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XIII/2/2022
INTERDISCIPLINARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA
NATURAL SCIENCES IN ARCHAEOLOGY
homepage: http://www.iansa.eu
Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study
of the Early Bronze Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and
Balouchistan, Iran
Yasin Sedghi
1
, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani
2
, Nasir Eskandari
3
, Mohammadamin Emami
4,5*
1
Department of Conservation, Cultural Institute of Bonyad Museum, Resalat Highway, P.O. Box : 1519611197, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Conservation of Cultural Properties and Archaeometry, Art University of Isfahan, Hakim-Nezami St., P. O. Box: 1744, Isfahan, Iran
3
Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Enghelab Square, 16 Azar St., P. O. Box: 661914155, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Conservation of Cultural Properties and Archaeometry, Art University of Isfahan, Hakim-Nezami St., P. O. Box: 1744, Isfahan, Iran
5
Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux-Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l’Archéologie (IRAMAT-CRP2A), Université Bordeaux
Montaigne, University area, F-33607 PESSAC Cedex, France
1. Introduction
The construction of a reliable archaeological framework for
the development of the prehistoric cultures of the Iranian
Baluchistan is still an ongoing efort, following the famous
survey of A. Stein in the 1930s (Lamberg-Karlovsky and
Besserat, 1977; De Cardi, 1966; De Cardi, 1968; Mutin
et al.
, 2017; Sajjadi and Casanova, 2006; Stein, 1937).
This paper deals with a collection of ceramics recovered
from the plundered cemetery of Keshik, in the Makran
region of the Indo-Iranian Borderlands. The collection
includes two typical ceramic groups. The frst group
includes a high-quality, painted grey ware present in the
Indo-Iranian Borderlands during late 4
th
millennium and
early 3
rd
millennium BC (Mutin, 2013). This ceramic is
labelled as Emir Grey Ware, and has been reported at sites
located hundreds of kilometres apart: such as Shahi-Tump
and Miri Qalat in Southwestern Pakistan, Tepe Yahya,
Konar Sandal and Varamin in Kerman, Shahr-i Sokhta and
Mundigak in Sistan (both Iran and Afghanistan), and at
many sites in the Iranian Baluchistan such as Tepe Bampur
and Khurab. The production, chemical composition, and
distribution of this ceramic has been the subject of many
publications (Wright, 1984; Mutin
et al.
, 2016). The second
group of ceramics includes painted buf/red wares which
can be associated with the newly-defned ceramic culture
Volume XIII ● Issue 2/2022 ● Pages 117–128
*Corresponding author. E-mail: aminemami.ae@gmail.com
ARTICLE INFO
Article history:
Received: 26
th
January 2022
Accepted: 20
th
June 2022
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24916/iansa.2022.2.2
Key words:
Iranian Plateau
Ancient pottery
Life Cycle Jar
Petrography
XRPD
SEM-EDX
Keshik cemetery
Bronze Age
ABSTRACT
The present study focuses on a unique pottery vessel, the so-called “Life Cycle Jar”, and nine other
potsherds which were discovered in the Keshik cemetery, Baluchistan, south-east Iran. Samples
were investigated through classical analytical methods such as thin-section petrography, X-ray
powder difraction (XRPD), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray
fuorescence (SEM-EDX) to determine the production techniques, fabric characterisation, as well
as the pigments applied to decorate the surface of the Life Cycle Jar. Mineralogical and chemical
investigations revealed that the pottery pieces were similar in raw materials, and produced locally.
Samples show a wheel-thrown signature based on the defnite orientation of pores and structural
character in their thin sections. The potter pieces were fred under oxidation processes demonstrated
by the red and green colour of the matrix. The investigated pottery samples were defned as high-fred
sherds (ca. 800–950°C), due to the presence of inclusions in the form of reacted calcite in rhombohedra
crystal structure, and hematite within the matrix of the pottery. The microstructural characteristics of
the pottery pieces showed that the manufacturing temperature was no higher than 950 °C, by pre-
sintering texture. The investigations on the painted decoration on the Life Cycle Jar suggested that iron
oxide and manganese oxide was used as the colourant agent in the decoration.
