STUDY AND CLASSIFICATION OF FIGURINES OF QALE ROSTAM, ESFANDAGHEH, JIROFT

Hatefi, Athareh; Shahsavari, Meysam; Alidadi Soleymani, Nader

doi:10.22034/jsbs.2025.531910.1095

STUDY AND CLASSIFICATION OF FIGURINES OF QALE ROSTAM, ESFANDAGHEH, JIROFT

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Athareh Hatefi ¹

Meysam Shahsavari ²

Nader Alidadi Soleymani ³

¹ MA Student of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Jiroft University, Jiroft, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran.

³ PhD in Archaeology, Organization of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft of Kerman Province, Kerman, Iran.

10.22034/jsbs.2025.531910.1095

Abstract

The site of Qale Rostam II is located in the Esfandagheh area, to the west of Jiroft city. A large number of human and zoomorphic figurines are scattered on the surface of this site. These figurines were obtained from a site that is not very large, and there are few pottery pieces scattered on its surface. In this research, 203 figurines obtained from the site were classified and then analyzed. These figurines can be placed into three general groups: human figurines, zoomorphic figurines, and plate-like dishes. Although these figurines can be placed into these three groups, it is quite clear that all three groups have an organic relationship with each other, meaning that some human figurines are actually mounted on zoomorphic figurines or placed inside dishes. The studied figurines have a completely abstract style and are inelegantly made. Chronology and the usage of these figurines are two important questions addressed in this research. In terms of body shape, human figurines are classified into two types: cylindrical and rectangular, and are generally created in a standing position with hands facing up. In the zoomorphic group, species such as horses, cows, dogs, snakes, donkeys, leopards, and camels can be distinguished. The general shape of these figurines is cylindrical, and they are generally made with long and slim arms, necks, and legs. The third group consists of plate-like dishes, which, although not figurines, are studied due to their close connection with the mentioned figurines. This research has finally concluded that it is not possible to make a definite statement about the chronology of the figurines of Qale Rostam, but they can be placed in the period between the Bronze Age and the end of the 1st millennium BC, and these figurines likely had a ritual use.

Keywords

Jiroft

Halil Roud area

Qale Rostam site

clay figurines

چکیده: محوطه قلعه رستم II در منطقه اسفندقه، در غرب شهر جیرفت واقع شده است. تعداد زیادی پیکره‌های انسانی و جانوری در سطح این محوطه پراکنده‌اند. این پیکره‌ها از محوطه‌ای به‌دست آمده‌اند که چندان بزرگ نیست و تعداد اندکی قطعات سفالی نیز روی سطح آن دیده می‌شود. در این پژوهش، ۲۰۳ پیکره به‌دست آمده از محوطه دسته‌بندی و سپس تحلیل شدند. این پیکره‌ها را می‌توان در سه گروه کلی جای داد: پیکره‌های انسانی، پیکره‌های جانوری و ظروف شبیه بشقاب. هرچند این پیکره‌ها را می‌توان در این سه گروه قرار داد، اما کاملاً روشن است که هر سه گروه رابطه‌ای ارگانیک با یکدیگر دارند؛ به این معنا که برخی از پیکره‌های انسانی بر روی پیکره‌های جانوری سوار شده‌اند یا در داخل ظروف قرار گرفته‌اند. پیکره‌های مطالعه‌شده دارای سبکی کاملاً انتزاعی بوده و به‌صورت نسبتاً ناشیانه ساخته شده‌اند. گاهنگاری و کارکرد این پیکره‌ها دو پرسش اصلی است که در این پژوهش بدان پرداخته شده است. از نظر شکل بدنی، پیکره‌های انسانی به دو نوع استوانه‌ای و مستطیلی تقسیم می‌شوند و عموماً در حالت ایستاده با دستانی رو به بالا ساخته شده‌اند. در گروه جانوری، گونه‌هایی چون اسب، گاو، سگ، مار، الاغ، پلنگ و شتر قابل تشخیص هستند. شکل کلی این پیکره‌ها استوانه‌ای است و معمولاً با دست‌ها، گردن‌ها و پاهای بلند و باریک ساخته شده‌اند. گروه سوم شامل ظروفی شبیه بشقاب است که گرچه پیکره محسوب نمی‌شوند، اما به دلیل پیوند نزدیک با پیکره‌های یادشده مورد مطالعه قرار گرفته‌اند. این پژوهش در نهایت نتیجه گرفته است که نمی‌توان اظهار نظر قطعی درباره گاهنگاری پیکره‌های قلعه رستم داشت، اما می‌توان آن‌ها را در فاصله میان عصر مفرغ تا پایان هزاره اول پیش‌ازمیلاد قرار داد. به احتمال زیاد این پیکره‌ها کاربری آیینی داشته‌اند.

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