Jiroft civilization
Encyclopedia
A "Jiroft culture" has been postulated as an early Bronze Age (late 3rd millennium BC
) archaeological culture
, located in what is now Iran
's Sistan
and Kermān Provinces.
The hypothesis is based on a collection of artifacts that were confiscated in Iran
and accepted by many to have derived from the Jiroft
area in south central Iran
, reported by online Iranian news services, beginning in 2001.
The proposed type site is Konar Sandal
, near Jiroft
in the Halil River
area. Other significant sites associated with the culture include; Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City), Tepe Bampur, Espiedej, Shahdad
, Iblis, and Tepe Yahya
.
The proposition of grouping these sites as an "independent Bronze Age
civilization
with its own architecture and language", intermediate between Elam
to the west and the Indus Valley Civilization
to the east, is due to Yousef Majidzadeh, head of the archaeological excavation team in Jiroft
. Yousef Majidzadeh speculates they may be the remains of the lost Aratta
Kingdom.
Yousef Majidzadeh's conclusions have met with skepticism from some reviewers.
Other conjectures (e.g. Daniel T. Potts, Piotr Steinkeller) have connected the Konar Sandal
with the obscure city-state of Marhashi, that apparently lay to the east of Elam proper.
before 2001, when a team led by Yousef Madjidzadeh began excavations. The team uncovered more than two square kilometers of remains from a city dating back to at least the late 3rd millennium BC.
The looted artifacts and some vessels recovered by the excavators were of the so-called "intercultural style" type of pottery known from Mesopotamia and the Iranian Plateau, and since the 1960s from nearby Tepe Yahya
in Baft. The "Jiroft civilization" hypothesis proposes that this "intercultural style" is in fact the distinctive style of a previously unknown, long-lived civilization.
This is not universally accepted. Archaeologist Oscar Muscarella of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
criticizes that the excavators resorted to sensationalist announcements while being more slow in publishing scholarly reports, and their claims that the site's stratigraphy shows continuity into the 4th millennium as overly optimistic. Muscarella does nevertheless acknowledge the importance of the site.
Earlier excavations in Kerman
were conducted by Sir Aurel Stein
around 1930.
One of the most notable archaeological excavations done in Kerman Province was one done by a group led by Professor Joseph Caldwell
from Illinois State Museum
in 1966 (Tal-i-Iblis) and Lamberg-Karlovsky from Harvard University
in 1967 (Tepe Yahya Sogan Valley, Dolatabad).
Archeological excavations in Jiroft led to the discovery of several objects belonging to the fourth millennium BC.
According to Majidzadeh, geophysical operations by French experts in the region indicate the existence at least 10 historical and archaeological periods in the region belonging to different civilizations who lived in this area during different periods of time in history. According to the French
experts who studied this area, the evidence remained from these civilizations may be traced up to 11 metres under the ground.
, dated to ca. the 22nd century BC. The announcement of this discovery was received with skepticism. Lawler (2007) quotes Jacob Dahl, specialist in ancient texts at Berlin's Free University, as saying "No specialist in the world would consider these to be anything but absolute fakes."
Piotr Steinkeller, professor of Assyriology
in Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of Harvard University
, said that "the discovered inscription in Jiroft does not have any relations with Elamite scripts and belongs to the eastern civilization".
3rd millennium BC
The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age.It represents a period of time in which imperialism, or the desire to conquer, grew to prominence, in the city states of the Middle East, but also throughout Eurasia, with Indo-European expansion to Anatolia, Europe and Central Asia. The...
) archaeological culture
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
, located in what is now Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
and Kermān Provinces.
The hypothesis is based on a collection of artifacts that were confiscated in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and accepted by many to have derived from the Jiroft
Jiroft
Jiroft is a city in and the capital of Jiroft County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 95,031, in 19,926 families. It is located south of the city of Kerman, and south of Tehran along Road 91...
area in south central Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, reported by online Iranian news services, beginning in 2001.
