A Study of Soapstone Pots of the 3rd Millennium BC and the Role of the Persian Gulf in their Spread

The term "Soapstone" is used to refer to chlorite and steatite stones and is known as such because of its soft and slippery texture. It is found in the regions along the central volcanic belt of Iran. Some soapstone pots have been found in a vast geographical area including the Mesopotamian regions of Khafajah, Ur, and Mari; Mohenjo-daro in the valley of Sindh; Umm al-Nahr, Hili, failaka, and Tarout in the Persian Gulf region, and Tepe Yahya, Shuhada, Jiroft, Shush, and Bampur in the southeast of Iran. The greatest number of these pots, as demonstrated by archaeological excavations, have been found in the countries in the Persian Gulf region in the southeast of Iran. The present study mainly addresses the following questions: Is the discovery of cultural artifacts of the southeastern regions of Iran in the south of the Persian Gulf a sign of ethnic emigration or simple cultural relationships? More importantly, what was the status of the Persian Gulf in the regional exchanges in the 3rd millennium BC? In which textures have soapstone pots been found?What are the similarities and differences between such textures? This study was conducted following a descriptive-analytic method. A meticulous review of the related sources and literature and a careful examination of the pots demonstrated that their origin is the southeast of Iran, and the Persian Gulf and Oman Seas played significant roles in accelerating their exchange with other goods in the third millennium BC.