Introduction
The areas of Saqqez and Divandarreh, in modern western Iran and in the heartland of the ancient Mannaean kingdom, have seen limited excavations, despite the potential to explore the fascinating Mannaean culture. Most of the scarce material in our possession comes from the results of illegal excavations. However, some of these materials offer useful hints on what this culture has to offer, and in some cases, it has been possible to loosely trace the area of provenience. Unfortunately, these pieces of data will never be as informative or precise as what could be learned from a proper excavation.
This paper is based on burial goods recovered from local residents by the police, in the village of Kani Charmou Zaki Baig. The artefacts come from the neighboring Iron Age graveyard with the same name as the village. Kani Charmou Zaki Baig is located in Kurdistan Province, Iran, c. 35 km north of the modern city of Divandarreh. The direct distance from the cemetery to the important sites of Karfto and Ziwiye is 10 and 23 km to the north and northwest, respectively (Fig. 1). The cemetery is located in the hills (Fig. 2) of the eastern folds of the Zagros Mountains, nestled on a slope that descends towards the Zaki Baig River (Fig. 3). This river, once more substantial, has dwindled in size in recent years and only survives as a small stream, flowing through a shallow valley in a north-south direction. On both the eastern and western sides of the river, the landscape is defined by low cliffs. The present-day village of Zaki Baig has developed on one of these cliffs on the west bank, with the cemetery on the east bank of the river. The distance from the village to the cemetery is less than 200 meters (Fig. 4). The area is used by local residents for grazing animals, and there are rock shelters throughout the area, used by local residents for keeping their animals.
Figure 1. Plan with location of the Kani Charmou cemetery and other sites mentioned in the text
Figure 2. General view of Kani Charmou cemetery from the west
Figure 3. Location of Kani Charmou Cemetery (based on a satellite image from Google Earth)
Figure 4. The position of Kani Charmou village (upper left) from the Kani Charmou cemetery
At a distance of c. 150 meters southwest of the cemetery, in the valley base, the remains of a few stone walls that form a rectangular space can be seen. In addition, c. 100 meters to the south of the cemetery, in a relatively large and flat space within the valley, there are the remains of a rectangular structure consisting of four walls, which, although difficult to detect on the ground, is clearly visible on satellite images. The approximate dimensions of this structure are 90×110 meters, and it is orientated north-south. A survey of the cemetery area revealed that the burials consisted of pits covered with large flat stone slabs (Fig. 5). At c. 200 meters to the east of the cemetery, there is a limestone mine where stone extraction operations are currently being carried out for construction purposes. Due to the close distance of this mine to the Kani Charmou cemetery, it is likely to be the source of the cemetery's slab stones.
Figure 5. a) Large stone slab tomb cover in the Kani Charmou cemetery, b) Example of a grave cist or chamber constructed of large regular stones of similar size
Inventory of Finds
This article deals with various groups of small finds from Kani Charmou, confiscated from local residents by the police. Determining whether the objects recovered represent complete grave assemblages, or solely the unsold material, is a challenging task, and the full grave assemblages remain uncertain. However, by comparing the Kani Charmou materials with excavated artifacts from Kul Tarikeh (Rezavani and Rostai Reference Rezvani and Roustaei2007) and Changbar (Naghshineh Reference Naghshineh2007) graveyards, we can draw some conclusions. The similarities in both quantity and quality between these materials and these known Mannaean grave inventories strongly suggest that the items recovered from Kani Charmou do constitute the entirety of the grave assemblages, despite the uncertainties that come with looting. The similarities also indicate that the assemblages from Kani Charmou provide a comprehensive representation of the grave inventories of common Mannaean people.
The finds constitute a rich typological variety of materials. The artifacts consist of five pottery vessels, four bronze bowls, a dagger, ten bronze pins, six bracelets, a ring, two horse harness pieces, eight studs, two buttons, 73 different beads and two whetstones.
