This study aims to examine seven pottery sherds attributed to the Aliabad cultural horizon (4th millennium BCE) from the Mokhtarabad site in Shahdad, southeastern Iran. The research focuses on analyzing their structural and mineralogical similarities and differences, identifying the raw and temper materials used, and ultimately determining the origin and manufacturing techniques. Thin-section petrography and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods were employed for this purpose. All samples exhibit similar petrographic fabrics characterized by fine-grained homogeneous clay matrices. Mineralogically, the pottery contains similar inclusions such as angular quartz grains, plagioclase with polysynthetic twinning, feldspar, fine-grained muscovite, as well as carbonate and calcareous particles. The shared mineralogical features suggest a common source, and comparison with the local geological outcrops supports the conclusion of a regional and indigenous origin for the raw materials used.
Dr Farzad Mafi, Miss Nazanin Khojastehbehzadi, Dr Mohammadamin Emami, Volume 9, Issue 1 (8-2026)
Abstract
Owing to its vast and rich mineral resources, the Kerman region is regarded as one of the most significant areas for the identification and extraction of metals in Iran. The city of Bam, located in the southeastern part of this province, has long served as a strategic center linking southeastern Iran with Sistan due to its distinctive geological and geomorphological conditions. Archaeological surveys conducted in the central district of Bam County during 2018–2019 aimed to identify ancient mining areas and metallurgical smelting centers. Drawing upon the results of these field investigations, the present study undertakes chemical and mineralogical laboratory analyses of four ceramic nail samples recovered from four areas associated with metallurgical activities. These analyses were carried out to determine the function of the ceramic nails and to investigate the extraction processes involved. The studied samples were examined through petrographic and geochemical analyses using the ICP-OES method across the four identified sites. Petrographic examination of the ceramic nails indicates high firing temperatures during manufacture and reveals a porphyritic texture containing predominantly igneous inclusions as temper materials. The results of the chemical analyses demonstrate that approximately 72% of the chemical composition of these ceramic nails consists of zinc, thereby confirming the intentional extraction of this metal. The existence of sufficient technological knowledge for the oxidation of zinc and the production of Tutia (zinc oxide) at these sites may indicate the emergence of one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced metallurgical extraction processes in the ancient world. The analytical results obtained from the ceramic nails recovered from several of these sites further suggest that they were specifically employed in the extraction and production of zinc oxide (Tutia).