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IANSA 2022 ● XIII/2 ● 117–128
Yasin Sedghi, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani, Nasir Eskandari, Mohammadamin Emami: Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study of the Early Bronze
Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and Balouchistan, Iran
118
of the Halilrud basin, ca. 3000 BC, the so-called “Varamin
Culture”. The masterpiece Life Cycle Jar (LCJ) falls in the
latter group. Thanks to the discovery of Keshik, Nikshahr
is the most Eastern infuential extension of the Varamin
ceramic tradition. They were already recorded at sites across
the Halilrud basin such as Varamin in the Jiroft plain, and
Tepe Yahya in the Soghan valley (Eskandari
et al.
, 2020;
Eskandari
et al.
, 2021a; Eskandari
et al.
, 2021b).
South Makran is an important archaeological zone, where
more archaeological studies have been undertaken in its
periphery, and excavations are still going ahead (Lorentz
et al.
, 2020). The site is located in the southeaster part of
Hamun Basin and Jaz Murian, the East-West connective
highway in southern Iran (Figure 1). Stein (1937) described
the Keshik territory in his survey from Ghasr-e Ghand to
Nikshahr; however; the Keshik cemetery was not discussed
in detail. The cemetery of Keshik will be discussed in the
broader archaeological context of Indo-Iranian Borderlands
in order to visualise the cross-regional interactions during
the late 4
th
-early 3
rd
millennium BC (Stein, 1937). Based
on recent studies, this type of pottery was demonstrated as
the earliest dark-grey pottery, which had been obviously
an essential type during the Early Bronze Age in the south
east of Iran (Mutin, 2013; Mutin and Lamberg-Karlovsky,
2013). This study will also focus on the characterisation and
the fabrication of the Life Cycle Jar amongst other pieces.
This pottery has been classifed as a typical fabrication
of Jiroft, showing that the production of the vessels was
very cautiously followed with much attention to elaborate
decoration (Eskandari
et al.,
2021a).
This paper will also explore the ceramic collection of
the Keshik cemetery by using mineralogical and micro-
structural analyses such as thin-section petrography, XRPD
(X-ray powder difraction) and SEM-EDX (Scanning
electron microscopy with coupled energy dispersive X-ray
fuorescence).
2. Context of Recovery
2.1 Keshik cemetery
The prehistoric Keshik cemetery is located 8 km northeast
of Nikshahr, 2 km southwest of the village of Keshik, and
northeast of the Keshik River Basin and its dam (Kheir-Abad
Dam) (Figure 2). In 2012, the site was uncovered during the
construction of a water canal. Later, Heydari
et al.
(2015)
discovered a large Bronze Age cemetery during subsequent
excavations at Keshik. The ceramics used in this study were
obtained from the surface of the cemetery’s plundered graves.
Though the exact context of the ceramics is unclear, due to the
nature of the site and the context of the recovery, it is evident
that they served as burial goods. Haidari’s excavation at this
site was able to document 26 graves, which appeared to be of
a catacomb type that were architecturally the same but varied
in size. Lengths varied between 180 and 420 cm, with the
width approximately 120 cm, and the heights between 110
and 130 cm. It seems that this cemetery has accommodated
graves from later periods.
The cemetery is chronologically considered as a newly-
discovered ancient site that enables the cultural exchange
that occurred in south east of Iran to be described (Eskandari
et al.
, 2020). Based on the recovered burial fnds, particularly
those forming the focus of the current research, this cemetery
dates back to the late 4
th
- early 3
rd
millennium BC (3300–
2900 BC). This dating is supported by new radiocarbon
dates from the site of Varamin in the Jiroft plain (Eskandari
et al.