Dagger
The remains of a dagger consist of the hilt and the initial part of the blade stuck in the guard. The fragment is made of two different metals: copper/bronze and iron. The handle is solid, composed of a bronze pommel resting on the knob shaped terminal of a grip made of alternating rings of bronze and iron, ending in a bronze guard (Fig. 6). This object finds parallels at the Iranian sites of HasanluFootnote 1 and ZiwiyeFootnote 2, where similar handles were recovered but in alternating black and white stones, rather than metal rings. Other examples of ring-made hilts, bimetallic or from a single material, have come to light in Iran from Kani KoterFootnote 3, and in Armenia at Mouci-yeriFootnote 4, MakarashenFootnote 5, and Astkhi-blurFootnote 6. Transcaucasia and the Talesh/Talyche region are identified by Thornton and Pigott as the prime sources of comparable sword types.Footnote 7
Figure 6. Bimetallic dagger from Kani Charmou
Within Room 9 at Hasanlu, the skeletal remains of three adult males were discovered alongside the famous Gold Bowl. It is suggested that these individuals were invading forces engaged in looting the upper levels of the Burned Building at Hasanlu. Their demise was likely a result of the collapse of the structure, causing them to fall into Room 9 from a considerable height, estimated to be at least 3 meters. Consequently, these soldiers can be identified as looting enemy combatants rather than local defenders of Hasanlu. Danti provides a comprehensive analysis of the attire, military gear, and associated objects of these slain enemiesFootnote 8. It is noteworthy that the soldiers were well-equipped and prepared for battle, with indications of standardized equipment.
Of particular significance is Skeleton No. 38, who was found carrying the Hasanlu Gold Bowl, housing three additional elite items, including a dagger similar to the one discovered at Kani Charmou. The Hasanlu dagger features an iron blade, mostly deteriorated, a ribbed bone pommel, and a grip crafted from rings of red sandstone and ivory around a bronze core. The presence of this dagger at Hasanlu serves as a valuable example for dating the Kani Charmou cemetery. Dyson's analysis of the stratigraphy within the remaining walls of Room 9 reveals that it corresponds to the terminal Period IVb destruction, which sealed a midden deposit dating to the final phase of the building's use. According to Danti, the maces, helmets, and personal ornaments tentatively suggest that the enemy combatants may have originated from the northwestern Zagros or southern Caucasus regions, potentially including Urartu, during the late ninth century B.C.
Pins
The Kani Charmou collection contained nine pins, varying in thickness and length from 120 to 170 mm (Fig. 7). The pins are characterized by a spherical head, ending in a flat pedunculus. Pin number 1 (Fig. 7:1) has an undulating decorative line running around the lower part of the spherical head. At the upper part of the shaft, immediately under the head, a three-spoke projection is applied, each spoke shorter than the radius of the overlying sphere, so as not to protrude beyond it. Under the projection, five successive horizontal incisions divide the upper shaft into four segments, the first and the fourth each covering one-third of the area, while the central part is equally divided between two shorter segments. Below the fifth incision, a zigzag line runs around the shaft.
Figure 7. Pins from Kani Charmou
Pins 2, 3, and 4 (Fig. 7: 2–4) present similar, but more complex, decoration in the head area, with three studs protruding from each sphere above the undulating line; the three-spoke projections on these pins are longer than the head's radius. The shafts are instead simpler, with that of pin 2 being plain, and those of pins 3 and 4 presenting horizontal lines immediately under the three-spoke projection.
The head of pin 5 is plain, with a four-spoke projection and incised horizontal lines below. Pin 6 is entirely devoid of decorations, with a less defined, slightly angular surface on the top sphere and a three spoke projection. Pin 7 presents a deep wavy-line decoration on the lower part of the spherical head, similar to a flower's petals, with horizontal lines under a four-spoke projection. Pin 8 has two horizontal lines at the base of the spherical head, under which three studs occupy the higher area on the shaft, followed by three more horizontal lines. Only the upper part of pin 9 survives. The head has no incisions but is decorated with four studs. Under it is a four-spoke projection, protruding beyond the head, followed by five horizontal lines.
