Bactria and Margiana Seals. A New Assessment of Their Chronological Position and a Typological Survey

49 Pages·2016·21.06 MB·English

by  Salvatori S.

Bactria and Margiana Seals
À New Assessmenot f Their ChronologicalP osition
and à Typological Survey
Üó
SANDRO SALVATORI
It is worth mentioning that îïå of the most intriguing problems in the archaeology
of Central Asia is stil1 presented Üó the unusual1y varied archaeological assemblage
which, since the early seventies, has flooded the antiquary market of ÊàÜèl and from
there private col1ections and museums alI over the world (Pottier 1984). Thousands
of objects from pillaged graves from Dasbly, Doulatabad, Farukhabad and Nichin oases
in Northern Afghanistan have now Üååï published, while' as òàïó are dispersed in
severaI private or mèseum col1ections and are still waiting to Üå published.
That large number of objects is clearly connected with à flourishing urban society
(see, for instance, the strong narrative symmetry between the scene portrayed îï à
Bactrian siIver vessel (Amiet 1986: fig. 202) and îïå of the panels of the famous Ur
standard) which shows strong and firmly consolidated links with most of contemporary
political or cultural aggregateso f the Middle East, from Elam (Amiet 1986) to the
Indus Val1ey (Pottier 1984; During Caspers 1994à), from central Iran (Ligabue &
Salvatori 1979; Amiet 1986) to the Gulf (Potts D. Ò. 1994; Crawford & Àl Sindi
1995) and possibly beyond. In this respect some scholars have suggested possible
connections with Anatolian seals to the west (Poetto & Salvatori 1981) and with the
so-ñalIådN estorian seals from the Ordos, to the east (Biscione 1985; Brentjes 1987;
ÊîÛ 1981).
Excavations carried out between 1969 and 1979 Üó V. Sarianidi and the Soviet
Academy of Sciences in northern Afghanistan oases - the same area from which
the so-called Bactrian graves assemblagea rrived at the ÊàÜèl antiquary market -
brought to light some of the larger Bronze Age settlements of the region south of the
Àòè darya and at the same time, Üó means of regional surveys of varying intensity,
revealed there the presence of à large and complex settlement pattern dating back
to the Bronze Age (Sarianidi 1977à) in the large deltaic fans of the rivers rising from
the northern cliffs of the Hindu Kush. Îï the opposite bank of the Oxus river,
during the same period, some important settlements and cemeteries dating back to
the same cultural horizon were investigated, e.g. Sapal1i depe and Dzarkutan, in
southern Uzbekistan (Askarov 1973, 1977). Though extensive and impressive, Soviet
scholars' activities in northern Afghanistan, faiIed to solve îïå of the main problems:~
[1] 97
the bèilding èð îÅ à chronological and cèltèral frame for the rich archaeological
assemblagef rom the plèndered graves îÅ the region (1).
Only very few objects from the deepest layers îÅ Dasbly 3 palace ñàï Üå compared
with materials from the plèndered Bactrian graves. Among these à handful îÅ open-
work geometric compartment seals (Sarianidi 1977à: figs. 45-46) and fragmentary
cylindrical schist poles (Sarianidi 1984: fig. 17 at ð. 24; ñÅ.P ottier 1984: fig. 7.29-35;
Salvatori 1993: 10).
This scarcity îÅ elements traceable to cemetery complexes is higbly sèspicioès.
As has already been pointed oèt (Salvatori 1995Ü), this ñàï Üå accoènted for only
Üó postèlating that the settlements referring to the plèndered graveyards have not
been identified or that the earlier levels îÅ the excavated settlements have barely
been toèched èpon (2).
