New Data on Animal Exploitation at Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran): Preliminary Results from the Analysis of Animal Remains Found in Area 33

This paper presents the results of recent zooarchaeological analyses conducted at Shahr-i Sokhta (Iran) as part of the MAIPS project, which developed from cooperation between the University of the Salento and the Iranian Center for Archaeological Research and seeks to apply a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the Hirmand valley, Shahr-i Sokhta and their archaeological contexts. Between 2017 and 2019, archaeological research was carried out in the area known as Area 33, bringing to light stratigraphic deposits and domestic features dated to periods III and II (ca. 3000 to 2450 BC). Using the diagnostic zones method, about 800 animal remains were recorded; they contribute to a better understanding of animal exploitation at the site from the fourth to the second millennia BC. A more refined chronology, based on new archaeological excavations and 14C dating, allowed us to group the faunal data into three main chronological phases and to establish the broad stability of husbandry strategies over time.