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| CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS© |
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5000 Years Ago, Women Held Power In Burnt City
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23 December 2004 |
According to the research by an archaeological
team in the burnt city, women comprised the
most powerful group in this 5000-year-old city.
The archaeological team has found a great number of seals
in the women's graves. In ancient societies, holding a
seal was a sign of power, and was of 2 kinds: personal and
governmental.
The burnt city ancient site located in Sistan-Baluchestan
province, southeastern Iran, dates back to between 2000
and 3000 BC.
"In the ancient world, there were
tools used as a means of economic control. Whoever had
these tools at his disposal was among the most powerful
people in the society", Mansour Sajjadi, the Iranian archaeologist
responsible for excavations in the burnt city
told CHN.
According to Sajjadi, during the excavations in the burnt
city cemetery, 90% of the graves in which the seals were
found belonged to women. Only 5% of these seals were found
in men's graves.
Sajjadi said, "Since we know that seals were buried
with their owners 5000 years ago, it is reasonable to
think the most important seals for the economic activities
in the burnt city belonged to women. As the men worked as
farmers and craftsmen away from the city, they reasonably
had to give the seals to women who were always in the
city, so that they were able to solve the problems of the
city immediately."
After 8 season of research in the burnt city, this
5000-year-old site dating back to 3 or 4000 years ago
still holds many secrets within. The burnt city was
civilized and developed, and cherished very important
ancient crafts including jewelry making and pottery. Last
month, the oldest backgammon in the world along with its
60 pieces was unearthed beneath the rubble of this
legendary city.
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"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
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Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
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