The Role of Ox in the Life of the People of Sistan Basin from the Past to the Present from an Ethnoarchaeological Perspective

Discovery of the clay figurines of humped ox, animal dung remains and the abundant amount of ash layers from the Tepe Dasht that is one of the peripheral sites for the production of pottery for the Shahr -i Sokhta civilization have provided the context for the use of Ethnoarchaeology studies in Sistan. Using an archaeological approach and Ethnoarchaeological data from the dynamic communities of the contemporary villages, the authors relate them to the structure of the static communities of the past and seek information about the uses of this valuable animal among the natives of Sistan from the past to the present. The present research is based on fieldworks and library data and its method is naturally proportionate to an observational-experimental- historical research aimed to study the historical background of this issue and its continuation in the life of modern societies with emphasis on the evidence discovered from Shahr-i Sokhta and its peripheral sites such as Tepe Dasht, Rud Biayaban and Gradziani. Filed studies in the villages of this region show that although successive droughts in Sistan have diminished the cultivation of this native animal species, its role in subsistence economy, bringing labor force and fuel and feeding the inhabitants of this region will be significant If the right conditions and capacities become provided for breeding the Sistani humped ox.