Ismeo activities 1977

praject) and the auter part af the qibli walI af the 772 masque.

up te mO're than '1.10 m. thrQughQut the perimeter, with the walIs slQping slightly inwards. The structure, which has nO' brick roof, cO'ntains a large number Qf inhumatiQns (at least thirteen individuals) PQinting tQ three difIerent utilizatiQn phase5 af the complex in the traditiQn Qf colIective graves. PrQbably belO'nging tQ the secO'nd utilizatiO'n phase are the remains Qf three dQgs, Qne in almQst cQmplete anatQmical cQnnectiQn, and the Qther twO' consisting Qnly O'f the skull and the first few vertebrae. A Jemdet Nasr type cylinder-seal, fQund in its Qriginal PQsitiQn near the arm Qf Qne Qf the anatQmicalIy cQnnected skeletans, enables the grave tQ. be assigned tQ PeriQd I, phase 8 (about 2800 B.C.).

In the sectQr IUP (lO X lO m.) and in an e~tensiQn in lUU (2 X 3 m.) mO're than twentyfive burials have been discQvered, twenty Qf which were excavated during the 1977 campaign.

TWQ af them were Qf exceptiQnal interest and were faund near the NW and SE CQrners Qf IUP. They are both af the catacQmb type, phase 3, and were dug, as has already been pointed Qut fQr Qther graves Qf the same phase, in seotars that had already been extensively explQited fQr earlier graves. One af them in particular, 725 Inf., has caused extensive damage tQ the surrQunding area.

As many as sixty-twQ items Qf grave furnishings (fig. 17) were placed in tWQ separate graups near the head and lawer limbs af the bQdy in grave 731.

Lying near the skulI was a 1'edtangular wQaden gaming-bQard, Qn Qne side af which the CQils Qf a snake carved in reHef unwind tQ fO'rm a tO'tal O'f twenty circular spaces (fig. 18). The CQunters and dice Qf the game (fig. 19) were fQund inside a basket lying nQt far frQm the pelvis under Qther pottery vessels.

A direct camparisO'n can be made, especialIy as regards the shape O'f the bO'ard, the number Qf spaCe5 and the shape O'f several Qf the CQunters, with a similar game fO'und in graves at Ur. A partridge, identified by P. CassQli as Ammoperdix griseogularis, bad been left as an O'fIering at the entrance tQ the catacQmb. Even richer, and extraardinarily similar tQ 731, is 725 Inf., whose shaft reaches the greate5t depth fO'und sa far in the Shahr-i Sakhta graVe5, as much as 3 m. belO'w present grO'und leve!. Large numbers O'f quartz, lapis lazuli, turquQise, cO'rnelian and chalcedQny beads, as welI as three gQld O'nes, fO'und at difIerent depths in the shaft filling Qf 725, are prO'af Qf the damage dQne tQ another nearby grave, tQ wmch belQng <the remains Qf a kid, anatamically cQnnected in part, and a fragment Qf a sheet af silver alIay like the ane frQm grave 710 with a stylized representatiQn O'f a sixpetalled ÂŁlawer, faund Qn the west walI Qf the

Shahr-i Sokhta The 1977 excavatian campaign at Shahr-i Sakhta took pIace between 19th September and 17th NO'vember. The MissiO'n was camposed O'f Dr MarcelIO' PipernO', Dr SandrO' SalvatO'ri, Mr Massima Vidale, Praf. Edaarda Pardini, Dr Cristina Lombardi, Praf. Augusta Vigna, Praf. MauriziO' Tosi, and Mr BrunO' PO'lia. The Iranian ArchaealO'gical Service was repre5ented by Miss Fatemeh Pajauhandeh. Mr Aril Abedi, alsO' af the Archaealagical Service, was a gue5t af the Missian far study purposes during the manth af Navember.

The graveyard. The excavatian af the graveyard was carried aut between 19th September and 14th Navember under the directian af M. Piperna and took in faur new sectars: MNW, MCI, GTT, IUP. At the same rime excavatian wark was campleted in sectar IUQ, which had been begun during the 1976 seasan.

A tatal af 57 graves were unearthed, sO'me unexcavated O'r Qnly partialIy exposed, Qver an area af SQme 520 sq. m.

