Stone Cosmetic Vessels from the Early Bronze Age Burials of the Farkhor Ground in Southern Tajikistan

In the middle – second half of the 3rd millennium B.C., a local variant of the ancient Bactrian culture emerged in Southern Tajikistan, which includes the sites of Farkhor and Kangurtutt-2 in the Parkharo-Kulyab region of the Khatlon Region. The burial equipment of Farkhor burial ground includes four stone cosmetic vessels from rich burials 18, 19, 65, and 82. Cosmetic vessels, along with metal or stone cosmetic sticks, are found in both female and male “elite” burials. In Altyn-Depe, cosmetic vessels were found only in the burials of girls and women. In Farhor and Shahri-Sokhta, similar vessels were discovered in both female and male graves. X-ray and magnetic resonance studies conducted by Italian scientists on the powder from 13 cosmetic vessels in Shahri-Sokhta revealed the presence of cosmetic substances in all the vessels. The list of mixtures of mineral phases (natural and possibly synthetic) indicates the use of green, blue, and white pigments. Close analogies of the stone flacons from the Farkhor burial ground were found in the necropoleis of Altyn-depe, Shahri-Sokhta, Gissar IIIC, Shahdad (Necropolis A), and Northern Afghanistan (looted burial grounds). This wide distribution of stone cosmetic vessels suggest the existence of trade and exchange relations between the populations of these regions in the early to middle 3rd millennium B.C. The trade route could pass near Farkhor, where a convenient crossing over the Panj River is situated. The population of Farkhor could participate in interregional contacts and trade in raw materials such as lapis lazuli with neighboring territories.