With reference to this kind îÅ problem, the research carried oèt Üó Soviet
researcherss tarting in the 'fifties in the Mèrghab delta (the Margiana îÅ the historical
period) in soèthern Tèrkmenistan proved to Üå îÅ the greatest importance. In this
region reconnaissance campaigns often alternated with excavation projects (3). The
latter involved the performance îÅ sondagesi n nèmeroès sites as well as more extensive
research that broèght to light monèmental complexes and entire villages (Kelleli 1,
3, 4, 6; Togolok 1, 21, 24; Gonèr 1 soèth and north; Aèchin 1; Takhirbai 3; Adzi
Kèi 8). The great merit îÅ the: Mèrghab delta excavations is to have presented ès
with à clearer seqèence îÅ the Bronze Age developments in the area, which have
important implications also for the neighboèring Bactria. It Üåñàòå increasingly
clear that the settlements, or rather, the levels îÅ settlement, excavated in northern
Afghanistan were sitèated in the Late Bronze Age horizon, and had very strong links
with à considerable body îÅ Margiana evidence. Bèt what was even more important,
it clearly emerged that in Margiana there was à nèmerically significant presence îÅ
earlier settlements datable to the Middle Bronze Age as well as scanty bèt èndeniable
evidence îÅ the presence îÅ Ancient Bronze Age and Final Chalcolithic settlements
(NMZ III-IV) (Masimov 1981à, 1981Ü, 1984, 1986; Udeèmèradov and Masimov,
personal commènication). The Middle Bronze Age settlements yielded material that
showed an immediate similarity with the despoiled cemetery complexes îÅ Bactria,
thès contribèting to à chronological and cèltèral relocation îÅ this complex material
in à more comprehensive framework and enormoèsly expanding the decidedly narrow
context to which it had been relegated in earlier interpretations (4).
(1) Preliminary attempts have been worked out Üó Pjankova 1993.
(l) This seemst o üå the case of Dasbly 3, à site that has however been only partially and
inadequatelyp ublished: Sarianidi 1977à, 1984.
(3) For the history of researchi n Margianab efore the early '80s seeÊ îÛ 1984: 143-50; for the
following period, until1989, seeH iebert 1994àa nd for subsequenrte searchs ee:S alvatori 1993, 1994à,
1994Ü;G ubaev, Koshelenko& Tosi 1998; Sarianidi 1990Ü, 1998.
(4) For à discussiono f the problem ñÅ.S alvatori 1995Ü.
98 Ã?,
It is in this context that it is necessary to
view the initiative of the Ligabue Study and
Research Centre which in 1991 began to focus
its activities îï identifying and excavating the
cemetery that could Üå traced back to the great
Middle Bronze Age settlement of Gonur 1 North.
The graveyard, discovered in 1991 îï the
western side of the settlement, although also
systematically plundered in ancient times like
òàïó other Central Asian cemeteries (see ÊîÛ
1984: passiò), has yielded precious and decisive I
information related to the problem of the
reconstruction of the picture of the development -
of Bactro-Ìàrgiànà civilization between the Fig. 1- Open-worcko mpartmenstt amp-
Middle and the Late Bronze Age, as we have sealf rom Grave9 1, Gonur 1, Middle
emphasised in previous contributions (Salvatori BronzeA ge cemetery.
1993, 1994à, 1994Ü, 1998Ü, n.d.).
With reference to the aim of the present work, three graves, two of which
intact and the third plundered, have yielded three bronze open-work compartment
seals displaying à direct and close kinship with similar materials from the Bactrian
graveyard complex (5).
These materials, already published (Salvatori 1994Ü, 1995à), are important not
only per se but also because they ñàï Üå traced back to definite grave contexts in
which they are associated with grave goods of great interest owing to the fact that
also the latter display strong similarities with the materials of the plundered Bactrian
graveyards.
Thus grave 91, as à well as an open-work compartment seal with geometric motif
(Fig. 1) also yielded à sub-cylindrical alabaster vase of à type that was extremely
common in the mid 3rd millennium Â.Ñ. (Casanova 1991: Òóðå IV ðð. 33-35;
Salvatori 1995à: 12).
