5000 Years Ago, Women Held
Power In Burnt City, in Iran
Posted Dec 20, 2004, at 23:34 GMT
According to the research by an
archeological team in the burnt city, women comprised the most powerful group in
this 5000-year-old city.
The archeological 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-Baluchistan 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 archeologist
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.