Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2019.1633241
Giuseppe Labisi
ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to present a first attempt at a comprehensive classification of squinches related to semi-domes, in Persian kāna pūsh, in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran between the late Sasanian and early Islamic periods. This feature is a characteristic of the Persian architectural tradition: all the preserved examples are in buildings of considerable importance (most are related to the architecture of the élites) and demonstrate a typological evolution. Furthermore, their origin can also be backdated to between the late Sasanian and early Islamic periods.
{"title":"Squinches and Semi-domes between the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic Periods","authors":"Giuseppe Labisi","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2019.1633241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2019.1633241","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to present a first attempt at a comprehensive classification of squinches related to semi-domes, in Persian kāna pūsh, in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran between the late Sasanian and early Islamic periods. This feature is a characteristic of the Persian architectural tradition: all the preserved examples are in buildings of considerable importance (most are related to the architecture of the élites) and demonstrate a typological evolution. Furthermore, their origin can also be backdated to between the late Sasanian and early Islamic periods.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2019.1633241","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47544101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-24DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1781545
A. Stefański
ABSTRACT Petrographic analysis was conducted on pottery from Early Bronze Age archaeological levels at Godin Tepe (western Iran), for the purpose of defining traditions of raw material procurement and ceramic production methods in the context of a local abandonment and resettlement of an agricultural town within the excavation area. Thin-section samples of ceramics representing various ware types from each phase were analysed with a polarising light microscope. The results reveal that there was some continuity in raw material procurement strategies between these phases, especially with buff common wares. The high degree of petrofabric homogeneity within buff common wares strongly suggests the presence of workshops producing them, while more variation among buff coarse and grey-black wares indicates possible household production. A distinct petrofabric of mostly metamorphosing red shale inclusions appeared in III:5, closely associated with red-slipped wares which proliferated in that archaeological phase, suggests the appearance of a novel ceramic tradition at the summit of the town mound, alongside the persistence of existing ceramic traditions and raw material procurement strategies.
{"title":"Dynamics in Ceramic Production: Petrographic Analysis of Ceramics from Godin Tepe III:6 and III:5","authors":"A. Stefański","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1781545","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1781545","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Petrographic analysis was conducted on pottery from Early Bronze Age archaeological levels at Godin Tepe (western Iran), for the purpose of defining traditions of raw material procurement and ceramic production methods in the context of a local abandonment and resettlement of an agricultural town within the excavation area. Thin-section samples of ceramics representing various ware types from each phase were analysed with a polarising light microscope. The results reveal that there was some continuity in raw material procurement strategies between these phases, especially with buff common wares. The high degree of petrofabric homogeneity within buff common wares strongly suggests the presence of workshops producing them, while more variation among buff coarse and grey-black wares indicates possible household production. A distinct petrofabric of mostly metamorphosing red shale inclusions appeared in III:5, closely associated with red-slipped wares which proliferated in that archaeological phase, suggests the appearance of a novel ceramic tradition at the summit of the town mound, alongside the persistence of existing ceramic traditions and raw material procurement strategies.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1781545","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47788787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-06DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1769495
S. Stark, Fiona. Kidd, Jamal K. Mirzaakhmedov, Shujing Wang, R. Spengler, S. Mirzaakhmedov, Zachary Silvia, Silvia Pozzi, H. Rakhmonov, M. Sligar, Munira Sultanova
ABSTRACT Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-kum desert, and at the kurgan sites at Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak on the eastern and north eastern fringes of the oasis, are detailed here, enriching our understanding of agro-pastoralism in Antiquity. At Bashtepa, results indicate a shifting site function, from a border fortress, over a phase during which a monumental though still poorly understood platform dominated the northern part of the site, to a final phase when the site evolved into a small rural settlement characterized by pit houses. Preliminary archaeo-botanical and paleo-zoological studies demonstrate an engagement with grain farming, but also with animal husbandry, as well as hunting and fishing. Ceramics indicate contacts with the surrounding oases. Excavations at the kurgan provide new data on burial architecture and funerary customs, including a collective burial with khums being used as containers for human bones. Results challenge the chronology of previously excavated comparable kurgans in the area, suggesting an earlier date. The analysis of ceramics from the kurgan burials underlines the need to rework the dating of the ceramic typology for the Bukhara oasis, especially for the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.