In Margiana only à few fragmentary specimensw ere found during reconnaissance
campaigns carried out within the framework of the Murghab archaeological mapping
project (Masimov, Salvatori & Udeumuradov 1998), together with others from the
Kelleli area (Masimov 1979: fig. 12.14), Togolok 15 (Sarianidi 1990à: table XXVII.2),
Togolok 1 (ibid.: table XXVII.1) and Gonur South (Hiebert 1994à: fig. 9.10:7). With
the exception of specimensf ound out of context, at the present state of our knowledge
it appears that the production of alabastrine calcite vases must Üå situated within
the chronological span of the Middle Bronze Age. An apparent exception is the~
(') We reiterate that, when we speako f Bactrian graveyardc omplex, we are referring exclusively
to the materialsf rom the plunderedn ecropoliseso f North Afghanistanw hich are today scattereda mong
numerousp rivate collectionsa nd American and European museums.
[3] 99
fragment attributed Üó Hiebert to à dwelling context in Gonur South. Nevertheless,
it must Üå pointed out that also other types of calcite containers from Margiana
ñàï Üå attributed with certainty to the Middle Bronze Age. This is true of the
twin-vase from the Middle Bronze Age graveyard of Gonur (Salvatori 1993: figs. 9,
12.G.C.2j12), of à tal1 stemmed ñèð from à grave of the same period at Takta Bazar
(Udeumuradov 1993: fig. 34) and à tall stemmed ñèð from Gonur North (Sarianidi
1990à: table IV.2 room 22).
À number of specimens of cylindrical vases with horizontal1y flared rim made
of alabastrine calcite have been found in Bactria (Pottier 1984: figs. 26.203-204,
27.205; tabIes XXV.203; XXVI.207).
One interesting detail concerning the Gonur graveyard specimensi s the knobbed
inner bottom. For the time being this feature appears to Üå typical of the Bactria and
Margiana production, although it will Üå recal1edt hat it is found also îï alabastrine
calcite vases known to have been imported into the Mesopotamian area and dating
to between the Early Dynastic III period and the post-Sàrgînid Akkadian period.
This is true for instance of à specimen from Ur dating to the Early Dynastic III
(Heinz 1989: fig. 11) and several mottled alabaster vases, again from Ur, bearing
Rimush and Naram-Sin dedicatory inscriptions that identify them as part of the
booty from the eastern campaigns of the two Akkadian kings (Potts Ò.Ð.1 989: figs.
1, 6, 11; Potts D. Ò. 1986: table XXIV).
While this feature, as òàó Üå inferred from the thorough investigation Üó R. Ciarla
(1979, 1981. See also the absence of knobbed bottoms in the Site 109 specimens
in the Gardan Reg survey Üó Fairservis 1961: fig. 29), is completely extraneous to
the Sistan production found at Shahr-i Sokhta, where vessels of similar shape were
indeed found, for example in Graves 712 and 725 Lower, both dating to phase 4
(2500-2400 Â.Ñ.) of the site sequence, as well as in other sites in the Hilmand Delta,
it is instead found îï at least one specimen of high-stemmed ñèð from the Shahdad
necropolis (Hakemi 1997) and îï one specimen of cylindrical vase with horizontal1y
flared rim from this deposit known as 'Vase à la Cachette' from Susa dating to
around 2400 Â.Ñ. (Amiet 1986: fig. 96.7). It is found in Turkmenistan îï à low
sub-cylindrical alabaster vase from Grave 843-845 at Altyn Depe (Kircho 1988: fig.
4.7), à grave dating to the beginning of the Namazga IV period. Similar items
ñîòå from the furniture of unpublished graves (Graves 677,634-638,526-627) from
Excavation 5 at Altyn Depe which cover all the chronological span of the Namazga
IV (6). The Mesopotamian specimensa nd the Susianao ne provide à sure chronological
reference for this product characterized Üó the knobbed internal bottom shared Üó
several different shape types such as the cylindrical vase with horizontal1y flared rim,
high-stemmed cylindrical cups, twin-vases, etc.