The excavatiQn wark in MNW (lO X lO m.) is the easternmQst testing dQne sO' far in the part Qf the plain that is occupied by the graveyard. This area is occupied by phase 6 and 7 graves, samewhat scattered Qver the area tested.

In sectar MCI the trial-trench dug (25 X lO m.) dQes nQt explain the high cancenttatiQn Qfsherds visible Qn the surfare and fQund dawn ta a depth Qf abaut 20 cm. belQw the pre5ent graund level, but it has enabled us tQ exclude that the cQncentratiO'n is related tQ Qne ar mO're burials situated in the same area. This CQncentratian Qf potsherds does nO't seem ta be related ta dwelling structure5 either, and SO' giVe5 the impressiO'n Qf being SQme sort O'f refuse.

The grave5 in MCI are - rather scattered and

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their being dug in a mainly sandy layer at an average depth Qf abaut 1.50 m. belQW grou.nd level has led tQ the almost tO'tal destructiQn af the skeletQns, mQst O'fwhich are beyand recovery.

The furnishings Qf the faur graves discO'vered there PQint tQ the area having been utilized in phase5 6-8.

Excavatian in GTT was justified by the need tQ ascertain the existence af graves in the large sQuthern sectQr. The sQuthern halÂŁ Qf the trial trench (5 X lO m.) is enrirely taken up by a large grave Qf a type hithertQ unknQwn at Shahr-i Sakhta.

GTT 1003 cQnsists Qf a large circular mud-brick structure reaching a height O'f 455

pit at a depth af abaut twa metres belaw the surface.

Quantitatively speaking, 725 Inf. is the richest grave faund sa far at Shahr-i Sakhta. It cantains mare than 75 items af grave goods accampanying an adult individuaI laid an the right side in a crauching pasitian near the east walI af the catacamb (fig. 20). The bulk af the pattery furnishings lie near the narth walI af the catacamb and take up mare than half its length. In this grave taa, same af the vases are placed an tap af ane anather al' inside larger vases. Same af the grave goods, induding the mare personal praperty af the deceased (a branze pin, a calcite lamp with a lid, aspaut made af bird bane and variaus necklace beads) were placed near the skull. A whale kid had been placed in the centre af the grave, together with a lang branze spear tipo The affering af birds is repeated in 725 Inf. taa. Three partridges had been left, as in 731, at the chamber entrance, near three small vessels with harn-shaped handles laid aut, as in 731, separately fram the ather grave gaads in frant af the walI sealing aH the chamber. The humerus af a goose (prabably Anser indicus accarding ta P. Cassali) is alsa induded amang the grave goods.

Beside a large jar 1Jhere was a kind af wooden daduceus cansisting af a staff bearing twa snakes carved partly in full relief facing each ather. The abject displays same stylistic resemblance ta the snake an the gaming-baard in 731, althaugh differing fram it in its presumably ritual signi£1cance.

Bath quantitatively speaking and in view af the fresh data abtained fram the assaciatian~ af grave gaods, especialIy in phase 3, as welI as fram the grave typalagy, the 1977 excavatian campaign may be cansidered as ane af the mast impartant carried aUJtsa far in the Shahr-i Sakhta graveyard.

Baluch and Persian children sa as to complete the sampling af the variaus camponents af the laml papulatian (men, wamen, children).

Of great anthropalagical and ethnalagical interest is the discavery af a number af cases of cephalic deformatian which, althaugh sparadic, seems ta indicate that Sistan is a residual area af skulI defarmatian and thus encaurages research in this directian taa.

Entomological research. A pragramme af entomalagidal research an bath excavatian finds and present-day species was begun this year by Pro£.

A. Vigna af the Institute af Zaalagy in the University af Rame.

Recannaissance surveys carried aut at the graveyard have revealed the presence in situ af numerous remains af Dermestidae and Diptera assaciated with the burials. AlI passibility of recent infiltratian by these groups af insects can be ruled auto The present-day fauna assaciatians appear ta cansist af a very small number af types that are campletely different from the sub-fassil anes faund during the excavatian and are mare like the present-day anes faund an the banks af the paals.

