Analysis and study of Beveled Rim Bowls (BRB) based on their distribution in Iran

Subject Areas : Archaeology

Amirmasoud Ghaedi ¹ , Rouhollah Yosefi Zoshk ² , Bita Sodaei ³

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Received: 2025-01-01 Accepted : 2025-02-15 Published : 2025-06-25

Keywords: Iran, Beveled rim bowl, Uruk, proto Elamite, Distribution,

Abstract :

 

From a temporal perspective, we observe the presence and distribution of beveled rim bowls in Iran and Mesopotamia from the mid-fourth millennium BC until the beginning of the Bronze Age. The large production and specific shape of this pottery, alongside its extensive distribution, have prompted many archaeologists to study this subject. Beveled rim bowls is categorized into two types: Uruk and proto Elamite, based on their shape and structure. The geographical conditions in Iran have differentiated the distribution of this pottery compared to Mesopotamia. During this period, the Uruk type gradually changed in structure and transformed into the proto Elamite type. The regions of Khuzestan, Central Zagros, and the Central Plateau have the highest density of sites and pottery in Iran, connecting these centers through intermediary areas. According to the studies conducted, this distribution in Iran has been exported to various other regions by local elites or specific groups of people. Perhaps, this group consisted of local merchants who, through migration, spread the proto Elamite culture in Iran, while the Uruk type of beveled rim bowl was produced and distributed for economic or political purposes in significant sites such as Susa, Chogha Mish, Tepe Yahya, Sefalin, and Godin Tepe.

 

 

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