The proposed type site is Konar Sandal
Konar Sandal
Konar Sandal is a Bronze Age archaeological site, situated just south of Jiroft, Kermān Province, Iran.It consists of two mounds a few kilometers apart, called Konar Sandal A and B with a height of 13 and 21 meters, respectively...
, near Jiroft
Jiroft
Jiroft is a city in and the capital of Jiroft County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 95,031, in 19,926 families. It is located south of the city of Kerman, and south of Tehran along Road 91...
in the Halil River
Halil River
Halīl River is a river stretching for some 390 km running in the Jiroft and Kahnuj districts of Kerman Province, Iran. It rises at 3,300 m, in the Hazar mountains about 100 km to the north-west of Jiroft, flowing to the south-west until it is joined by the Rudar and Rabar rivers...
area. Other significant sites associated with the culture include; Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City), Tepe Bampur, Espiedej, Shahdad
Shahdad
Shahdad is a city in and the capital of Shahdad District, in Kerman County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 4,097, in 1,010 families....
, Iblis, and Tepe Yahya
Tepe Yahya
Tepe Yahya is an archaeological site in Kermān Province, Iran, some 220 km south of Kerman city, 90 km south of Baft city and 90 km south-west of Jiroft.-History:Habitation spans the 6th to 2nd millennia BCE and the 10th to 4th centuries BCE....
.
The proposition of grouping these sites as an "independent Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
with its own architecture and language", intermediate between Elam
Elam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
to the west and the Indus Valley Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley Civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that was located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan and northwest India...
to the east, is due to Yousef Majidzadeh, head of the archaeological excavation team in Jiroft
Jiroft
Jiroft is a city in and the capital of Jiroft County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 95,031, in 19,926 families. It is located south of the city of Kerman, and south of Tehran along Road 91...
. Yousef Majidzadeh speculates they may be the remains of the lost Aratta
Aratta
Aratta is a land that appears in Sumerian myths surrounding Enmerkar and Lugalbanda, two early and possibly mythical kings of Uruk also mentioned on the Sumerian king list.-Role in Sumerian literature:Aratta is described as follows in Sumerian literature:...
Kingdom.
Yousef Majidzadeh's conclusions have met with skepticism from some reviewers.
Other conjectures (e.g. Daniel T. Potts, Piotr Steinkeller) have connected the Konar Sandal
Konar Sandal
Konar Sandal is a Bronze Age archaeological site, situated just south of Jiroft, Kermān Province, Iran.It consists of two mounds a few kilometers apart, called Konar Sandal A and B with a height of 13 and 21 meters, respectively...
with the obscure city-state of Marhashi, that apparently lay to the east of Elam proper.
Discovery and excavation
Many artifacts associated with Jiroft were recovered from looters described as "destitute villagers" who had scavenged the area south of JiroftJiroft
Jiroft is a city in and the capital of Jiroft County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 95,031, in 19,926 families. It is located south of the city of Kerman, and south of Tehran along Road 91...
before 2001, when a team led by Yousef Madjidzadeh began excavations. The team uncovered more than two square kilometers of remains from a city dating back to at least the late 3rd millennium BC.
The looted artifacts and some vessels recovered by the excavators were of the so-called "intercultural style" type of pottery known from Mesopotamia and the Iranian Plateau, and since the 1960s from nearby Tepe Yahya
Tepe Yahya
Tepe Yahya is an archaeological site in Kermān Province, Iran, some 220 km south of Kerman city, 90 km south of Baft city and 90 km south-west of Jiroft.-History:Habitation spans the 6th to 2nd millennia BCE and the 10th to 4th centuries BCE....
in Baft. The "Jiroft civilization" hypothesis proposes that this "intercultural style" is in fact the distinctive style of a previously unknown, long-lived civilization.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
criticizes that the excavators resorted to sensationalist announcements while being more slow in publishing scholarly reports, and their claims that the site's stratigraphy shows continuity into the 4th millennium as overly optimistic. Muscarella does nevertheless acknowledge the importance of the site.