Exitensive sampling af present-day fauna has been carried aut in variaus environmental situatians, with special attentian being paid ta the taxanamic graups that are mòre significant as ecolagical and biageagraphical indexes.

A preliminary examinatian has indicated that the fauna is extremely paor and typical af a subdesertic regian subject ta irregular flaading. BiageagraphicalIy speaking, tagether with a very small number af endemic species, there is a large palaeoarctic fauna campanent af species with a wide distributian and an abviaus Indi'an campanent, in additian ta several Sauth Eurapean al' East Mediterranean species which tauch this area an the eastern boundary af their distributian.

Anthropological research. This year taa, Pro£.

E. Pardini continued his anthropalagical survey af the skeletal remains fram the graveyard. Thanks ta their good state af preservatian it was passible to gather osteometrical data an mare than thirty skulIs and twenty skeletans. With the addition af these data, 1Jhenumber af subjects now available (ninety skulIs and sixty-£1ve skeletans) is sufficient to warrant a full anthropalagical survey, even though this research, whase overall aim is the definitian and genesis of the Asian population af the 3rd millennium, wauld of course require a much larger sample range.

Side by side with this asteolagical study af the skeletons, Dr Lambardi continued her wark af gathering anthrapalagical data an the presentday papulatian in Sistan. She colIected numeraus data an a fairly hamageneous sample af both

The settlement.

The third excavatian campaign in the CentraI Quarters af Shahr-i Sakhta was carried aut between 15th Octaber and 17th Navember 1977.

In the £1rst instance wark was campleted an a limited stratigraphic cantral trench begun in 1976 in square SCS in the area af the structural unit CDXLV (phase 5). The depasit underlying the phase 5 structures is sufficiently camplete far us ta be able ta identify three stratigraphical layers whase materials belang respectively, fram top ta bottam, ta phases 6, 7 and 8 af the sequence af the East Residential Area. As reparted previausly, the phase 7 level cansists af a thick layer af bricks, pottery and banes, alI be.aring dear traces af burning, mixed with charcoal fragments af small and medium size. This alI points ta a phase 456

of violent destruction, which has already been amply documented in the East Residential Area

by Prof. M. Tosi's excavation in the habitational layers of the same periodo Under the thick burnt layer lies a 20-25 cm. layer containing pottery apparently belonging to phase 8 of the generaI sequence. The presence of this pottery from the f,inal phase of Period I of Shahr-i Sokhta in the area of the CentraI Quarters of the city gives weight to the argument put forward by M. Tosi that, at this time, the original settlement spread westwards from the eastern edge of the archaeological area.

In the area N, where square NXP had been opened up in previous excavation campaigns, a new square, NXK, was opened. The main purpose was to unearth a larger portion of the House of the Jars, of which one complete room (CDLXX), part of the external courtyard (unit CDLXXIII), a small portion of room CDLXXII and the small communicating room CDLXXI, lying between the latter room and the courtyard, had been brought to light in the previous campaign.

During the present excavation campaign, in addition to structures unrelated to the House of the Jars, another portion of the courtyard (the west side), the whole of room CDLXXn, part of room CDLXXV, the staircase (CDLXXVII) and the L-shaped room CDLXXVI, consisting partly of the understairs area, were unearthed.

The opening of square NXK has led to the emergence of several very interesting nèw facts concerning the cultura! history of this area of the CentraI Quarters. With the extension of the excavation to the adjacent square to the west of NXP it bocame clear that the perimeter walI, that we thought was composed of two paraHel walIs divided up i.nto small celluiar unit:s by interoal partitions, actualIy consisted of three parallel walIs. The new structure that was unearthed C. 3.50 m. to the ~t is '.In 80 cm. thick foundation walI running parallel to the other two and preserved up to '.In average height of 30 cm. and it is '.lIso enclosed by the rubbish heap, but it is much less welI preserved as it has been more severely damaged by wind erosion.

As previously reported, these phase 3 structures stand on, or rather their foundations '.Ire situated in, a rubbish heap which is fairly homogeneous chronologically even though its stratigraphy is obviously characterized by a fairly complex accumuh1tion process, and can be dated to the end of Period Il. The rubbish heap which, as a result of alternating deposition and erosion, had t:aken on a humped shape whose top pal1t, coinciding with the welI-preserved structure of the House of the Jars, was latei: cut along its western ridge by phase 4 structures consisting of a walI

running north-south and delimiting what appears to be a courtyard area.