{"title":"The Uzbek-American Expedition in Bukhara. Preliminary Report on the Third Season (2017)","authors":"S. Stark, Fiona. Kidd, Jamal K. Mirzaakhmedov, Shujing Wang, R. Spengler, S. Mirzaakhmedov, Zachary Silvia, Silvia Pozzi, H. Rakhmonov, M. Sligar, Munira Sultanova","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1769495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1769495","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Excavations at the site of Bashtepa, at the western interface of the Bukhara oasis and the Kyzyl-kum desert, and at the kurgan sites at Kuyu-Mazar and Lyavandak on the eastern and north eastern fringes of the oasis, are detailed here, enriching our understanding of agro-pastoralism in Antiquity. At Bashtepa, results indicate a shifting site function, from a border fortress, over a phase during which a monumental though still poorly understood platform dominated the northern part of the site, to a final phase when the site evolved into a small rural settlement characterized by pit houses. Preliminary archaeo-botanical and paleo-zoological studies demonstrate an engagement with grain farming, but also with animal husbandry, as well as hunting and fishing. Ceramics indicate contacts with the surrounding oases. Excavations at the kurgan provide new data on burial architecture and funerary customs, including a collective burial with khums being used as containers for human bones. Results challenge the chronology of previously excavated comparable kurgans in the area, suggesting an earlier date. The analysis of ceramics from the kurgan burials underlines the need to rework the dating of the ceramic typology for the Bukhara oasis, especially for the period between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1769495","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47342794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-05-22DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1762504
Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
ABSTRACT The Middle Persian epic work of Ayādgār ī Zarērān is one of the most interesting specimens of the Pahlavi secular literature providing a link between the old Iranian epic tradition and Ferdowsi's Šāhnāma. Its language is simple, although sometimes obscure words or sentences occasionally make some passages difficult for interpretation. In the current paper it is tried to give a new interpretation for the word in §19, which previously has been discussed by a number of scholars who worked on the text of Ayādgār ī Zarērān. Besides this, the location of the mythical Spēd razūr (“White Forest”), the place where the battle between Wištāsp and Arǰāsp took place, is discussed. The correct interpretation of the word may provide an answer to the question where did the battle between the mythological rulers Wištāsp and Arǰāsp take place, according to the Middle Persian tradition.
{"title":"Where Did the Battle Between Wištāsp and Arǰāsp Take Place?","authors":"Ruben S. Nikoghosyan","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1762504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1762504","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Middle Persian epic work of Ayādgār ī Zarērān is one of the most interesting specimens of the Pahlavi secular literature providing a link between the old Iranian epic tradition and Ferdowsi's Šāhnāma. Its language is simple, although sometimes obscure words or sentences occasionally make some passages difficult for interpretation. In the current paper it is tried to give a new interpretation for the word in §19, which previously has been discussed by a number of scholars who worked on the text of Ayādgār ī Zarērān. Besides this, the location of the mythical Spēd razūr (“White Forest”), the place where the battle between Wištāsp and Arǰāsp took place, is discussed. The correct interpretation of the word may provide an answer to the question where did the battle between the mythological rulers Wištāsp and Arǰāsp take place, according to the Middle Persian tradition.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1762504","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44385786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-05-13DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1762503
Ladislav Charouz
ABSTRACT Naser al-Din Shah's 1873 visit to the World's Fair in Vienna was devised by his advisors to encourage the Shah to adopt European-inspired policies for modernisation, and to put Persia on the map. The latter priority entailed several related goals: first, to pursue diplomacy with Persia's main adversaries in order to balance their influence; second, to forge alliances with other European nations; and third, to communicate Persian sovereignty in order to deter aggression. The Shah's visit to Vienna constituted a mixed success. The Austrian press alternately lampooned and fawned over the Persian ruler, using numerous orientalist tropes. However, the Shah managed to persuade Austria to help Iran's efforts at administrative reform and forged good enough relations to secure Austria's military aid several years later. At the same time, he did little to conscript Austrian know-how for Persia's industrialisation and preferred to spend his time with old acquaintances and interesting personages. Persia's exhibition at the World's Fair also met with both successes and failures. While it effectively communicated Persia's wealth and culture to the Europeans, it could not shake off the impression of Persia's backwardness, and did little to break Persia from the mould of a Euro-centric colonialist narrative.
