By: The Scribe on May, 2007
In January 2007, anthropologists conducted a paleo-pathological study on some skeletons from the “Burnt City” in Iran, and were able to determine that one of the individuals must have ridden a camel for an extended period in his lifetime. Indeed, it has been suggested that since this man must have lived most of his life on camelback – most likely from puberty until his death, around 40-45 years old – his occupation must have been that of a profession courier or messenger.
Evidence of long-term riding was found on the skeleton’s right leg bone, where the swelling indicated that he gathered the leg under himself while riding on a large animal, such as a camel or ox. It is known that draft animals were used in the Burnt City around this time to transfer goods, however folding one leg while riding is something done only when riding a camel over long distances.
While excavating burials at the Burnt City in 2004, archaeologists noticed that the man’s skeleton had evidence of a bone lesion on the right thighbone. Since the 2007 analysis of the skeleton revealed his likely occupation as a professional courier, additional paleo-pathological analyses have been scheduled for the remaining skeletons unearthed in the 2004 excavation season. These analyses are expected to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the commonly practiced occupations of the Burnt City’s inhabitants in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC.
Want to read more?
Tomorrow: Embryo burials
By: The Scribe on May, 2007
A burial near the “Burnt City” in ancient Persia has yielded a 5,000 year old artificial eye from the skeleton of a 25-30 year old female. During her life, she stood around 6 feet tall, which would have made her head and shoulders above most other women during this time. Skeletal analysis revealed that she possessed a sharp jaw line and a high, sloping forehead; evidence from eyelid tissues left on the artificial eye give evidence of her dark skin and thus, she was likely of Arabian background.
Although excavators first thought it was possible that the eye was placed on the body at burial, forensic examination showed an imprint that was caused on her left eye socket by prolonged contact with the golden eye.
While the eye was not intended to imitate a real eye, even the most delicate eye capillaries were drawn on the eyeball using gold wires less than half a millimeter thick. Other lines around the engraved pupil form a diamond, and two holes were drilled on the sides of the eyeball through which thread could be strung to hold it in the woman’s eye socket. Though obviously not a real eye, the gold coating on the eye would have caused it to shine brightly – and when combined with her startling height, the woman would have been highly effective at convincing others of her supernatural powers, such as those of a soothsayer or an oracle.
The grave also contained an ornate bronze hand mirror, which gives further weight to the idea of this woman’s role as a prophetess. It is possible that she visited the “Burnt City” with a caravan, as it was a busy and wealthy trade city during the time of her death ca. 2900 BC.
Want to read more?
Tomorrow: Fedex camel delivery
By: The Scribe on May, 2007
Excavations at the “Burnt City” in Iran yielded what is considered to be the world’s oldest backgammon game, along with two dice and 60 game pieces to play with!
This 5,000 year old game is about 100-200 years older than a backgammon board found in Mesopotamia, which suggests that the people living at this city created the game and then introduced it to other people. Trade relationships between cities would have made it easy for merchants to introduce the game to others, perhaps playing a game over drinks; even kings might have taken in a game with visiting nobles over peace negotiations.
Backgammon, which combines luck and strategy, is still played often in this region of Iran today. The board which was uncovered during excavations looks remarkably like modern boards: it is rectangular, made of imported ebony from India, and features an engraved serpent which coils around itself 20 times. These highly artistic coils produce the 20 slots needed in the game, and although the board material had been imported, the game pieces were made of common stones quarried around the city.
The game pieces, found inside a terracotta vessel near the board, were made of stones such as turquoise and agate. Though the game is not conventionally played with 60 pieces – each player traditionally has 15 pieces to start with, needing only 30 pieces in total – it certainly does not seem unusual that those who played the game on a regular basis would need extra pieces, as small checkers are easily dropped or misplaced, or perhaps there was originally a second board included with this set that has simply been lost.
Want to read more?
Tomorrow: The first fake eye?
By: The Scribe on April, 2007
The site of Shahr-i Sokhta, which is Persian for “Burnt City”, was a Bronze Age city located in the southeast of Iran. It was built around 3200 BC and was only occupied until around 2100 BC – and during that short time, it had four phases of civilization, after being burnt down three times… and so, it is called the Burnt City because it was not rebuilt after the last destruction.
As well as buildings, the city contains a necropolis with over 600 skeletons in more than 100 graves: some were family burials, some held individual infant burials, and some bodies simply seemed to be randomly grouped together. Skeletons were found buried sitting, laying down, or even folded into a squatting position, indicating that there must have been a large variety of cultures living at this city, which has been reflected in their burial customs.
The city site covers an area of over 150 hectares, making it one of the largest cities in the ancient world during the spread of urbanization. Even so, archaeologists are still puzzled as to where this civilization went after the city was destroyed – it appears that these people just disappeared! Regardless, the Burnt City has provided a remarkable amount of evidence for the independence of eastern Iran from Mesopotamia during the Bronze Age, and for the remainder of this week on the Ancient Standard, we will take a look at some of the incredible and sometimes perplexing finds from this ancient city.
These include:
– the first backgammon board
– the first false eye
– evidence for an ancient UPS system
– embryo burials
– ancient cartoons
– the first brain surgeons
Finally, perhaps what is most intriguing about this city is its lack of military buildings or defenses, and not even one weapon has been found during excavation! The inhabitants must have been peaceful craftsmen and farmers – and based on the high evidence for trade among people of various cultures, perhaps the Burnt City was a neutral meeting place to conduct business in a safe, unprejudiced environment.
Want to read more?*
*Unfortunately, since excavations at the Burnt City are ongoing, there is not yet a comprehensive volume available that details all the archaeological finds and historical theories about this site. At the time of writing, the most recent news was that a book on the past 10 years of excavation is currently “forthcoming.” In the meantime, however, there are a number of informative books on ancient Persia in general, that will allow you to gain a sense of the land’s native culture and history…
Tomorrow: Ancient family games night?