Hundreds of such pins have been excavated from ZiwiyeFootnote 9, ChangbarFootnote 10 and Kul TarikeFootnote 11, all in Iran, but unfortunately at none of these sites is the position of the pins and the gender of the body associated with them discernable. During his expedition in Mokri Kurdistan, de Morgan, with the help of Saifeddin Khan-e MokriFootnote 12, excavated three tombs close to a village which he erroneously named Khalil-déhlil; the correct name should be Khal Dalil (Kurdish: خال دهليل ), a village in Kani Bazar Rural District, Khalifan District, Mahabad region. One of the excavated tombs contained two bodies, identified as one male and one female. His description of the discovery contradicts the drawings, which he himself drew. Despite the drawing showing one pin on the male body and two on the female, in the description de Morgan claims that all three of the pins were associated with the female skeletonFootnote 13. From 200 excavated tombs at Changbar, 76 such pins were excavated in 43 graves, found in both pairs and single exemplars. An example also has been excavated from section B at Zendan-i SuleimanFootnote 14.
Bracelets
Six bronze bracelets were among the objects from Kani Charmou (Fig. 8). They can be divided into four different categories based on their decoration.
Figure 8. Bracelets/Anklets from Kani Charmou
The first category is a simple cast bronze bracelet (or anklet?)Footnote 15 with open ends (Fig. 8: 1). The second group contains three examples and is characterized by an open hoop shape with zoomorphic terminals (stylized representations of snake heads). One of the examples (Fig. 8: 3) bears additional decoration of diagonally incised lines and flower stems between lines on three sides of the band. It is also heavier than the others. The terminals on both ends of example no. 4 (Fig. 8: 4) are worked into a dragon head shape, with deep cuts.
The third category has a single exemplar, a single wire with a simple pattern of parallel diagonal lines engraved on the surface, and with pierced and flattened club terminals connected with a rivet (Fig. 8: 5). The last category contained only one spiral-shaped bracelet, smaller than the examples from the other groups (Fig. 8: 6). It could have been worn by a child, as the evidence from the Zagros graveyard in Sanandaj shows. The examples from Sanandaj were associated with a child's body in tomb no. 12Footnote 16.
Bracelets similar to the Kani Charmou examples decorated with snakes' heads have a long history in the ancient Near East and are presented in a number of varieties, reflecting different production centers. The earliest examples of such bracelets are from the Caucasus, dating from the Late BronzeFootnote 17 to the Early Iron AgeFootnote 18. Examples are reported from HasanluFootnote 19 (northwestern Iran), DashkesanFootnote 20 and GedabekFootnote 21 (southern Caucasus), Mkhart (Georgia), and TaleshFootnote 22, all dated to the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages.
Such bracelets have also been found in Iron Age II and III contexts at Sarrez (Kurdistan province, Iran)Footnote 23, Munjuglutepe (Azerbaijan)Footnote 24, KalakentFootnote 25 (Azerbaijan), Zhinvali (Georgia)Footnote 26 and Lori Berd (Armenia)Footnote 27. Two examples are reported from Iraq at AshurFootnote 28 and Nimrud, above the Nabu TempleFootnote 29. They also are known from Urartian sites with numerous slight variations of style from Sos HöyükFootnote 30 and in a tomb of a child at the Castle of CavustepeFootnote 31, and at Armavir-Blur,Footnote 32 Bastam,Footnote 33 and Karmir-Blur,Footnote 34 as well as Urartian cemeteries at Van/Altıntepe,Footnote 35 Van/Kalecik,Footnote 36 Iğdır,Footnote 37 and Patnos/Dedeli.Footnote 38 In addition, numerous slight variations of snake head terminal bracelets were discovered from Achaemenid sites of Deve Höyük (Turkey) and Pasargadae (Iran).Footnote 39
Despite the lack of any sure proof about the provenience of this design, it is still safe to assume that its roots go back to Late Bronze and early Iron Ages in the southern Caucasus. In this area, it is possible to find a large number of very simplified versions of snake head bracelets; the third category described above could be a successive evolution of this type, after the Urartian culture absorbed the indigenous traditions.
Ring
One plain hoop bronze ring with slightly overlapping ends was in the Kani Charmou collection (Fig. 9).
Figure 9. Plain hoop bronze ring from Kani Charmou
Horse harness and equipment
Bell: The Kani Charmou assemblage also includes a bronze rectangular bell, with sides tapering toward the top, where there is a semi-circular suspension loop, connected to another, smaller ring. There are two circular openings in the top, each with a low collar; originally a clapper was held in place by a wire, now lost, passing through these holes (Fig. 10). An example from Deve Höyük (Turkey) is the most likely parallel for this objectFootnote 40.
