Archaeological Surveys in Darmian County, Southern Khorasan

East Iran, especially South Khorasan Province, is one of the regions of Iran in which limited archaeological activities have been carried out, and despite the many ancient monuments, its cultural material and archaeological sequence remain unknown. Darmian County in South Khorasan Province is one of the areas, where there has been less archaeological research than other counties in the province. This county is located in the east of the province, near the borders of Afghanistan. According to archaeological surveys conducted in Darmian County in 2014, 213 ancient sites were identified. The identified sites include archaeological sites, mosques, castles, towers, baths, tombs, mills and cisterns, reservoirs, cemeteries, caves, and petroglyphs, which date back to the prehistoric era (third millennium BC) to the late Islamic era (Pahlavi). The largest number of these sites is related to the Islamic era, and the earliest of them is the Shah Vali site, which dates back to the third millennium BC. The peak of prosperity and density of settlements in the region is related to the Islamic era, especially the 10th to 13th centuries AH.