A Research on the Underwater Archaeology of the Borders of Bandar-e Rig, Genaveh

Following the report of the local fishermen to the Boushehr Cultural Heritage Organization on existence of pot-sherds discovered from the seabed; in winter 2001 and 2003 the Underwater Archaeology Research Group of the Iranian center archaeological for Research attempted to have scientific diving aiming to study and identify the remains. The underwater operation was an square kilometer in area and the archaeological survey was conducted by survey divers. The area is located some thirty miles south of Bandar-e Rig and three kilometers into the coastline at a depth of five to eight meters. The underwater archaeological studies of Bandar-e Rig shore (Ganaveh) of Persian Gulf، lead us to identify some cultural material including Turpedo jars، small and large water storage pottery، weapons such as helmets، armor and elbow-protectors and scattered pot-sherds. Among the cultural finds، a few complete Turpedo jars and more sherds was discovered. This type of pottery which is dated to the Parthian and Late Sassanid periods till the end of the first two centuries of Islamic period Persian Gulf maritime trade have been used for valuable liquids such as olive oil، fish، salt، wine، and sometimes carrying grain from Iranian on the Persian Gulf coasts، Arabic، Indian Subcontinent، East Asia and East Africa while had a tiny interior mortar of natural bitumen being waterproof. The main motivations for diving operations was to determine the true nature of the historical and archaeological dating which Led to discover the ship’s shipment dated back to the Sassanid period. Turpedo pottery from the Bandar-e Rig has a dark buff past and many of its fragments have identified via the stratigraphy of Bandar-e Mahrouyan which is the same with greenish buff or grayish green fabric and at the outer edge of the shoulder with decorative grooves. According to C14 dating، Turpedo jars of the Mahrouyan are related to the Late Sassanid period. Except Turpedo pottery، some fragments of turquoise pottery were also recorded. Bandar-e Hezarmardan and Shaghab cemetery locating in the Boushehr Peninsula have attested some of these sherds. In the Sassanid cemetery of Shaghab along with different types of Sassanid burials، this pottery has also been used as a burial Jar. At the Sassanid port of Boushehr peninsula called Reyshahr، the Turpedo pottery were also occurred. At a port around Boushehr، the place locally called Jalali، there are some sherds and complete vessels of Turpedo have identified by local fishermen and researchers. Turpedo pottery of Jalali coast are comparable with Bandar-e Rig samples. At Siraf and in the lowest layer of the Sassanid remains the torpedo pottery with buff and brown fabric is identified. In the deep water of Siraf the Turpedo pottery is discovered in a sunk ship. Bandar-e Nay band along the coastline of Siraf eastward the dispersion of Turpedo pottery is also attested. Other places، such as Mianab plain، Susa and Gelalak، there are good examples of Turpedo pottery; all belong to the Parthian period. This pottery is in the southern coast of the Persian Gulf، East Africa and India has also been reported.