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Eskandari N. (2025). Provenance of Obsidian Artifacts from Tal-I Iblis, Kerman: Assessing the Role of Proto-Elamite Societies in the Obsidian trade Networks of Southeastern Iran during the Late Fourth Millennium BCE. JRA. 11(2), : 4 doi:10.61882/jra.2025.11.204
URL: http://jra-tabriziau.ir/article-1-463-en.html

Obsidian is widely recognized as one of the earliest commodities involved in long-distance exchange networks in prehistoric societies. Due to its distinctive geochemical composition and restricted geological distribution, obsidian has long served as a key material for reconstructing ancient trade routes and in-teraction spheres. Although provenance studies of obsidian artifacts have been extensively conducted across Western Asia, Europe, and the Caucasus, research focusing on the Iranian Plateau_particularly southeastern Iran_remains limited. This study presents the first systematic chemical characterization of obsidian artifacts recovered from the Proto-Elamite settlement of Tal-i Iblis, located in the Bardsir region of Kerman Province, dating to the late fourth millennium BCE. Using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectroscopy, a series of obsidian artifacts were analyzed to identify their elemental composition and potential geological sources. The analytical results indicate strong compositional affinities between the Tal-i Iblis obsidian assemblage and obsidian sources located in the Nemrut Dağ region north of Lake Van in southeastern Anatolia. These findings provide direct evidence for long-distance procurement of obsidian and suggest the active involvement of Proto-Elamite communities in interregional exchange networks linking southeastern Iran with Anatolia. The results contribute to broader discussions on mobility, material circulation, and the economic foundations of Proto-Elamite societies during the late fourth millennium BCE.