Hossein Tofighian
Abstract
According to the report of the Center for Marine Medical Studies affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences about the discovery of pottery fragments from the seafloor in the ...
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According to the report of the Center for Marine Medical Studies affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences about the discovery of pottery fragments from the seafloor in the coastal waters of Bushehr Port, Department of Underwater Archeology, Iranian Center for Archaeological Research (ICAR) undertook to study and identify these cultural remains during August 2016. With the participation of professional divers, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences began scientific diving in the Persian Gulf. During the underwater archaeological survey, an area containing clay fragments in the seafloor was identified. The site is located 500 meters from the shores of Bushehr Port and at a depth of three to six meters. Underwater archeological studies of the coasts of Bushehr port in the Persian Gulf, cultural materials including Torpedo jars, small and large glazed crabs and fragments of pottery in the seafloor were identified. Among the cultural findings, a small number of Torpedo jars and more broken pieces of this pottery and several glazed potteries were collected. Torpedo jars and Turquoise glaze pottery are among the most prominent Sassanid pottery in the Persian Gulf that were shipped from Iranian ports to destination ports in the maritime trade. Determining the true nature of this historic site and its dating was one of the major impetus for underwater archaeological diving operations on these beaches, which led to the discovery of cargo from a historic ship from the Sassanid era. In this article, while explaining the underwater archaeology research program of Bushehr port, the discovered pottery of this study, including turquoise and glazed pottery as the most prominent Sassanid and early Islamic pottery in the Persian Gulf, will be discussed. The Sassanid position in the Persian Gulf maritime trade and the importance of trade in this historic period from Iranian ports to destination ports in the Indian subcontinent, the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf and East Africa are carefully considered.