{"title":"Naser al-Din Shah’s 1873 Visit to the World’s Fair in Vienna","authors":"Ladislav Charouz","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1762503","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1762503","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Naser al-Din Shah's 1873 visit to the World's Fair in Vienna was devised by his advisors to encourage the Shah to adopt European-inspired policies for modernisation, and to put Persia on the map. The latter priority entailed several related goals: first, to pursue diplomacy with Persia's main adversaries in order to balance their influence; second, to forge alliances with other European nations; and third, to communicate Persian sovereignty in order to deter aggression. The Shah's visit to Vienna constituted a mixed success. The Austrian press alternately lampooned and fawned over the Persian ruler, using numerous orientalist tropes. However, the Shah managed to persuade Austria to help Iran's efforts at administrative reform and forged good enough relations to secure Austria's military aid several years later. At the same time, he did little to conscript Austrian know-how for Persia's industrialisation and preferred to spend his time with old acquaintances and interesting personages. Persia's exhibition at the World's Fair also met with both successes and failures. While it effectively communicated Persia's wealth and culture to the Europeans, it could not shake off the impression of Persia's backwardness, and did little to break Persia from the mould of a Euro-centric colonialist narrative.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1762503","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45360284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-21DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1749008
A. Squitieri
ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of the 2015-2017 excavations at the site of Gird-i Bazar in the Sulaymaniyah province of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, where the Peshdar Plain Project excavated a Sasanian cemetery installed on the older Iron Age structures of the Dinka Settlement Complex. The characteristics of this cemetery are discussed in the framework of other Sasanian period cemeteries excavated in both Iraq and Iran. The objects from Gird-i Bazar cemetery are presented and compared to other similar items coming from graves and other contexts of the Sasanian period. Particular focus is given to a stamp seal showing a woman figure found in Grave 47, and the results of the radiocarbon analysis on a sample from the same grave, which has provided a good chronological anchor for the cemetery and the stamp seal as well. Finally, a discussion is offered as to the type of community who might have used the cemetery and its possible religious affiliation in relation to the attested presence of Christian communities in northern Mesopotamia during the Sasanian period.
{"title":"The Sasanian Cemetery of Gird-i Bazar in the Peshdar Plain (Iraqi Kurdistan)","authors":"A. Squitieri","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1749008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749008","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of the 2015-2017 excavations at the site of Gird-i Bazar in the Sulaymaniyah province of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq, where the Peshdar Plain Project excavated a Sasanian cemetery installed on the older Iron Age structures of the Dinka Settlement Complex. The characteristics of this cemetery are discussed in the framework of other Sasanian period cemeteries excavated in both Iraq and Iran. The objects from Gird-i Bazar cemetery are presented and compared to other similar items coming from graves and other contexts of the Sasanian period. Particular focus is given to a stamp seal showing a woman figure found in Grave 47, and the results of the radiocarbon analysis on a sample from the same grave, which has provided a good chronological anchor for the cemetery and the stamp seal as well. Finally, a discussion is offered as to the type of community who might have used the cemetery and its possible religious affiliation in relation to the attested presence of Christian communities in northern Mesopotamia during the Sasanian period.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47819528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-16DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1749007
S. Moradi, B. Sodaei
ABSTRACT In 2004 two Seleucid bronze coins of Alexander Balas were discovered during an archaeological excavation at Sorkh Dom-e Laki, Kouhdasht town, Luristan. Between 2001 and 2004, an expedition of the Iranian Centre for Archaeological Research (ICAR) excavated at Sorkh Dom-e Laki for five seasons, directed by Arman Shishehgar. Excavations mainly brought to the light remains of structures dating to the Iron Age II and III. Finds included two Seleucid bronze coins of Alexander Balas 1 minted at Ecbatana. The discovery of these issues for the first time in a documented archaeological context c.300 km from the presumed mint of origin represents a new addition to our knowledge concerning coin circulation during the Seleucid period in western Iran. This paper presents these two unpublished bronze specimens.
{"title":"Two Bronze Coins of Alexander Balas Recently Discovered in Luristan (Iran)","authors":"S. Moradi, B. Sodaei","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1749007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749007","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In 2004 two Seleucid bronze coins of Alexander Balas were discovered during an archaeological excavation at Sorkh Dom-e Laki, Kouhdasht town, Luristan. Between 2001 and 2004, an expedition of the Iranian Centre for Archaeological Research (ICAR) excavated at Sorkh Dom-e Laki for five seasons, directed by Arman Shishehgar. Excavations mainly brought to the light remains of structures dating to the Iron Age II and III. Finds included two Seleucid bronze coins of Alexander Balas 1 minted at Ecbatana. The discovery of these issues for the first time in a documented archaeological context c.300 km from the presumed mint of origin represents a new addition to our knowledge concerning coin circulation during the Seleucid period in western Iran. This paper presents these two unpublished bronze specimens.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48242821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-07DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1749009
Soli Shahvar
ABSTRACT On July 11, 1823, The Times of London published an open letter by ‘Abbas Mirza Qajar, the crown prince of Iran and prince regent of Iranian Azerbaijan, inviting Europeans to come and settle in his province, promising them a range of attractive privileges. The aim of this article is to shed an additional light, through this letter, on the efforts of ‘Abbas Mirza in dealing with two key issues, which concerned Iran, in general, and him, in particular. One key issue was domestic, concerning his position as regent, and his desire to strengthen that position, especially vis-a-vis his rivals. The other key issue was external, concerning his efforts to check further Russian advances into southern Caucasus and towards Iran. The article aims to analyze the reasons, motives and timing for the letter, claiming that beyond the declared reason of modernizing his country, ‘Abbas Mirza had some undeclared personal and strategic motives behind the writing and the publication of this letter. As the letter was specifically addressed to the British, the analysis will also discuss the reasons behind ‘Abbas Mirza's special relations with the British.