The House 01 the fars. In the area of squares NXPand ~, beneath the rubbish heap deposit, the welI-preserved structures of a dweHing have been unearthed which, on account of the potsherds found in great abundance on the £1oors, can be assigned to phase 6 of the generaI sequence (figs.

21, 22). The house, which has already been excavated over half its estimated area, must have been utilized on several different occasions.

After being abandoned and after the partial oave-in attested by the layer of partly broken bricks covering the £1oors, the house area was used as a stable, as can be seen from the thick and compact layer of animal dung covering the cave-in layer. This period of utilization was folIowed by a second cave-in or a levelling of the structures stilI standing. It was on top of t:his second, thick layer of bricks that the aforementioned rubbish heap was formed.

From the structural point of view the house shows that it underwent modifications, often extensive ones, in the dourse of time. The transformation which at the present time seems to be the most important one was carried out on one of the directional axes of the house. A door in the western walI originalIy opened on to the exterior in alignment with doors communicating between the rooms CDLXXVII/CDLXXII and CDLXXII/CDLXXV. This door was later walIed up and the inside walI in room CDLXXVII was plastered ovèr to conceal the bricks used for this 1

purpose.

Of considerable interest is room CDLXXII which seems to have been used for communication within the house, at least of that part of it we see today, as five doors open i.nto it. Even the large square fire-pIace (90.X 90 cm.) is situated eccentricalIy so as not to obstruot movement in the room to and from the doors opening into it (fig. 23).

Room CDLXXVI is a narrow L-shaped room containing a platform of a type already met with in other Shahr-i Sokhta dwellings. This platform was used to support a structure composed of a central raised portion between two plastered concave basins, the whole complex being surrounded by a high edging. The centraI raised portion must have been used to support a saddIe quern; the £1our ran down the sides into the two collecting basins. On one side of the platform a l'oirgequantity of neatly divided straw and graminaceous seeds has been gathered.

In the corner extensions of the same room two pairs of small horseshoe-shaped fire-places have been found on different levels.

457

to various periods are visible on the surface. On the basis of evidence from classical sources, especially Alexander's historians, the site corresponds to that of ancient Bazira, Le. to one of the most important towns in the valley conquered

by Alexander's army during his Indian campaign (A. STEIN, On Alexander's Track to the Indus, London, 1929, pp. 45 f.; G. TUCCI, «Preliminary Report on an Archaeological Survey in Swat », EW, IX, 1958, p. 327).

The excavation area is situated almost at the valIey bottom near a present-day Moslem cemetery.

The trench (9.20 X 5.50 m.) has brought to light superimposed construction phases and protohistoric occupation layers. The earliest horizon dates back to Period IV of the Swat Valley (figs. 25, 26), Le. between 1700 and 1500 B.C., which has previously been documented in the excavations of GhiilIgai (G. STACUL,«Excavation near Ghaligai (1968) and Chronological Sequence of Protohistoric Cultures in the Swat Valley (W est Pakistan) », EW, XIX, 1969, pp. 44-91), in the Aligrama settlement (G. STACUL,S. TUSA, «Report on the Excavations at Aligrama (Swat, Pakistan) 1974 », in this issue of EW) and above alI in the excavation at Loebanr III (G. STACUL, «Dwelling and Storage-Pits at Loebanr III (Swat, Pakistan), 1976 Excavation Report », in this issue of EW. The pottery gathered consists mainly of black-grey burnished ware and large kitchen vessels wioth gritty brown surface (fig. 27).

The evidence gathered at BIr-ko!-ghuI).çlai nevertheless differs in some respects from that of other sites where the same cultura! horizon has been found. It is significant in this connection that red ware, mostly painted, has been found in comparatively large quantities here (more than 20% of the total compared with a mere 2-3% at Aligrama and Loebanr III). Furthermore, for the first time, the red painted pottery ascribed to this period in the Swat Valley not only displays decorations consisting of simple horizontal black bands or geometric motifs (e.g. the chequered pattern) but also naturalistic decorations consisting of animaI and vegetaI representations (fig. 28). For the first cime too, this cultural horizon showed the presence of "faience" beads.