Grave 37, as well as an open-work compartment seal with à geometric pattern
(Fig. 2) (Salvatori 1994Ü), yielded also à bronze hemispherical bowl, à bronze cosmetics
(6) L. Kirtcho, personalc ommunication
100
[4]
Fig. 2 - Open-work compartments tamp-seaflr om Grave 37, Gonur 1, Middle Bronze Age cemetery.
Fig. 3 - Open-work compartments tamp-seaflr om Grave 72, Gonur 1, Middle Bronze Age cemetery.
container (ibid.: fig. 11.5) similar to that from Grave Ñ.2 in the same graveyard
(Salvatori 1993: figs. 7, 12), of à type that was quite widespread in Bactria (Amiet
1977: fig. 18.9; Sarianidi 1979à, 1979Ü; Pottier 1984: 71-72; Pittman 1984: fig. 19à;
ÒànàÜå1 983: IV.12-13), as wel1 as à cosmetic spatula (Salvatori 1994Ü: fig. 11.7;
this type of object had already been found in the same graveyard: Salvatori 1993:
fig. 12), with specific links with other excavated graveyard contexts along the banks
of the Murghab (Udeumuradov 1993: fig. 32.5), in Bactria (Amiet 1977: fig. 15.11,
12 and ðð. 116-17; 1989: fig. 10ñ; Pottier1984: pl. XVI.104-8) and elsewhere (Altyï
depe: Masson 1981à: pl. XV and fig. 14, Grave 252; Quetta: Jarrige 1987; Jarrige
& Hassan 1989).
Lastly, grave 72 yielded à third open-work compartment seal (Fig. 3) bearing à
motif represented Üó an eagle with spread wings (Salvatori 1994Ü: fig. 13.6) identical
to numerous Bactrian examples. The same grave also contained half à ceramic
twin-vase (ibid.: fig. 13.5) of à type known both at Kelleli (Masimov 1981à: fig. 3)
and at Atyn-depe (Tosi 1973-74: figs. 54, 56; ÊîÛ 1984: 147) again from NMZ V
contexts, as well as à baked clay version of à cosmetics flacon (Salvatori 1994à:
fig. 14.1).
The graveyard we excavated at Gonur (Salvatori 1993, 1994à, 1994Ü, 1995à)
is îï the whole located in the same chronological and cultural horizon as the Kelleli
area settlements (Udeumuradov 1993) in the north-western sector of the Murghab
delta, and the large settlement of Gonur 1 North (Sarianidi 1990à: 13-33; 1998) in
the central sector, while the deeper levels of Togolok 1 (Sarianidi 1990à: 34-44) are
found in the centre-south sector. Numerous other sites òàó certainly Üå attributed
to the same horizon, as has been shown Üó recent reconnaissance work performed
within the Murghab delta Archaeological Ìàð project (Salvatori 1998à).
With reference to the absolute dating to assign to this cultural period, to the
previously published Ñ14 datings (Sarianidi 1990à, 1993à, 1998; Koh11992; Hiebert
[5] 101
1993; Salvatori 1995Ü),i t is necessaryto add an important determination obtained
directly from the Middle Bronze Age graveyardî Å Gonèr 1 (ÒàÛå 1).
