21/01/2025
(Additional information in the comments below 👇)
The interdisciplinary Sub-Project A03, titled "Stones from the South. ResourceComplexes in Southeast Iran in the Context of Regional and Interregional Networks," integrates archaeology and ethnology to study long-term changes in resource cultures in southern Kerman, Iran. This project focuses on understanding how resources like stones, routes, settlements, pastoralism, and agriculture developed and interacted over time, influencing both regional and interregional exchanges.
Geography and Historical Context
The project zeroes in on Kerman province in southeastern Iran, a region spanning over 180,000 square kilometers. The study area specifically covers the southern part of Kerman, from the city of Jiroft to the province's southern limit (Slide 1). This area has historically been a significant source of resources, particularly chlorite stones, gabbro/diorite which were highly valued by Mesopotamian urban centers during the Early Bronze Age. Southern Kerman's advantageous geographical position, resource richness, technological advancements, and socio-political dynamics facilitated long-distance trade, primarily with Mesopotamia. This trade, centered around chlorite stone objects, had profound impacts on the development of societies in southeastern Iran. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Halilrud Basin and the Jiroft plain were central to chlorite stone craftsmanship during the Early Bronze Age. This distinctive style, known as "Style de Jiroft" or "Intercultural Style," spanned regions from the Persian Gulf to Central Asia, and from Syria to the Indus Valley (Slide 2).
Archaeological Surveys
The South Of Jiroft Archaeological Surveys (SOJAS), a major component of Project A03, employed the concept of Materiality to explore surface materials and reconstruct settlement evolution in the study area. SOJAS focused on settlements, pottery, stone artifacts, natural resources, and trade routes to identify ResourceComplexes that influenced cultural development in the study region.
✍️/📸 Project A03/Mohammad Karami
