Archeological investigation of counting and accounting evidence in Tapeh Yal (Yalda) of Sistan during the Bronze Age

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Archeology, Zabol University, Zabol, Iran

2 Ph.D. Students in Archeology, Pre-History Orientation, Archeology Department, Art and Architecture School pf Mazandaran University, Mazandaran, Iran

10.22084/nb.2025.29667.2699

Abstract

Some small objects are made of mud and stone with different sizes and shapes found in cultural discoveries from archeological excavations. Various theories exist about the function of these objects, and some researchers believe that these objects were used for counting in accounting and counting systems during different periods. Regarding the regional and transregional trade development during the bronze age and the presence of a specialist community, recordation and accounting systems were highly required. Sistan was a main pole of the bronze age in southeast Iran, so researchers have always pointed to the key role of the cultural scope of the Hirman Civilization in its cultural interactions and regional and transregional trade. Tapeh Yal (Taleb Khan 2) is one of the satellite sites near the Shahr-e-Sukhteh, where six seasons of the survey have been done, and 273 accounting and counting objects have been discovered within four first seasons most of them are related to season four. Most of these objects were found in an archeological pit that was used to be studied in this paper. The main objectives of this study include typology and classifying findings related to accounting, recognizing the accounting and counting system in Tapeh Yal, and identifying this system during the development steps of the counting system. In this research, the mentioned objects were divided into two main categories each consisting of various subtypes. The presence of workshop spaces, a warehouse, and counting objects on this site indicate that Tapeh Yal was a manufacturing center during the bronze age, some industrialists worked full-time jobs in workshops to produce industrial goods, and some individuals monitored and managed these sites. According to these findings, people used a relatively complicated accounting system during the bronze age that has been common from the middle of the fourth millennium B.C. in many areas of Iran.

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Archaeological Research of Iran

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 May 2025

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