-
ÒàÛå 1 Calibrated Ñ14 datings
Lab. code Date Üð 2 " Ñà/. Â.Ñ. 2 " Cal. Â.Ñ. RCP
Îõñà/
4360'"-60 3300-2750 3262 (2921) 3881
3750",,80 2500-1900 2453 (2140) 1923
2280-1900 2278 (2120, 2084, 2042) 1905
3700",,60
3630,,"-90 2300-1700 2273 (1973) 1742
3580.:.60 2040-1740 2122 (1911) 1745
3560-",70 2040-1690 2122 (1887) 1688
3100-1500 3254 (2393, 2386, 2338) 1525
3880",,295
3810",60 2460-2120 2458 (2272, 2258, 2204) 2037
3710,.%.60 2290-1920 2282 (2128, 2080, 2045) 1922
4420",110 3500-2700 3371( 3036)2 709 I
The dating series so far av:ailable allow the development îÅ the Bronze Age
Margiana culture to Üå situated in the second half îÅ the 3rd millennium Â.Ñ., that
is, during the so-called Kelleli phase, hitherto represented, in terms îÅ sites òîãå or
less explored archaeologically, essentia1lyÜ ó the settlements in the Kelleli area, Üó
Gonur 1 North and its Middle Bronze Age graveyard, Togolok 1 (deep levels) and
Üó some sites inthe Adzhi Kui area (particularly ÀÊ 8 and 9). This confirms what
had already been inferred from stylistic and formal comparison îÅ materials from
different but substantia1ly contiguous geocultural situations. À somewhat similar
picture is provided Üó the Ñ14 datings available for the Bactrian sites (Brentjes 1987)
(ÒàÛå 2), which allows us to substantiate also Üó radiometric data the hypothesis îÅ
à widespread Âàñtãî-Ìàãgiàn cultural koiïe, as least as far as the Middle and Late
Bronze Age is concerned (1). It is in any case interesting to note how much àãå
(1) Obviously, our position, baseda s it is îï increasinglya bundant, comprehensivea nd univocal
evidence (Salvatori 1995Ü, 1998Ü, n.d.) clashesw ith that of those who would like to relegate to
the Late Bronze Period alonet he rise of à cultural koiïe of theset wo regions( e.g. Hiebert & Lamberg-
Karlovsky 1992; Sarianidi 1993à, 1998; Jarrige 1994). The two different interpretations of the
archaeologicael videncea re Üó ïî meansin compatiblea t the level of the historical reconstructiona s the
former, Üó not undergoinga ny interruption of the cultural evolution of the two regionse ven in earlier
periods, acknowledgesth at the mechanismo f protourban developmenti n Margiana and Bactria has
local roots; the latter, îï the other hand, Üó placing the beginning of the Bactro-Ìàrgiànà civilization
in the Late Bronze Age, implicitly or explicitly, dependingî ï the authors, advancesth e hypothesiso f
the intrusion of groupso f external populationst o explain the extraordinaryd evelopmentso f civilization
in those two regions.
102 [6]
increasing,a s researchc ontinues, the dates from both Margiana and Áàñtrià levels,
which are concentratedi n the first half of the 3rd millennium Á.Ñ.
-
ÒàÛå 2 Ñ14 datings from the Bactria sites
Lab. Ñodå DateÜ ð 2 à Cal. â.ñ 2 à Cal: Â.Ñ. RCP Periods
r Îõñà!
Dasb-, lv 3 Palaceb asalla,v--e r LE1254 4230 + 70 :;,:'i.,-~:,~c. 3009 (2883, 2766, 2764) 2502 ÅÂÀ
rO";shl;,v- 3 P"l"c-e b--"-s "ll"-v-e,-r- LE 1253 4060~70 ~,'c.i.,-~..~i., 2876 {2571, 2511, 2495) 2354 ÅÂÀ/ÌÂÀ
.:, :, ...: " LE 1252 3670~50 ~:'~v--~"i., 2198 (2028, 1988, 1980) 1833 MBA/LBA
-- .:_,- ~-". ~ LE '916 3640'*090 ~:'c.v-:', 'c.v 2275 (2010, 1993, 1969) 1737 MBAjLBA
,,;ó ;. -""-Ñ. ;.., LE 975 3520~45 :'~_v-~"~v 2007 (1864, 1818, 1778) 1664 LBA
~: ':"'~" "_î :; LE 1078 3450~...5~0n :'~"",-:"'~v 1883 (1736, 1701, 1695) 1558 LBA
,';ó ~ ~u._"- LE 978 3440~50 :."",--:."..) 1880 {1734, 1707, 1693) 1534 LBA
~. ~ ~:; LE 977 3340.~40 ;",/~-:.~." 1733 (1677, 1605, 1563) 1494 lBA
~. :~ ~~.. .v._- ~;) LE 1251 3250,~40 1620-1420 1679 (1497) 1411 FBA
