Distribution, Continuity and Diversity of Islamic Ceramics in the Settlements of Narmashir Plain, Kerman

In the early Islamic sources, Narmashir has introduced as one of the five main cities of Kerman and a part of the southeast economic exchange network. But it is unknown because archaeologists have often focused on the Bam and Jiroft. The questions are: what are the types of Islamic ceramics in the Narmashir, and what periods are they related to? How does the ups and downs of life in the Narmashir and its transnational cultural relations? What are the features of local ceramic production in the Narmashir plain? The purposes of the research are: “the study of Islamic ceramic and production evidence in the Narmashir”, “typology and relative chronology of ceramics”, and “explaining the periods of the prosperity of Narmashir”. The data have collected via “documentary and field” method, and the research method is “descriptive-analytical”. Based on the results, the ceramic types in Narmashir include the unglazed simple wares, wares with carving or added motifs, molded wares, pseudo-prehistoric ceramics, monochrome glaze, underglaze carving or added motifs, slip-painted wares, Sgraffiato, underglaze or overglaze painting, lusterware, and blue and white wares.  These types of ceramics show the cultural relations with Jiroft, Gobayra, Sirjan, Soghan, Minab, Kish, Siraf, Nishapur, Esfahan, Rayy, Qasr-e Abu-Nasr, Marvdasht, Pasargadae, Sisakht, Boyer Ahmad, Susa, Ras al-Khaimah, Musandam, Hadramaut, Bahrain, Basra, Samarra, Raqqa, and Lashkari Bazar. Some samples of ceramics are imported in Narmashir. Some others are local, but they are imitated from foreign samples. The unglazed molded wares are locally produced and they have localized motifs. Also, the life of the old city of Narmashir has started from the Sassanid era, it peaked during the Saljuq and Qara Khitai period, and continued until the Timurid. But, its population declined during the Safavid period, and it has abandoned after the Safavids. So, only a few villages remained in the plain.
Keywords: The Old City of Narmashir, Archaeological Survey, Classification of Ceramics, Pottery of Islamic Period.
 
Introduction & Method
Narmashir and its neighboring villages were a part of the southeast economic exchange network, and they have introduced as one of the five main cities of Kerman, in the historical sources. According to these sources, the network of economic roads of southeast and Sistan’s Hajjis route passed through Narmashir. Such a strategic position led to the formation and development of the cities and villages in the Narmashir plain during the Islamic period. The same strategic location turned the city of Narmashir into one of the centers of economic and social interaction in the southeast Iran. For this reason, there are many cultural materials from the Islamic period in the Narmashir plain, especially in the old city of Narmashir. Although the archaeological evidence of the Islamic period in the Narmashir plain is significant, but there is not enough knowledge about the types of Islamic ceramics in the Narmashir. Because most Islamic archaeologists have often focused on the Bam and Jiroft. Not knowing about ceramics of Narmashir plain on the one hand and the role of ceramics in the chronology and studying the cultural changes of societies on the other, indicates the necessity of this research. So, the purposes of the research are: “the study of Islamic ceramic and production evidence in the Narmashir”, “typology and relative chronology of ceramics”, and “explaining the periods of the prosperity of Narmashir”. This research is based on the following three questions: what are the types of Islamic ceramics in the Narmashir, and what periods are they related to? How does the ups and downs of life in the Narmashir and its transnational cultural relations? What are the features of local ceramic production in the Narmashir plain? The data have collected via “documentary and field” method, and the research method is “descriptive-analytical”.
 
Classification and Study of the Ceramics of Islamic Period in the Narmashir Plain
Classification of the Islamic ceramics in Narmashir shows the main types of ceramics are (based on two factors: coating and ornaments):
• The unglazed simple ceramics
• The unglazed patterned ceramics include the carved, added, molded, stamped, painted, and a combination of carved and molded patterns.
• Monochrome glaze includes green, light green, turquoise, blue, azure, brown, and violet, sometimes with carved motifs under glaze, underglaze added patterns, underglaze molded patterns, and underglaze stamped patterns.
• Polychrome glaze including slip-painted ceramics, splash glaze, Sgraffiato, underglaze painting, overglaze painting, lusterware, and blue and white ceramics.
After classifying and typology, the ceramics of Narmashir plain were compared with samples from other regions. Then, their chronology is proposed based on these comparisons. So, the ceramics of Narmashir plain are comparable with Jiroft, Gobayra, Sirjan, Soghan, Minab, Kish, Siraf, Nishapur, Esfahan, Rayy, Qasr-e Abu-Nasr, Marvdasht, Pasargadae, Sisakht, Boyer Ahmad, Susa, Ras al-Khaimah, Musandam, Hadramaut, Bahrain, Basra, Samarra, Raqqa, and Lashkari Bazar. Some of the ceramic sherds (especially in the old city of Narmashir, Shams Abad, Pir Masha, and Jalal Abad) belong to the Sassanid and early Islamic era. The largest number of samples has survived from the middle’s Islamic centuries. But there are only a few ceramics from the Safavid period. A typical sample of post-Safavid era was not identified in the Narmashir plain. Some samples of ceramics are imported in Narmashir. Some others are local, but they are imitated from foreign samples. The unglazed molded wares are locally produced and they have localized motifs. Also, the life of the old city of Narmashir has started from the Sassanid era, it peaked during the Saljuq and Qara Khitai period, and continued until the Timurid. But, its population declined during the Safavid period, and it has abandoned after the Safavids. So, only a few villages remained in the plain.
 
Conclusion
Four types of ceramic were used in the Narmashir plain in Islamic period: the unglazed simple, the unglazed patterned (the carved, added, molded, stamped, painted and a combination of carved and molded patterns), Monochrome glaze (with the underglaze carving, underglaze added patterns, underglaze molded, and underglaze stamped patterns), and Polychrome glaze (slip-painted ceramics, splash glaze, Sgraffiato, underglaze painting, overglaze painting, lusterware, and blue and white ceramics). The similarity between these types and other regions samples (in Iran and outside of Iran) represents the cultural relations. These ceramic types are comparable with Jiroft, Gobayra, Sirjan, Soghan, Minab, Kish, Siraf, Nishapur, Esfahan, Rayy, Qasr-e Abu-Nasr, Marvdasht, Pasargadae, Sisakht, Boyer Ahmad, Susa, Ras al-Khaimah, Musandam, Hadramaut, Bahrain, Basra, Samarra, Raqqa, and Lashkari Bazar. Also, the comparative and relative chronology of these ceramics shows that the life of the old city of Narmashir has started from the Sasanid era, it peaked during the Saljuq and Qara Khitai period, and continued until the Timurid. But its population declined during the Safavid period, and it has abandoned after the Safavids. So, only a few villages remained in the plain. Some of ceramics in the Narmashir plain are local, but they are imitated from foreign samples. While, the unglazed molded wares are locally produced and they have localized motifs.