Implication of Radiocarbon Dates from Sohr Damb/Nal, Balochistan

Abstract

Sohr Damb/Nal, the type site of the Nal complex, is located in Balochistan, Pakistan. After 1 season of excavation by H Hargreaves in 1924, which made the polychrome Nal pottery widely known, no further work took place until the Joint German-Pakistani Archaeological Mission to Kalat resumed excavations in 2001. So far, 4 seasons of excavations have been undertaken, which have revealed 4 periods of occupation, dated from about 3800 to 2000 BC. The well-stratified assemblages provide new insights into cultural processes and developments, and enhance the comparative frameworks through typological series and a comprehensive set of radiocarbon dates. This information is essential for assessing cross-cultural relations and the date of urbanization. In this paper, the 14C dates from Sohr Damb/Nal are presented and their cultural context is discussed. Period III has several links to sites in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, such as Miri Qalat IIIbc, Mehrgarh VIVII/ Nausharo I, Quetta III, Mundigak IV, and Shahr-e Sokhta IIIII. Period IV represents a Kulli-Harappan occupation, which is dated to the second half of the 3rd millennium BC.