, 2021). During the Proto-Elamite level of Tepe Yahya
(Yahya IVC), Varamin period ceramics are comparable with
the painted buf/red wares of Keshik. In addition, the fne
painted grey wares of Keshik cemetery (Emir Grey wares –
recently named Late Shahi Tump) are already contextualised
in many sites in Kech-Makran – such as Shahi Tump IIIA
(Mutin, 2016), Shahr-i Sokhta period I in Sistan, Tepe Yahya
IVC (Mutin, 2013) and Varamin (Eskandari
et al.
, 2020) in
Figure 1.
Location of the Keshik cemetery
in relation to other south-eastern sites.
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Yasin Sedghi, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani, Nasir Eskandari, Mohammadamin Emami: Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study of the Early Bronze
Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and Balouchistan, Iran
119
Kerman, and at the early periods of Tepe Bampur (de Cardi
1966) in the Bampur valley.
All the graves are primarily constructed from stone, with
additional buried objects – such as items of metal, stone, and
pottery – found inside the graves. Among the discovered
artefacts, a big pottery stirrup jar, in a buf to reddish paste
colour with unique goat motifs on the surface, has been
discovered. Due to the narrative nature of the periodically
moving motifs on the surface of the jar, this kind of jar
was described as a “Life Cycle Jar” (Figure 3). The motifs
represent diferent life stages of a goat from birth to maturity.
Most of the patterns used for decorating the pottery have
been realised by geometrical shapes, ornamentation and
specifc symbols (Heydari
et al.
, 2015; Sajjadi
et al.
, 2008).
The geometrical patterns are observed on the red and buf
pottery vessels, especially on the glasses, cups and carafes,
Figure 2.
Geographical map of the Keshik
cemetery and its location connection to the
village of Keshik, the River Keshik and
the Kheir-Abad Dam (picture top left is a
destroyed grave in the cemetery).
Figure 3.
The Life Cycle Jar recovered
from the Keshik cemetery.
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Yasin Sedghi, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani, Nasir Eskandari, Mohammadamin Emami: Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study of the Early Bronze
Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and Balouchistan, Iran
120
whereas the natural plant and animal patterns are only seen
on the grey pottery (Sajjadi
et al.
, 2008). The plant patterns
and motifs clearly represent date palms and ears of wheat.
The natural patterns are the symbols of mountains. For
instance, the patterns of the life cycle (a broken cross) are
the sun, and waves. The animal patterns include domestic
animals such as goats (comb-like and realistic). The goat was
the symbol of a blessing in life and living in Ancient Persia
(Sajjadi
et al.
, 2008). It represents frstly the rolling terrain
of Baluchistan and secondly the grazing of goats (where
there must be water and plants). Keshik style pottery is also
remarkable for its painted natural surroundings (Sedghi and
Razani, 2020).
2.2 Geological setting of Keshik cemetery
Geologically, Nikshahr is located in the Makran zone. It is
a mountainous area with narrow valleys which were formed
due to enormous geological and orogenic formations. The
valleys are passageways of seasonal and permanent rivers
that make up suitable and fertile agricultural lands (Berberian
et al.
, 1982; Wright, 1984). According to geological studies,
the Keshik cemetery is located in an area of short foothill
fans and terrace deposits at the boundary of a Rig unit. The
Rig unit has a harmonious sequence of layered sandstone and
shale with not an insignifcant amount of siltstone (Owliaie
et al.
, 2006).
The surveyed area was characterised by the existence of
sandstone, shale and conglomerate associated with tuf and
basaltic lava (Mousivand
et al.
, 2018). The geological setting
correlates with the availability of rich metallic resources and
a fuvial clay deposit (Mousivand
et al.
, 2018). Geologically,
the outcrops of this area are defned as Ophiolite-hosted
deposits. The outcrops are Eocene andesite host rocks.