{"title":"“‘Abbas Mirza's Invitation to Europeans to Settle in Nineteenth-Century Iranian Azerbaijan: Reasons, Causes and Motives”","authors":"Soli Shahvar","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1749009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749009","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT On July 11, 1823, The Times of London published an open letter by ‘Abbas Mirza Qajar, the crown prince of Iran and prince regent of Iranian Azerbaijan, inviting Europeans to come and settle in his province, promising them a range of attractive privileges. The aim of this article is to shed an additional light, through this letter, on the efforts of ‘Abbas Mirza in dealing with two key issues, which concerned Iran, in general, and him, in particular. One key issue was domestic, concerning his position as regent, and his desire to strengthen that position, especially vis-a-vis his rivals. The other key issue was external, concerning his efforts to check further Russian advances into southern Caucasus and towards Iran. The article aims to analyze the reasons, motives and timing for the letter, claiming that beyond the declared reason of modernizing his country, ‘Abbas Mirza had some undeclared personal and strategic motives behind the writing and the publication of this letter. As the letter was specifically addressed to the British, the analysis will also discuss the reasons behind ‘Abbas Mirza's special relations with the British.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1749009","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42751023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-02-12DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1718543
B. Lyonnet
ABSTRACT The article intends to give a synoptic view of Sogdiana, from the Macedonian conquest to the beginning of the 3rd c. AD. It considers written sources and material culture from the most recent excavations, but it also relies upon previous works. It shows the importance of the nomadic component of its population since the very beginning. Most is of Scythian background and there is no evidence of any Yuezhi intrusion. Their mobility led to their participation into the large trade system of the Silk Road and explains the presence in Sogdiana of material from Rome to China. Sogdiana never stood long within the Empires of that time and quickly recovered its independency.
{"title":"New Insights into Sogdiana during the Classical Period (from the end of the 4th c. BCE to the 3rd c. CE)","authors":"B. Lyonnet","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1718543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1718543","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The article intends to give a synoptic view of Sogdiana, from the Macedonian conquest to the beginning of the 3rd c. AD. It considers written sources and material culture from the most recent excavations, but it also relies upon previous works. It shows the importance of the nomadic component of its population since the very beginning. Most is of Scythian background and there is no evidence of any Yuezhi intrusion. Their mobility led to their participation into the large trade system of the Silk Road and explains the presence in Sogdiana of material from Rome to China. Sogdiana never stood long within the Empires of that time and quickly recovered its independency.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1718543","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49653441","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-02-02DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2020.1718542
M. Ameri
ABSTRACT In recent years scholars who study ancient economies have sharpened their focus on the role of women within these networks and on use of seals in their administration. Yet, until recently, little attention has been paid to the relationship between sex and seal ownership and/or use. This paper uses the remarkable evidence from the site of Shahr-i Sokhta in Iran to address this question. While seals from the habitation areas of the site demonstrate significant changes in shape, material and iconography over time, those found in the necropolis establish who owned seals and how they were worn. On the practical side, excavated sealings document the administration of the site. This paper compares the physical and iconographic aspects of seals found in the cemetery with those of seals used for administrative sealing to identify different groups of people responsible for controlling goods and resources. I use the observed similarity between seals used for sealing and those found buried in women's graves to suggest that women were responsible for most of the administrative sealing at Shahr-i Sokhta in the mid-third millennium BC, and to call into question the often-unchallenged assumption that men were by default responsible for administration in ancient societies.
{"title":"Who Holds the Keys? Identifying Female Administrators at Shahr-i Sokhta","authors":"M. Ameri","doi":"10.1080/05786967.2020.1718542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2020.1718542","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In recent years scholars who study ancient economies have sharpened their focus on the role of women within these networks and on use of seals in their administration. Yet, until recently, little attention has been paid to the relationship between sex and seal ownership and/or use. This paper uses the remarkable evidence from the site of Shahr-i Sokhta in Iran to address this question. While seals from the habitation areas of the site demonstrate significant changes in shape, material and iconography over time, those found in the necropolis establish who owned seals and how they were worn. On the practical side, excavated sealings document the administration of the site. This paper compares the physical and iconographic aspects of seals found in the cemetery with those of seals used for administrative sealing to identify different groups of people responsible for controlling goods and resources. I use the observed similarity between seals used for sealing and those found buried in women's graves to suggest that women were responsible for most of the administrative sealing at Shahr-i Sokhta in the mid-third millennium BC, and to call into question the often-unchallenged assumption that men were by default responsible for administration in ancient societies.","PeriodicalId":44995,"journal":{"name":"Iran-Journal of the British Institute of Persian Studies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/05786967.2020.1718542","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43668413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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