Gypsum Alabaster Beads From the Stone‐Working Workshop of Konar Sandal: A Multi‐Analytical Characterization Study and Absolute Dating

ABSTRACT Archeological investigations at Konar Sandal (Jiroft Plain, southeastern Iran) have established this Bronze Age site as an advanced urban center. The discovery of intricately carved chlorite vessels from looted necropolises in the Halil Rud Valley indicates specialized workshop activities, while analysis of excavated beads with disputed composition (identified as calcite) remains critical for understanding the craft production systems of this early urban settlement. To achieve this, a multi‐analytical approach was employed, incorporating micro‐Raman spectroscopy, micro‐XRF, FTIR, and XRD for structural analysis. The results revealed that the beads were crafted from gypsum alabaster, effectively ruling out the hypothesis of calcite as a raw material. Carbon‐14 dating of the archeological context associated with these beads indicates they date to the end of the first half to the middle of the third millennium BCE . Future studies aimed at determining the origin of these beads are warranted.