Various alteration zones such as propyritic, sericitic and
argilitic are common. In certain parts, potassic and silicic
zones are also observed. Magmatic actions during the Early-
Middle-Late Eocene age in the Bazman sub-zone has also
been observed in other parts of the Kerman. However,
acid magmatic products such as agglomerates, breccia and
tufs are not signifcant. Based on the geological survey
in the feld, the soil from the region around the Keshik
cemetery consists of fragments of sandstone and shale as
a conglomerate structure. The geological setting confrmed
an homogeneous sequence of layered sandstone and shale
with a little siltstone, lichen and conglomerate (Falcon,
1974; Owliaie
et al.
, 2006).
3. Materials and Methods
3.1 Samples
Nine sherds of Bronze Age pottery explored during the 2012
excavation of the Keshik cemetery (Heydari
et al.
, 2015), and
the unique Life Cycle Jar (Figure 4, No. 10) were chosen for
the technological study. Five of the selected pottery sherds
are light red in colour with the remaining fve items being
light grey in colour. Valuable painted grey ware was present
in the Indo-Iranian borders through the late 4
th
millennium,
and early 3
rd
millennium BC (Figure 4, No. 9). Regarding the
surface as well as macroscopic features, it is worth noting
that the pottery sherds were sampled from painted vessels
in the form of large bowls and jars. The walls of the bowls
Figure 4.
Investigated samples from the Keshik cemetery.
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Yasin Sedghi, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani, Nasir Eskandari, Mohammadamin Emami: Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study of the Early Bronze
Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and Balouchistan, Iran
121
are thinner, whereas the jars have a thicker wall. They
show a mostly diferent colour hue along the section, since
they were possibly exposed to a diferent fring condition.
The thickness of the samples varied between 1.7 to 3.5
cm (Figure 4, and Table 1). Sample number 9 is classifed
as a very important ceramic shape, since the intercultural
variety of the pottery can be refected in the stratigraphic
contexts of the Early Bronze Age of the region, and has
been classifed as a shape typical for the Varamin Culture
(Eskandari
et al.
, 2020).
3.2 Methods
The characterisation of the samples of pottery and their
mineralogical chemical content were performed by a number
of diferent methods. Petrographic and petrological studies
were performed using 30 µm sections using a Polarizing
Microscope
®
-James Swift Model (Burton
et al.
, 2019; Quinn
and Burton, 2009). Observations were carried out using
plane polarised light (PPL), as well as crossed polarised light
(XPL), in order to identify the mineralogical constituents. In
order to qualitatively detect the presence/absence of minute
crystalline phases within the samples, XRPD was applied.
Samples were prepared with 0.5 g of homogenised powder
that was taken from the sherds. Samples were analysed
on a Bruker-D8 Difractometer
®
(Canada) with a 40 KV,
30 mA copper (Cu) X-ray producing tube lamp. X-ray
powder difraction (XRPD) was achieved on the samples
(2θ = 10°–60°). Quantitative measurements were obtained
by determining the crystallographic character via the ICSD
database for each crystalline phase, which had been applied
for interpreting the XRPD patterns in X’Pert HighScore
Plus
®
-2008 ver. (2.2.c) (Burton
et al.
, 2019; Emami, 2020;
Eramo, 2020; Quinn and Burton, 2009).
A scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy-
dispersive X-rap fuorescence detector (SEM-EDX) from
TESCAN MIRA3 FEG-SEM
®
was used to analyse the
microstructure and chemical composition of the samples.
The device is equipped with Fielmann feld emission and
operates in both high and low vacuum. The resolution is
defned to 1 nm and its magnifcation is 1 µm by applying
30 KV voltage. In addition, the device is equipped with
an EDX INCAx-Sight (UK) that is capable of qualitative and
quantitative analysis for micro chemical composition. The
analysis was conducted at the Central Laboratory of Sahand
University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran.
4. Results and Discussion
4.1 Petrology and Petrography of the samples
For the outcomes of this research, we frst consider
interpretation of the results about the Life Cycle Jar,
followed by the results achieved from other pottery samples.
The Life Cycle Jar exhibits a grain size in micritic quality.