There is no eV'idence of either the painted patterns or the use of "faience" ornaments in the Swat Valley in later protohistoric periods unti! the 3rd century Re. Their presence in this period, Le. between 1700 and 1500 B.e. seems to point to a link with tradicions going back to the Indus civilization.

Subsequent protohistoric occupation layers confirm the chronological sequence noted previously at Aligrama. It has given evidence of

In the partly excavated room CDLXXV a large polychrome jar has been found resting on the £1oor. IiI: is deeorated with aseries of metopes filied with geometric patterns arranged in two rows, one above the other (fig. 24). Numerous jars were later found in the portion of CDLXX which had been lef.t last year as evidence of the east-west seccion. Also in this room digging was carried out far beneath £1oor level, taking advantage of the fact that the latter had been extensively disturbed in early times by a number of pits dug there when the house was being used as a stable. It was thus possible il:oidentify a further two earlier £1oor levels at the bottom of these pits and partly disturbed by them.

The lower level has yielded finds typical of phase 7, but the uncertain stratigraphic situation does not justify our drawing from this fact any conclusions of cultural significance in the history of the building itself,at least unti! such time as we can folIow up the evidence in a better defined context.

Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan In October 1977 Prof. Maurizio Taddei, leader of the ltalian Archaeological Mission in Mghanistan, and Dr Giovanni Verardi, both from the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples, went to Ghazni for the purpose of seeing to repairs and maintenance of the roofing over the excavations at Tapa Sardar and the Palace of Mas<Ud. A further aim of their visit was to complete the excavation report and the catalogue of the sculptures belonging to the chapels 17, 23 and 37 at Tapa Sardar. The report is beihg printed for East and West.

Archaeological Mission in Pakistan Excavations were carried out at four different sites: BIr-ko!-ghlU).çlai,Kherai, AHgrama and Saidu Sharif, from September to November 1977.

Bir-ko{-ghu1!4ai The exctlvation at BIr-ko!-ghlU).çlai,direoted by Pro£. G. Stacul, with Mr Mohammad Mehrban representing the Archaeological Department, was carried out in an area on the lower slopes of the hili overlooking the modern town of Barikot (BIrkot), about 30 km. west of Mingora. It folIowed up previous reconnaissance surveys and testing carried out in 1968. Over part of the vast area comprising the hilI and its slopes as far as the road linking Barilrot to Malakanda, abundant archaeological finds and also masonry belonging 458

Fig. 17 - Shahr-i Sokhta, graveyard.

Furnishings from Grave IUP 731 (phase 3) (Neg. no. Dep. CS 13003/35; M. Piperno)..

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Fig. 18 - Shahr-i Sokhta, graveyard. Wooden gaming-board from Grave IUP 731 (phase 3) (Neg. no. Dep. CS 12946/9; M. Piperno).

Fig. 19 - Shahr-i Sokhta, graveyard. Dice and counters made of wood and lime-stone, from Grave IUP 731 (phase 3).

Fig. 20 - Shahr-i Sokhta, graveyard. View of part of the catacomb grave IUP 725 Inf. (phase 3) (Neg. no.

Dep. CS 13004/12; M. Piperno).

Fig. 21 - Shahr-i Sokhta, CentraI Quarters: House of the Jars. Rooms CDLXXII, CDLXXVI, CDLXXVII, filled with fallen rubble (Neg. no. Dep. CS 12981/13; S. Salvatori),

Fig. 22 - Shahr-i Sokhta, CentraI Quarters: House of the Jars. Phase 6 ÂŁIoor levels at the end of excavation (Neg. no. Dep. CS 13097/16a; S. Salvatori).

Fig. 23 - Shahr-i Sokhta, Centrai quarters: House of the Jars. Phase 6 floor ievei and fire-piace in room CDLXXII (Neg. no. Dep. CS 13098/19; S. Salvatori).

Fig. 24 - Shahr-i Sokhta, Centrai Quarters: House of the Jars. Bichrome jar fram ~room CDLXXVII (phase 6) (Neg. no. Dep. CS 13066/17; S. Salvatori).

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IsMEO New Series, VoI. 27 - Nos. 1 - 4 (December 1977)