The Function of a Chlorite Hand-Bag of the Halil Rud Civilization as Inferred from Its Wear Traces

Abstract

A chlorite “hand-bag” belonging to the once-called “intercultural style” production, currently on exhibit in the NationalArchaeological Museum, Tehran, is described focusing attention, for the first time, to the peculiar wear traces clearlyvisible on the handle and along its contour. The strong wear suggests that the hand-bag was suspended for a long time ona cord; and that in this setting it was gradually polished while rubbing against a soft surface, most probably a vertical one,covered with cloth. While this inference is based on a single object, and therefore is far from being granted, we proposethat wear traces can provide a useful key for understanding the function of these peculiar objects. At a later stage of itslife-cycle, the hand-bag was broken and restored with iron fittings and nails. As the edges of the great Iranian deserts are afavorable location for the recovery of iron-rich meteorites, we propose that the iron parts of the Tehran hand-bag shouldbe analyzed to test the possible presence of rare metals like nikel, niobium and others, more abundant in meteorites thanin terrestrial iron.

Keywords

• halil rud civilization
• intercultural style
• chlorite hand-bag
• meteoritic iron