ACHAEMENID AND SASANID TEXTILES AND DYES FROM ANCIENT PERSIA. CASE STUDY CHEHRĀBĀDIN NORTHERN IRAN
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-03-20

The salt mine Chehrābād in northern Iran offers good preservation conditions for organic finds of all kinds (wood, botanical remains, human faeces, textiles, ropes, leather and fur objects, human mummies ...). More than 15% of all artefacts found in the waste layers of the salt mine are textiles, most of them covering roughly a time-span between c. 5th century BCE to 6th century AD, which refers to the Achaemenid and Sassanid Period of the Persian Empires. As the salt mine was also used during Islamic period, related to Safavid and Qajar periods (between the late 14th century and early 20th century AD). Within the framework of a recent research project under the leadership of the ICHTO Zanjan and the German-Mining Museum, focus lies on interdisciplinary textile research, including diverse analytical tools to gain basic data, C14 dating, isotopic tracing, fibre analysis and wool measurements, dyestuff analysis and advanced conservation methods. The textiles from Chehrābād are an important source for our understanding of textile technology of the Near East and the Persian Empires. As so far more than 1000 textiles are known from the site, covering a wide time-span, also intensive on-site studies are possible to answer different research questions such as the development of textile technology, imports and trade. The number of textiles is of statistical relevance and such first concise summaries can be given about the preferred fibre material, weaving and patterning techniques. Furthermore we will focus on the dyestuff analysis and the methodology used. The integration of data from different disciplines into interpretation and narratives about the site Chehrābād is then the next step in preparing a travelling exhibition about the site and its textile finds, that will open in Frankfurt in 2020, with further stations in Bochum (Germany), Tehran and Zanjan (Iran).


Author(s): Groemer, Karina (Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria) - Vanden Berghe, Ina (KIK IRPA Brussels)