Earlier excavations in Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
were conducted by Sir Aurel Stein
Marc Aurel Stein
Sir Marc Aurel Stein KCIE, FBA was a Hungarian archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at various Indian universities.-Early life:Stein was born in Budapest into a Jewish family...
around 1930.
One of the most notable archaeological excavations done in Kerman Province was one done by a group led by Professor Joseph Caldwell
Joseph Caldwell
Joseph Caldwell was a U.S. educator, Presbyterian minister, and mathematician. He was the first president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holding the office from 1804 until 1812, and from 1816 until his death in 1835...
from Illinois State Museum
Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum is the official museum of the natural history of the U.S. state of Illinois. The headquarters museum is located on Spring and Edwards Streets, one block southwest of the Illinois State Capitol, in Springfield, the state capital...
in 1966 (Tal-i-Iblis) and Lamberg-Karlovsky from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1967 (Tepe Yahya Sogan Valley, Dolatabad).
Archeological excavations in Jiroft led to the discovery of several objects belonging to the fourth millennium BC.
According to Majidzadeh, geophysical operations by French experts in the region indicate the existence at least 10 historical and archaeological periods in the region belonging to different civilizations who lived in this area during different periods of time in history. According to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
experts who studied this area, the evidence remained from these civilizations may be traced up to 11 metres under the ground.
- “What is obvious is that the evidence of Tal-i-Iblis culture in Bardsir can be traced in all parts of the region. Tal-i-Iblis culture, known as Ali Abad period (fourth millennium BC) was revealed by Joseph R. Caldwell, American archaeologist,” said Majidzadeh.
Jiroft site
The primary Jiroft site, consists of two mounds a few kilometers apart, called Konar Sandal A and B with a height of 13 and 21 meters, respectively (approximate location 28.5°N 57.8°E). At Konar Sandal B, a two-story, windowed citadel with a base of close to 13.5 hectares was found.Writing System
Madjidzadeh claims to have discovered inscriptions in a previously unknown script, allegedly comparable to linear ElamiteLinear Elamite
Linear Elamite is a Bronze Age writing system used in Elam, known from a few monumental inscriptions only. It was used contemporarily with Elamite Cuneiform and likely records the Elamite language....
, dated to ca. the 22nd century BC. The announcement of this discovery was received with skepticism. Lawler (2007) quotes Jacob Dahl, specialist in ancient texts at Berlin's Free University, as saying "No specialist in the world would consider these to be anything but absolute fakes."
Piotr Steinkeller, professor of Assyriology
Assyriology
Assyriology is the archaeological, historical, and linguistic study of ancient Mesopotamia and the related cultures that used cuneiform writing. The field covers the Akkadian sister-cultures of Assyria and Babylonia, together with their cultural predecessor; Sumer...
in Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, said that "the discovered inscription in Jiroft does not have any relations with Elamite scripts and belongs to the eastern civilization".
See also
- Prehistoric Iran
- Kulli cultureKulli cultureThe Kulli culture was a prehistoric culture in southern Balochistan in Pakistan ca. 2500 - 2000 BCE. The pottery and other artifacts are similar to those of the Indus Valley Civilization and it is not clear whether the Kulli culture is a local variation of the Indus Valley Civilization or an own...
- International Rankings of Iran in History
External links
- Jiroft in Encycloapedia Iranica
- Jiroft and “Jiroft-Aratta” A Review Article of Yousef Madjidzadeh
- Jiroft civilization
- saudiaramcoworld.com: What Was Jiroft? (پایگاه خبری جیرفت /issue/200405/Jiroft.Artifacts/popup_content.html image gallery)
- mehrnews.ir: "New studies show Jiroft was ancient trade link"
- chnpress.com: Jiroft Inscription, Oldest Evidence of Written Language
- chnpress.com: New Discoveries in Jiroft May Change History of Civilization
- chnpress.com: Jiroft was an international trade center 5000 years ago