The colour of the matrix is brownish-red which is achievable
during an oxidative fring régime, and the additives were
characterised mostly as quartz, calcite and secondary iron
accumulation (Figure 5). Quartz, feldspars and plagioclases
are the common additives within the matrix. Quartz is the
main mineral within the sample matrix, presenting as fne
grains distributed in the micritic matrix. Quartz grains were
shown to have had crucial and careful processing, since they
have a very comparable grain size. This efect is not visible
in the plagioclases and alkali-feldspars, which had defnitely
been crushed and added to the raw clayey paste materials
(Peterson and Betancourt, 2009). Despite quartz being the
leading phase within the matrix, some other key minerals
such as, rock fragments, biotite, and low amounts of calcite,
have also been considered. These kinds of mineral assemblies
are typical for such a volcanic area present around the region
(Quinn and Day, 2007; Riederer, 2004). Calcite appears as
secondary phases, and grogs are not visible within the fabric
of the Life Cycle Jar. However; the optical character of
the sample and anisotropic efect of the matrix (matrix bi-
refringence), provide the reason for thinking it had a high
fring temperature during its manufacture that probably
reached over 950°C (Gliozzo, 2020; Maggetti
et al.
, 2011).
The textures in the other 9 potteries are described as
microcrystalline additives (micritic in size) within a clayey
fabric. As shown in Table 2, the mineralogical compositions
Table 1.
Investigated Pottery sherds from the Keshik cemetery; Sample 10 is the Life Cycle Jar.
SampleType of vesselShred typeDecoration
InteriorColour pasteExterior
1JarBodyPaintedLight redLight greyLight red
2BowlEdgePaintedLight greyLight greyPink
3JarEdgePaintedLight greyLight greyLight grey
4JarEdgePaintedLight redLight redLight red
5JarEdgePaintedLight greyLight greyLight red
6JarBodyPaintedLight redLight redLight red
7JarBodyPaintedLight brownLight greyLight grey
8JarEdgePaintedLight redLight redLight red
9BowlFull bowlBroken crossLight greyLight greyLight grey
10 (LCJ)JarFull jarLife cycle
Buf
Light grey
Buf
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Yasin Sedghi, Farahangiz Sabouhi Sani, Nasir Eskandari, Mohammadamin Emami: Beyond a Decoration; Mineralogical and Micro-structural Study of the Early Bronze
Age “Life Cycle Jar” from Keshik Cemetery, Sistan and Balouchistan, Iran
122
were characterised by means of the occurrences of quartz
in phenocrystals, calcite as secondary polycrystals, and
the accumulation of iron oxides (seldom grog as well)
(Figure 6). Polycrystalline quartz are shown as the efect
of transformation processes (Riederer, 2004). Colloidal
iron particles in the form of a non-uniform to dark-red
accumulation are the other minerals which were observed in
microscopic images (Riccardi
et al.
, 1999b). The iron-rich
matrix can be interpreted – despite the oxidative atmosphere
– by means of the iron-rich clay. The optical character of
the samples and anisotropic efect is indicative of a high
temperature régime during manufacturing (Riccardi
et al.
,
1999a). These mineralogical constituents are mostly
epigenic, and have reacted and decomposed to produce
newly-formed crystals. The secondary calcite occurred
over time due to the post-burial conditions (Fabbri
et al.
,
2014; Maritan, 2020). According to the local geology, the
soil of the region (southeast of Iran) has been classifed as
calcareous soil. However; the low amount of calcium oxide
suggests a fring temperature more than 850°C and lower
than 1000°C for these samples. The colour of the matrices
varied from red to green depending on the fring condition
from oxidation to reduction (Fabbri
et al.
, 2014; Feathers,
1989). Grog or reused ceramic sherds were not a common
constituent in the majority of samples. Grog is the crushed
sherds of pottery which is re-added to pottery paste as a fller
and acts as a modifer of a clay’s characteristics (Maritan,
2004; Mason and Cooper, 1999). The red matrix suggests that