Scientific Analyses

Virtually no scientific studies of archaeological samples from Afghanistan have been possible for over 25 years - we are very grateful to the Afghan authorities for permitted us to export a wide variety of samples for analysis. Indeed, some of the scientific work outlined below, such as Marco Madella's analysis of the phytolith remains, is pioneering, in the context of Afghan archaeology.

We hope that these studies will start to shed light on the day-to-day lives of the Ghurids – their diet, agricultural practices, animal husbandry, craft manufacturing techniques, technological skills and trading practices.

Archaeo-botanical remains: Mette Marie Hald - University of Sheffield

The results of the archaeo-botanical analysis are encouraging.  The botanical samples include cereal grains (barley and wheat) and chaff, pulses (chickpea and lentils) and a variety of fruits and nuts (grapes, figs, apple/pear, pistachio?), as well as wild plants.  The weeds in the samples are particularly interesting because they tell will us about crop processing techniques, and potentially whether the crops were irrigated.

Archaeo-zoological remains: Matilda Holmes - freelance consultant

Sheep and goats were predominant amongst the faunal remains, accounting for 96% of the bones identified. The mortality patterns, with a steady kill-off of the herd, indicate a consumer assemblage where animals marketed were those excess to requirements on nearby producer sites. The relative lack of head, feet and shin bones suggests that meat was bought in to Jam as part of a dressed carcass, or as joints of meat. This evidence, and the abundance of meat bearing bones, are indicative of table refuse.

Minai ware from Iran

A Ghurid face?

Ceramics: Dr Gascoigne - University of Cambridge

In the absence of recent archaeological work in Afghanistan, our study of the ceramics started more or less from scratch, with the creation of hand- and wheel-made fabric series, and the recording of a catalogue of forms. A high proportion of the pottery from the site is highly decorated, including:

  • imported high-statues wares such as Minai and lustreware

  • local glazed wares with incised and splashed decoration ‘Bamiyan sgraffito’

  • local turquoise-glazed stonewares with moulded decoration

  •  elaborately moulded water jugs

  • handmade cooking pots and bowls with black and red painted geometrical designs

  • large storage jars with stamped decoration on the shoulders.

The ceramics from Jam are significant because they contain aspects of both western and eastern ceramic traditions. The lustreware and Minai probably came from manufacturing centres in Iran such as Kashan, while the geometrically-painted handmade wares, probably reflect a Central Asian tradition. A few pieces of Chinese porcelain, including celadon were also identified.

 

We are also undertaking petrographic study of ceramic thin sections. By identifying the geological components of the clay, we hope to identify whether pots were made locally or imported.

Charcoal: Dr Katleen Deckers - Universität Tübingen

The charcoal samples are dominated by Populus (poplar) / Salix (willow), while Tamarix (tamarisk) is also often present and in relatively high numbers; Acer (maple) is present in some samples - they probably represent the local riverine vegetation.  Vegetation away from the stream, however, consisting mostly of Chenopodiaceae species, Amygdalus (almond) species, Rosaceae species, Rhamnus and Pistacia are also present.  The Chenopodiaceae, which thrive in dry and open habitats, point to a nearby steppe region with some low shrubs of the said taxa.

Glazed tiles: Prof. Fabbri - FAENZA

Two turquoise glazed tile samples were analyzed - one from Robber Hole 201, the other from the base of the minaret.  Thin sections of both the tiles and the glazes indicate that they are significantly different, suggesting that they were made in different places.  One glaze has over 80% silica, while the other is a lead-alkaline type and includes tin.  Copper was used to create the turquoise colour.  The firing temperature of the tiles must have been ca. 900-950°C.

Metallurgy: Prof. Rehren - University College London

By studying thin sections of a metal sample, we have discovered that it is made out of bronze (an alloy of copper-tin).  The shape of the tiny particles indicate that it was moulded, rather than hammered into shape.  It is possibly from a decorative object (bronze has a rich golden colour) or perhaps a bowl.

The image of the thin section highlights the corrosion products in different colours (red for copper oxide, green for copper carbonate or chloride, whitish in the centre for tin oxide).
 

Phytoliths: Prof. Madella - Institució Milá i Fontanals, Barcelona

Phytoliths are microscopic bodies of opal silica that are formed within and between the cells of plants.  We are currently analyzing three samples from pit/refuse deposits and a fourth from wall plaster. Silica skeletons (articulated phytoliths) from grass epidermis have not been observed in the pit samples, suggesting that the areas sampled were probably not involved in crop processing.  Indeed, there is also a general paucity of phytoliths from inflorescence of cereal crops (e.g. dendritics), further indicating that these parts of the plants were possibly not present in this area of the site.

Plaster: Miranda Semple - University of Cambridge

Micro-morphology thin sections of several plaster samples are currently being studied.  They reveal a complicated series of distinct plastering events, indicating repeated maintenance of the walls. Numerous fragments of painted wall plaster were found in the robber holes on the West Bank of the Jam Rud, near the minaret, in addition to intricately carved pieces of stucco. This is not surprising, given the beautiful 11th-12th century frescoes found by the French in the 1960s, in the Ghaznavid palace at Lashkar-i Bazaar .
Painted plaster from WBHR robber holes

A more detailed report on the environmental data appeared in Iran 2006.  Dr Gascoigne's study of the ceramics from Jam will be published in Iran 2007.

© DCT 2007: This website was last updated on 02/06/07. Any problems, e-mail me: D.C. Thomas. Click here to return to the top of the page.