i
~y 1 room 18 LTEF 9'17761; 3200,~45 ;';;"-;'J/" 1598 (1449) 1321 FBA
-
: LE 1175: 1460-1110 EIA
Âó starting from this establishedf act, that is, the true existenceo f à Bactro-
Margianac ultural koiïe during the Middle Bronze Age, à koiïe that extendedo ver
the entire Late Bronze Age, it màó reasonablyÜ å attempted to put someo rder into
the huge masso f bronze and stones ealsf ound in theset wo regions,o riginating both
from regular excavationsa nd from surfacec ollectionsd uring the implementationo f
archaeologicarle connaissancper ojects, and in the courseo f unauthoriseda ctivities
that have flooded the international antiquarian market (8),
ò î this end we havee ndeavouredto identify severalf ormal categoriesth at could
in somew ay facilitate à classificationo f thesem aterialsa nd enablet heir distribution
and chronologyt o Üå followed, at least partly, as well as to ascertainw hether these
formal categoriesh ave à discriminating function also as regardsc hronologya nd the
definition of production sub-provinces:
(8) We lay ïî claim here to completenessb, eing fully aware that mèñÜo f the Bactrian material
is still unpublished. À bibliographica nd museums urveyw asr ecentlyp ublishedÜ óS . Baghestan(i1 997),
while V.I. Sarianidi is currently engagedin studying rich, mainly private, American collections. It is
to Üå hoped that our Russian colleaguew ill soon publish also the extensive unpublished Margiana
material. Although the situation regarding the Bactrian material is still higbly fluid, we believe that
what has so far Üåån published ñàï Üå considered sufficient in order to attempt à some sort of
typologicala nd chronologicalc ategorizationo f Bactrian sealsa nd to submit it to debatei n the scientific
community.
[7] 103
Closed back compartmentm etal stamp seals
1.à.à. simple
1.à single ring
1. circular 1.à.Ü. sca11oped
1.Ü.à. simple
1.Ü dubIe ring
1.Ü.Ü. complex
1.ñ without ring
1.d open edge
2.à simple
2.Ü squaredc entre
2.ñ bilobate arms
2. cross-like 2.d lozenge-shapeadr ms
2.å cross-likea rms
2.f crescent-shapeda rms
2.g circular end arms
3. Maltese cross
4. zoomorphica nd anthropomorphic
5. steppedl ozenge
6. steppedp yramid
7. starfcorollal ike
8. cloverleaf
9.à ~implec onar
9. square-shaped 9.Ü ïî conar
9.ñ exceedinge dges
9.d lobate
10.à simple col1ar
10. rectangular-shaped 10.Ü ïî col1ar
10.ñ zigzag edges
11. irregèlar
Open work compartmentm etal stamp seals
12.à.à single
12.à simple ñàÏà!
12.à.Ü profiled
12. circular
12.Ü.à simple
12.Ü.Ü.à profiled
12.Ü double collar 12.Ü.Ü complex 12.Ü.Ü.Üj oined
12.Ü.Ü.ñg uilloche-shaped
13.à sqèare-shaped
13. quadrangèlar 13.Ü rectangular-shaped
13.ñ exceedinge dges
14. cross-shaped 14.à steppedp yramid arms
104 [8]
Pin-heads eals
star-shaped
corolla-shaped
circular-shape(
head! 15.d doubIe head
15.å square-shaped
1,,( miscellaneous
M"t àòð seals
steppedl ozenge
circular with profiled edgl
Maltese cross-shaped
and other materialss tamp seals
stepped pyramid
lozenge
stepped loz~nge
npartmen 17.d pseudo-l ozenge
quadrangular
plain edgt
11aJ
:tdentede dge
excisec
18. iru illed àòð seali .Rh :orolla-shaped
18.Ü.Ü drilled and/or incised
18.ñ circular
18.d quadrangulal
steppedl ozenge
bif: stamp sea!: quadrangular
circular
20.à IldeJ
20
20.Ü ñó]
prism
'91
1()'5
DATA AND DISCUSSION
Closed Back Coòpartòeït Seals( 9)
ÒÜåg eneral type of the continuous plane circular seali s definitely well represented
The type màó Üå easily broken èð into formal subtypes:
1. Circular
! 1.8.8( Fig.9 .1) ~mple singler ing i S. Bactri. Pittman1 984:f ig. 24 I
!
