Khatun and Other Distinguished Women in Chega Sofla Cemetery

For decades, archaeologists have tried to answer questions about the social complexities of prehistoric societies based on archaeological evidence. One of the common questions in this regard is the quality or the nature of social hierarchy in ancient communities. Earlier, in explaining the social hierarchy and especially the social ranks in the chiefdom societies, the researchers hoped to evaluate the difference in the burial pattern of the dead in the burial contexts of the 5th millennium BC in Greater Susiana. Finally, unlike the archaeological evidence obtained from the early cemeteries of Susa, Hakalan, and Dum Gar Parchineh, the limited excavations in the Chega Sofla cemetery, both for the methodology used and the quality of its archaeological evidence, have opened a wider window to search for social ranks in prehistoric societies. The number of burials of women compared to men, as well as the quality and the manner devoted to the burial of women in the excavated graves of Chega Sofla, is more impressive. Anthropological studies on significant samples of dental documents have shown that women and men had equal access to food sources and no significant difference was observed regarding dental health between them. This equality was also seen in the amount of implemental use of teeth. However, among the 102 identified burials, there is clear evidence of special attention to some women in terms of the burial method and especially the elaborate grave gifts beside them (BG1.2; BG7& CG1.1), as well as in the degree of deliberate deformation of the skull (BG1.11, BG1.12, BG1.18, BG1.20, BG1.28, BG1.29, BG1.30) we can imagine clear signs of distinction in their social rank. In addition, even among noticeable women, the available evidence indicates the status of BG7 or "Khatun" in social rank. Based on the obtained evidence, we present the hypothesis that in the late 5th to early 4th millennium BCE, "high-status women" had a significant social rank in Chaga Sofla.