Women’s Social Status in the Ancient Civilization of Shahr-i Sokhta

Based on archaeological and anthropological findings, some of ancient societies were governed by social system of matriarchy. Among the ancient civilizations of Iran, Shahr-i Sokhta is a proper case study to examine the social status of women, due to its continuous publications, which are results of long-term scientific excavations. This article is a historical research with descriptive analytical method and quantitative and qualitative data, looking for evidences of matriarchal system in Shahr-i Sokhta. Seals in an ancient society represent prominent social status, state power, or participation in trade. In Shahr-i Sokhta graveyard, seals are almost entirely owned by women. Based on the high number of valuable objects, many of the buried females can be considered rich. Plentitude of these objects, especially in the second period, when the city’s population and commercial capacity reaches its peak, reveals that women of Shahr-i Sokhta (at least in the second and fourth periods) were on average richer than men. Guns are rarely found in Shahr-i Sokhta, and instead, alongside the deceased women often there are decorative objects and various accessories. Given the ownership of the seals, it can be suggested that the goods manufactured in the surrounding villages, have been sold in the city or exported to other regions by women. Based on the evidence analyzed in this article, the author believes that the society of Shahr-i Sokhta was governed by a matriarchal system, at least in an important part of its 1300-year history, and its women have contributed significantly to the social and economic formation of this civilization.