Cosmetics and Cosmetology at Shahr-I Sokhta

A set of X-rays Diffraction and SEM investigations of the contents of thirteen stone flagons at Shahr-i Sokhta (Sistan, Iran, third millennium BC) demonstrates that they held cosmetic substances. A surprisingly varied list of mixtures of mineral phases (natural and possibly synthetic) indicates the use of green, blue, and white pigments. After discussing the typology of the stone flagons, their geographical distribution and morphological changes in time, we show how cosmetic ingredients were moved and mixed from a specific type of elongated vial to miniature vessels and/or finally, before application, to a stone perforated cap, previously interpreted as a “lid” or “spindle whorl”. Bird feathers were probably drawn through these perforated caps holding cosmetic powders to apply the substances to the skin. The economic implications of the cosmetology of Shahr-i Sokhta are briefly outlined in the Conclusions