Figure 10. Bronze bell from Kani Charmou
Frontlet: The frontlet from Kani Charmou is a trapezoidal thin bronze sheet with a central ridge, showing signs of corrosion on the edges. Perforations near the edges of both the upper and lower parts can be interpreted as eyelets for the passage of a fabric or leather binding to keep the piece in place as an ornament or armor to protect a horse's forehead (Fig. 11). An exact comparison piece comes from ZiwiyeFootnote 41, and three unprovenanced specimens come from the antiquities marketFootnote 42.
Figure 11. Frontlet from Kani Charmou
Studs
Özgen has provided a basic typology for studs or bronze discs. Apart from their potential use as cymbals, Özgen specified that they served as decorative elements for belts, shields, clothing, armor, and horse harnesses.Footnote 43 The studs found at Kani Charmou (Fig. 12) can be categorized into two groups. The first group comprises a ceramic example with a circular base and a protruding conical center, with an additional circular component attached to the end of the cone. Near the edge of the base, there is a small piercing (Fig. 12: 1).
Figure 12. Ceramic (1) and bronze (2–8) studs from Kani Charmou
The second group comprises seven circular bronze studs, each with a protruding conical center, featuring an additional circular component fixed to the end of the cone. These studs can be flat or rounded on top, and some have a loop at the interior. Some are decorated with parallel incised lines around the upper cone. Such decorative elements were commonly used in horse bridles, headgear, browbands, and neck straps, fixed to leather straps in order to hold them in placeFootnote 44, and served as adornments for chariot side panelsFootnote 45. Interestingly, similar decorative elements have also been found on human bodies and may have been attached to clothing.Footnote 46
Studs with loop fasteners, known as Urartian horse harness bosses, were a cultural commonality and widely used in northwestern and western Iran, as well as in Urartian and Assyrian territoriesFootnote 47 during the ninth to seventh centuries B.C. Comparable examples have been discovered at various Iranian Iron Age sites, including Hasanlu,Footnote 48 Zagros Graveyard,Footnote 49 Baba Jan,Footnote 50 and War Kabud,Footnote 51 as well as Urartian sites such as the Columbarium in Yerevan,Footnote 52 Dizginkale,Footnote 53 and Alişar.Footnote 54 In Assyria, they are predominantly found at Nimrud.Footnote 55
Ceramics
The ceramic assemblage discovered at Kani Charmou (Fig. 13) can be classified into three distinct categories. The first category comprises three examples that fall into two sub-types. The first sub-type consists of a fragmented glazed bottle with everted rim, two vertical lugs, and a button-base, adorned with yellow and white lappet motifs on the shoulder (Fig. 13: 1). The second sub-type consists of two polychrome glazed bottles (Fig. 13: 2a and b) with rolled rims and globular bodies. One of these bottles (a) has a slightly pointed base and a petal pattern at the shoulder, executed in green, yellow, and white glaze with prominent dark outlines. The second bottle (b) has a flattened base and a petal pattern at the shoulder, also created with yellow and white glaze and thick dark outlines.
Figure 13. Kani Charmou glazed pottery vessels
The second category encompasses a single example—a blue glazed bottle with an elongated shape, rolled rim, and round base (Fig. 13: 3). The third category also includes a solitary item, a red fabric jar with a globular shape, flat base, and broken rim (Fig. 13: 4). The neck-shoulder join has two parallel grooved lines.
