SHAHR-E SOKHTA

archaeological site located south of Zabol in the Balochistan region of eastern Iran. It has yielded important information on Chalcolithic (Bronze Age) settlement in the Helmand River valley during the 3rd millennium BC. Excavation of the site in 1967 by the Centre of Archaeological Studies and Excavations of the Italian Institute for the Middle and Far East has revealed large buildings, an advanced stoneworking technique, a wide use of stamp seals, the possibility of metalworking, and a complex trade network. These discoveries indicate that the site's Chalcolithic inhabitants had a culturally advanced community with a high degree of technical specialization and a wealth of foreign contacts. Shahr-e Sokhta may have also been an important centre for the production of alabaster and sandstone vases.