A New Study on Functional Concept of Rock Architecture (Man-Made Cave) of Bakhtiari Nomads, With an Ethnoarchaeological Approach (Case Study: Bardgoori)

Interpretation of implicit and meaningless data from archaeological studies and excavations is the most important aspect of a scholarly study. Conventional approaches to archeology can be just as useful as they can be misleading, resulting in inaccurate interpretations and analyzes. One of the most widely used approaches by archaeologists for interpreting and explaining cultural materials is the approach of the archeological people. Studying and examining modern societies, we can reveal many hidden aspects of these findings. Bakhtiari land abounds with rocks and stones, and the nomads are the ones who have exploited them the most. The bedrock of this area provides a good place to create all kinds of architectural structures. The rock architecture in this region has a considerable variety, and one of the issues that have been disputed among archaeologists and researchers about is the function of these structures as tombs and so-called slaves of Bakhtiari nomads. Researchers and nomads mistakenly generalize all those rock architectures as slavery, and this factor has led to erroneous analysis and vulgar conclusions. In order to suggest some other possible functions for these kinds of architecture, we combined the required field and library studies, first with objectively observing and interviewing Bakhtiari nomads in person, and then with going through library resources.