which but for moredetailsregardingthis collection,the next
currentlyholds,in the absenceof anyotherexplanation, seasonof excavationsmustbe awaited.