The glazed ceramics from Kani Charmou exhibit stylistic characteristics reminiscent of the widely recognized ‘Neo-Assyrian’ style, prevalent during the first half of the first millennium B.C., with the most common dating ranging from the ninth to seventh centuries B.C. These glazed vessels are diagnostic artifacts based on their shape, surface treatment, and fabric, further contributing to our understanding of the period.Footnote 56
The first sub-type with lug handles is very rare in both Iran and Mesopotamia. There are two examples of unknown provenience kept in the Sanandaj Museum, which have the same shape and decoration but pointed basesFootnote 57. The only exact comparison example comes from Kani Koter.Footnote 58 The second sub-type of the first category is the most common form of glazed bottles, which display a remarkable similarity in decoration across a wide range of sites. Examples have been recovered from late Neo-Assyrian contexts at Khirbet QasrijFootnote 59, AshurFootnote 60, NimrudFootnote 61, Tell Sheikh Hamad,Footnote 62 Tell Halaf,Footnote 63 Qasr Shemamok (ancient Kilizu)Footnote 64 and Khirbat Khattunya.Footnote 65 Also, in Iran similar glazed bottles have been reported from Ziwiye,Footnote 66 Kul Tarikeh,Footnote 67 Khanileh,Footnote 68 ChangbarFootnote 69 and War Kabud.Footnote 70 PoradaFootnote 71 asserted that the greatest concentration of glazed potteries was found the territory south of Lake Urmia, so this region could be the birth place of this ceramic type. This proposal is also supported by Hassanzadeh.Footnote 72
According to Assyrian historical texts, the Assyrian Empire maintained political and military relations with the regional power of Urartu and the local Mannaean governing bodies during the reign of Sargon II. Recent research conducted by Abbas Razmpoush and Shelir AmeliradFootnote 73 focused on the glazed brick motifs from Qalāichi, in northwest Iran, shedding light on the prevalent motifs and iconography associated with the Mannaean cultural sphere. The Qalāichi brick motifs portray ceremonial purification and devotional practices, symbolized by the lotus and the sacred tree. The presence of these motifs at Qalāichi cannot be solely attributed to artistic inspiration by or the adoption of Assyrian decorative styles. Instead, they signify an emergent Mannaean belief in the divine aspects of this purification ritual and the existence of a related religious belief in the region. “A stylized tree with obvious religious significance already occurs as an art motif in fourth-millennium Mesopotamia, and by the second millennium B.C., it is found everywhere within the orbit of the ancient Near Eastern oikumene. About the middle of the second millennium, a new development in the iconography of the tree becomes noticeable leading to the emergence of the so-called Late Assyrian Tree under Tululti-Ninurta I. With the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, this form of the Tree spreads throughout the entire Near East” (Parpola Reference Parpola1993: 161–163). This spread coincides with the peak of Assyrian–Mannaean contact during the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. In addition to brick motifs, these lotus and sacred tree symbols are observed in a diverse range of cultural materials found at Mannaean sites, particularly in burial contexts, during the eighth and seventh centuries B.C. These cultural materials include ceramics, metals, and ivories, demonstrating their widespread distribution throughout the majority of Mannaean settlements and cemeteries.Footnote 74
Razmpoush and Amelirad (unpublished) have assessed glazed pottery, including round and conical miniature jars, large conical jars, and pots, with symbols associated with the lotus and the sacred tree. These forms are found in a wide geographical area, including western Iran, especially in areas attributed to Mannaea. These jars were used in funeral rites and are often found in burial mounds and cemeteries, such as Kani Koter,Footnote 75 Ziwiye,Footnote 76 Kul Tarikeh,Footnote 77 ChangbarFootnote 78 and War Kabud.Footnote 79. Based on an example of a larger version of these jars in a tomb in AssyriaFootnote 80, it is thought that this type of jar was used to store cremated remains. But use for consecrated oil has also been suggestedFootnote 81. In the case of smaller jars, due to the numerous relief images that show these jars on special tables in libation ceremonies, their use as containers for transporting and consuming special drinks in Assyrian rituals can be suggested with some confidence.
Metal vessels
Four metal bowls are included in the collection from Kani Charmou, consisting of two fluted and two simple bowls (Fig. 14). The first fluted bronze bowl has a vertical, slightly curved rim, a compressed spherical body and an omphalos shaped base. The body is embellished with 95 relief grooves radiating outward from near the base. The second example is similar to the first but with different cross-hatched fluting. The third vessel is an intact plain hemispherical bowl with a thick rim and rounded base. The fourth bowl has a compressed hemispherical shape, with a vertical rim and a flat base. A rectangular metal sheet is attached to the vessel's rim with four rivets; the bowl had probably cracked, and the metal sheet was used to fix it.