Ami.t 1989: figs. !Çà, !Çi, 14Å
2
I N Bactria 2 ~~~ I ~Êî~Û ';:1~98.4lt:~ fig;.; ~16~ñ';" BI~re~ntj~es~ 1~98'.7::~ 'fi:g~.. ..1 c'0n.2., , 9î
Margiana 2 Gonur 1 North Surface: Sarianidi 1990.: pI. XXXVI.', !Ç
Togolok 21 î' 24 ibid.: pl. XXXVI.11
Masimov 1981ñ: fig. 2.1 I
AdzhÊi ø 6
I
(Fig.4, I Site9 63 Sin.avI. ïi mî..p r7e0ss6io nî ï Shard.: Mar-g.ia.na survey 1997,
I
I
ãÀ-d-Û-Êui 2 ibid.: fig. 2.3
I Adzhi Kui 1
(Fig.5 ) Surface: Margiana survey 1997, inv. 00. 641
South. Turkmen. * Altyn-depe Ganjalin 1967: fig. 1
I Baluc~tan Shahi Òèòð 1oshi& Parpola1 987; SHT.1: Piggot 1964:f ig. 27; ,
Baghestani1 997: fig. 116.602, 603 (10)
East_mIr ar 11 .Shahdad (S.alings) Hak.mi 1997: grave 31: ð. 185 obj. ïî.
I
0208, grav. 37: ð. 196 obj. ïî. 0304, unidentified
grav.s: ðð. 672.13, 673.41, 4~, 50, 68, 674.80, 81,
85, seaI:g rave 37: ð. 197 obJ. 00. 0315
Shahr.j Sokhta Surface, unpubIished; Tosi 1969: fig. 276d
'Shahr.i Sokhta P.riod 11.5: SaIvatori & VidaI. 1997: fig. 2,2.4
I
China (Xinjiang) TarimB ek.m Bap;hesta1n9i 97:f ig. 116.606 I
The chronologicali ndicationsg leanedf rom the smalln umber of specimensfr om
databIe contexts confirm à dating of between about 2600 and 2100 Á.Ñ.
I
l.a.b( FiS. 9.2) I Single scalloped rin~ S. Bactria Ant. Market Àîîåñ 1989: fig. 161; SaIvltOti 1989: fig. ñî!. 55
i
Iïdø ValIey *Mohenjo-daro During Caspers 1994Ü: pl. 1Ü (DK 2279 R 4
816)
I
ÃÅ-astern Irar. 'Shahr-iS okhta Grave3 , PeriodÏ .6.5: Pipemo& Salvatorni .d.
(9) ÒÜåa steriski n front of the site ïàòå indicatest hat the seal(s)c ome(s)f rom an excavationa nd
not from surfaceg athering or the antiquarian market.
(1°) With referencet o the Shahi Òèòð sealsi t is necessaryto point out that the dating proposed
Üó Stein (1931:8 8-103)f or (ÜåS hahiÒ èòð graveyard( early2 nd miIIenniumÁ .ñ-) wasr ecentlyq uestioned
Üó Áåsånvaal nd Marquis (1993: 44-45). Thesea uthors,î ï the basiso f recente xcavationsa t Miri Qalat
in PakistaniM akran, proposedà dating for this cultural complexo f betweent he late 4th and first half
of the 3rd millennium Á.Ñ.
106 rI01