Localization of Archaeology and Traditional Arts: A Case Study of Sistan and Baluchestan Province

Answer to Why and How of ancient human behaviors is the task of Archaeology, proper understanding of natural environment will answer most of the questions related to ancient time.  Nowadays, archaeology attempts to reconstruct ancient human behaviors with the help of other sciences such as ethnology.   Ethnoarchaeology is one of the main approaches, which helps archaeologist to make a bridge between the present and the past. Analogy between present and past environments is one of the most important conditions. It is not possible to study a village in Sistan region and then reconstruct ancient human behavior in Kordestan. In fact, it is believed that human offers certain behaviors against specific environment. Thus, people who are living in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, live in an environment, which has had a few changes during last 5000 years. Traditional arts such as local music, carpet, rug, pottery, needle works, coin works, mat weaving and many other arts have roots in ancient arts of people of Sistan Region. Neglect and decline of some of the above arts are results of different ideas to support these arts. In fact, localization of art and archaeological studies in Sistan reagion mean to have full understanding of the environment of this region from the past to the present. In this regard, with support of traditional artists, which have roots in history, it is possible to hope that archaeology and art could serve for development of Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The aim of this article is two folded firstly to discover problems of archaeology and traditional arts in this region and secondly to suggest certain solutions. As in modern time, environment of the Sistan region is fragile, support of the traditional arts could function as a main way to strength unity in this province, it also could function as a sure source of income for people of this region.