Figure 14. Metal bowls from Kani Charmou
All examples of this style of bowl from sites in Iran, with fluted or lobed decorations, and with or without an omphalos, have come into light from graves, which emphasises their religious connotations as possible parts of funerary banquets. Exact parallels for the first bowl come from War KabudFootnote 82 and Kani KoterFootnote 83 in Iran and from AshurFootnote 84 in Iraq. In Urartian territory, such bowls were discovered in graves and other religion-associated contexts. Examples came from the Ayanis fortress, associated with remains of the sacred tree, a wooden table, decorated walls, and remains of feastingFootnote 85. Other bowls of this sort came to light from graves at DedeliFootnote 86, AdilcevazFootnote 87, and ÇavuştepeFootnote 88. Comparisons for the second example, with the intricate network pattern, with and without omphalos, are known from Kani Koter,Footnote 89 Zagros Graveyard,Footnote 90 Sarrez,Footnote 91 War Kabud,Footnote 92 Djub-i GauharFootnote 93 and AshurFootnote 94.
Bronze bowls with grooved and petal decoration were widespread in west and northwestern Iran, Mesopotamia and Urartu during the ninth–seventh centuries B.C. For this reason, it is difficult to attribute this style of bowl to a specific geographical area, as ideas and techniques spread over large areas through political and economic networks and were adopted by local workshopsFootnote 95. Local workshops were also often inspired by foreign ideasFootnote 96. Curtis based his hypothesis that these fluted bowl types were Assyrian on two premisesFootnote 97. First, he argued that the same shape occurs in contemporary ceramic vessels, especially from NimrudFootnote 98. Second, bowls of this shape appear frequently in Neo-Assyrian reliefs,Footnote 99 in contexts that associate them with Assyrians. They are usually gadroonedFootnote 100 and appear as utensils at royal banquets or in the context of ritual acts (for example, for royal libations).Footnote 101
Regarding the first premise, it should be noted that it is possible to observe the same shape, in ceramic, at Mala MchaFootnote 102, situated in Iranian Kurdistan, in the area formerly occupied by the Mannaean kingdom; this circumstance makes it impossible to safely locate the origin of the form.
Seal
A clay cylinder seal was among the collection of objects found at Kani Charmou. This seal measures 3.1 cm in height, 1.0 cm in diameter, and has a perforation of 0.4 cm diameter. The design is bordered at the top and bottom by grooves, and the scene features two bird-shaped figures, possibly griffins, depicted in a linear style commonly associated with seals from the Neo-Assyrian period (Fig. 15).
Figure 15. Cylinder seal from Kani Charmou
The seal design shares significant similarities in theme, composition, and individual details with Neo-Assyrian seals found in Sargon's Palace in Khorsabad,Footnote 103 and at Ashur,Footnote 104 Nimrud,Footnote 105 Tell Halaf,Footnote 106 and several sites in the Levant.Footnote 107 These seals have been dated to the ninth and eighth centuries B.C., specifically during the reign of Shalmaneser III.Footnote 108
Similar seals with identical designs have been unearthed in Iran, specifically in Ziwiye,Footnote 109 Changbar,Footnote 110 Qareh Tepe,Footnote 111 Sorkh Dome,Footnote 112 and Gohargoosh TepeFootnote 113. Additionally, the National Museum of Iran houses four unprovenanced specimens in a collection purchased from Qazvin.Footnote 114 Buchanan also mentions the presence of comparable seals dating back to the ninth and eighth centuries B.C. in the Ashmolean Museum.Footnote 115
Beads
Beads represent the most abundant type of grave goods from the Kani Charmou cemetery (fig. 16) and also present the greatest number of different materials, including frit or faience (19), glass (5), carnelian (47), shell (1), and metal (1).
Figure 16. Bead assemblages from Kani Charmou
The faience beads of Kani Charmou fall into three typological groups: two long light blue glazed cylinders with incised linear decoration (Fig. 16: a-b), a light blue glazed four-sided star-shape (Fig. 16: c) and tiny cylindrical beads in both blue and white colours. Glazed star-shaped beads are common across the Mannaean kingdom; comparable beads came to light in KultarikehFootnote 116, Mala MchaFootnote 117 and ChangbarFootnote 118. The glass beads are white and black, with standard cylindrical forms. Carnelian beads have simple shapes: cylinder, barrel and sphere, plus one scaraboid-shaped bead (Fig. 16: d). The metal bead is a cylindrical coil made of a thin, looped copper alloy wire (Fig. 16: e).
