Bronze Age Game Board and Comb Uncovered in Iran’s Burnt City

SISTAN AND BALUCHISTAN PROVINCE, IRAN—According to the Greek Reporter, excavations conducted at Shahr-i-Sokhta, a Bronze Age site in southeastern Iran known as the "Burnt City," have uncovered a 4,600-year-old board game and an engraved bone comb. “These discoveries can provide researchers with new information about less-known aspects of the life, culture, and social relations of the inhabitants of the Burnt City,” said Rouhollah Shirazi of the University of Sistan and Baluchistan. The excavation team also uncovered eggshells, textile fragments, and pieces of leather. In the northeastern section of the site, researchers found two phases of construction, animal remains, tools, debris from stoneworking, animal figurines, and hearths. The study suggests that the residents of the area conducted household activities and some craft production in the same area. Radiocarbon dating, DNA testing, and an examination of human remains are planned. For more on excavations at Shahr-i-Sokhta, go to "The World in Between."