An Archaeological Reflection on the Absence of the Names of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam on Early Islamic Material Culture

Majid Montazer Zohouri

The absence of the name "Muhammad" and the term "Islam" on cultural artifacts from the first decades of the early Islamic has long raised questions among historians and archaeologists. Some have taken an extreme position, denying the very existence of a historical Muhammad or a religious movement called Islam—a view that, of course, finds no place in this study. Others have offered more nuanced interpretations, though not entirely convincing, which have nevertheless inspired the writing of this paper. This latter group attributes the absence of Muhammad’s name and Islam to the lack of a centralized and cohesive political authority during this period. According to their view, before the rise of ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, the Islamic polity resembled more of a loose tribal confederation than a structured state. Thus, they argue that it was only under ʿAbd al-Malik’s rule that early Islamic society became organized and a distinct Islamic identity took shape. However, directly linking these two absences—the lack of references to Muhammad and Islam on one hand, and the absence of a centralized state on the other—does not seem entirely justified. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the omission of Muhammad and Islam in early Islamic-era artifacts in relation to broader ambiguities in religious boundaries and the evolution of conceptual frameworks. To achieve this, topics such as shared sacred spaces, the Qur’anic concepts of "dīn" and "islām," and the development of the Shahādah will be examined. Ultimately, it can be argued that the process of Islamization was gradual. Moreover, many commonly held assumptions must be approached with caution. What is today accepted as historical fact about this period is often the product of layered narratives shaped over time under various influences. These narrative constructions have sometimes been deliberate, serving specific interests, and at other times unconscious, arising from the limitations of historical understanding.

Typo-chronology of the Sasanian Ceramics from Tomm-e Kharg, Southern Kerman, Iran

Hossein Habibi

Despite being the largest archaeological site in the Lower Halil-rud River Basin area, the rich surface materials of the Sasanian period of Tomm-e Kharg remain unpublished. The present article deals with the typo-chronology of the Sasanian ceramic assemblage of this site in the Roudbar-e Jonoub region. Pottery is of the less-developed areas of research in Sasanian Studies. This gap is especially noticeable when considering that the late antique archaeological landscapes of the region are chiefly overlooked. Therefore, the study of this collection is significant in the field. Data were collected through archival and field techniques and analysed via an analytic-descriptive (qualitative) method. Main questions of the article are: How is it possible to determine the regional characteristics of Sasanian pottery in Southern Kerman based on the available materials? And how can one reconstruct the (inter-)regional interactions of the Kharg population during this period? The study assumes that examining the Kharg assemblage improves our understanding of such features, and that its typology and comparison reveal the socio-economic links of the community. To accomplish this, the collection was studied according to the principles of systematic archaeological survey and sampled across the surface of the site in 162 squares, each measuring 100 m² in area, using a simple random sampling method. Next, the shards were classified, typologized, and compared. It is therefore claimed that FOPW represents a local tradition and is one of the main classes of Sasanian pottery at Tomm-e Kharg. Alongside this ware, TURQ and some types of plain ware signify the interregional interactions of the Kharg society during that era. Despite the local traits, the study revealed that the Lower Halil-rud River Basin area was part of an economic network that extended beyond the Kerman region encompassing the shorelands and hinterlands of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Parseh Journal of Archaeological Studies

An Archaeological Reflection on the Absence of the Names of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam on Early Islamic Material Culture

Typo-chronology of the Sasanian Ceramics from Tomm-e Kharg, Southern Kerman, Iran