Whetstones
There are two perforated whetstones in the collection. They are long and rectangular with rounded edges, made of fine-grained stones, probably sandstone (Fig. 17). In the perforation of one, there is the remains of an iron suspension ring. The second does not have traces of a metal ring, and it is possible that a fabric string was passed through the hole for hanging purposes. These items are fairly common among the finds of Iron Age graves. Examples of such whetstones are reported from Surkh-i DumFootnote 119, Bard-i Bal, Kutal-i GulgulFootnote 120, Sialk BFootnote 121, MarlikFootnote 122, Zubeidi, Tell ImihiyeFootnote 123 and DedeliFootnote 124.
Figure 17. Whetstones from Kani Charmou
Bronze band
Another item of the collection is a fragment of a bronze band, decorated with two rows of repoussé dots at the edges and a wide repoussé rib in the middle (Fig. 18). Considering the curved shape and size of the band, it is plausible that it could have been a part of a bracelet.
Figure 18. Bronze band from Kani Charmou
Buttons
There are two hemispherical flat-based buttons among the Kani Charmou objects. The first example (Fig. 19: 1) is made of ivory and encircled by a row of incised circles with a point in the center. The second one is stone and has a plain surface. Such items were common over a wide area in the first millennium B.C.Footnote 125. In Iran such buttons came to light from HasanluFootnote 126, Haft TepeFootnote 127, Kani KoterFootnote 128 and Bayazid AbadFootnote 129.
Figure 19. Ivory and stone buttons from Kani Charmou
While these objects could possibly function as spindle whorls, there is evidence that suggests they served a dual purpose. Iron Age II burials at Dinkha Tepe provide support for this idea. In some instances, these objects contained what Muscarella referred to as ‘iron/reed pin hooks.’ For example, at HasanluFootnote 130 and Bazayid AbadFootnote 131, we find similar objects alongside hooked iron pins, implying that the bone hemispheres with iron pins fulfilled the same function. Additionally, in Khatunban BFootnote 132, these buttons were found alongside bent bronze nails with rounded caps, which might have been used to fasten them onto a thin, perishable materialFootnote 133.
It is possible that these items served both decorative and functional purposes, such as adorning horse trappings or clothing. Given the ambiguity in distinguishing whether they were primarily spindle whorls or buttons, it is reasonable to categorize them collectively as buttons. This decision is influenced by the fact that objects with dual functions are commonplace in the material culture of the Middle East's Iron Age contexts (Amelirad Reference Amelirad2021).
Conclusion
This report provides an overview of the discoveries at the Kani Charmou cemetery, primarily artifacts recovered from looted graves. The assemblage of burial inventories from Kani Charmou, as well as other contemporary cemeteries in the Mannaea region, exhibits significant similarities with the material cultures of Neo-Assyrian and Urartian cultures. These two cultures not only share similar material types but also display certain iconographic and ideological features.
The material from Kani Charmou probably dates to the Iron Age II period, spanning from the ninth to eighth centuries B.C. While the collection does not encompass all possible Mannaean artifacts, it provides valuable insights into a particular category of items, namely pins. These pins found at Kani Charmou indeed stand out as distinctive of the local context. It is important to note that the remaining items are not characteristic of the local area. This suggests that such items were either produced locally based on imported designs or were acquired through trade from outside sources. The glazed ceramic and metal vessels, which may have served ritual functions, were discovered in funerary contexts and were not intended for everyday use. The abundance of available archaeological data, both from systematic excavations and materials from looted graves held in the Sanandaj Museum, highlights the widespread use of these types of vessels in the Mannaean region. These vessels closely resemble the funerary or ceremonial wares found in Urartu and Assyria, suggesting a potential shared role in rituals and sacred ceremonies associated with feasts and libations. However, the lack of scientific explorations in the Mannaean region leaves room for uncertainty regarding the exact origin of the vessels common across Urartu, Assyria, and Mannaea.
Considering the current state of our study, the available data are insufficient to determine a terminus post quem for the introduction of these vessels. It is also challenging to establish which region, if any, took the lead in their production and dissemination, or whether one group was merely imitating or importing the designs of another. Making any definitive claims in this regard would be unfair at best. Consequently, it is highly probable that future scientific excavations conducted in this district will yield more contextualized information regarding the findings, ultimately helping to address the ambiguities presented by the Kani Sharmou collection.
