Journal of Iran's Pre Islamic Archaeological Essays

Journal of Iran's Pre Islamic Archaeological Essays

Archeology of Ancient Mines and Metallurgy on the edge of Lut desert Case study: Deyhuk District of Tabas City

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Mazandaran University, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Department of Archeology
2 University of Mazandaran - Faculty of Art, Department of Archeology
3 University of Mazandaran - Faculty of Art and Architecture - Department of Archeology
4 Cultural Heritage Research Institute - Conservation and Restoration Research Institute - Historical Monuments
Abstract
Deyhuk district of Tabas city in South Khorasan province is one of the regions that has high capabilities due to the large number of smelting sites and accumulated slag from perspective of ancient mining and metallurgy studies and is unknown in comparison with other regions of Iran. During archaeological studies, by writers and experts’ South Khorasan Cultural Heritage Office in Deyhuk district of Tabas city have discovered a copper mine and seven metal smelting sites, which shows the role and importance of ancient mining and metallurgy in the social and economic life of Deyhuk cultural area. This research tries based on the results of archaeological field methodological study, texts and written sources in Deyhuk district to identify the evidence related to metallurgy industry, smelting technology and type of extracted ore deposit to better understand the process and cycle of metallurgy including three stages of mining, extraction and provide melting of metals. With the studies done, typology and comparative comparison of the discovered slag with the known metal centers, it seems that the composition of the slag includes the main elements of iron, lead and copper, Archaeological field studies performed in mines and metal smelting sites identified show that metallurgists in this area used open and underground methods to extract minerals and after transferring mineral parts to workshops and smelting furnaces, they used roasting method for melting metals. Cultural materials (pottery) obtained from around the only furnace identified show that the relative dating of this mine is based on pottery finds from the Islamic Middle Ages.
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