tepe silveh

There are few animal remains collections of Early Chalcolithic or Dalma in northwest Iran, yet a small part of them have been under zooarchaeological studies. Therefore, our knowledge about subsistence mechanisms and their possible patterns in Chalcolithic communities needs to be improved. This study on the vertebrate remains of Early Chalcolithic period in Tepe Silveh, Piranshahr, indicates multiple animal exploitation mechanisms in subsistence activities. The results show that, in the 5th millennium BC in this area, the subsistence economy was based on the exploitation of domesticated species such as Capra hircus, Ovis aries and Bos taurus. The largest set of animal remains found in Early Chalcolithic layers of this area is Ovis aries. A little evidence for the presence of wild animals such as Dama mesopotemica, Gazella subgutturosa, Testudines and Equidae has also been found. The less abundant bone remains of wild animals compared to domesticated animals, can indicate that hunting was probably less preferable than animal husbandry in the area. On the other hand, according to the time of death estimation, the cows were slaughtered in their adulthood and sheep in their pre-adulthood and adulthood. These multiple exploitation mechanisms can represent different ways of animal exploitations (as draft animals, their meat and secondary products), increasing of human skills in adapting to the environment and controlling animals, paleoclimate, as well as how the human population was balanced in the Northern Zagros ecosystem in the 5th millennium BC.

The Reconstruction of damaged cultural-historical artifacts is essential for facilitating communication with the audience and, in some cases, in their conservation. The methods used for reconstructing pottery artifacts vary based on their destructive characteristics, missing parts, and the requirements of the cultural-social context. These methods have been carried out using different materials and techniques throughout different periods. Naturally, as science advances in the field of conservation and restoration, these methods and materials continue to evolve. This article not only introduces some restoration methods for pottery objects but also delves into the restoration of delicate pieces using the papier-mâché technique. Reconstructing delicate objects presents challenges concerning stability and balance due to the added weight the use of numerous filling materials during the reconstruction of missing parts can create problems in maintaining the balance and stability of the artifact. Therefore, in order to assess the papier-mâché method in restoring delicate and lightweight pottery artifacts, a fine and lightweight vessel acquired from the archaeological excavations at the Silveh tepe, situated in West Azarbaijan province, was restored. The main objective of this article is to introduce and implement a fresh approach for reconstructing fragile pottery objects with papier-mâché, which is deemed a thoughtful method due to its lightness, strength, ease of modification, and ability to preserve the balance and stability of the artifacts.