نشریه باستان شناسی
سال سوم شماره 3 (پاییز 1398)

In today's world, the release of many heavy metals into the environment and their entry into the food chain has contaminated and the natural base of the mines and natural deposits of these metals has played a more important role in environmental pollution. It seems that in the prehistoric period (5th millennium BC) in the Kurdistan region, this type of contamination base has caused severe contamination in some products of prehistoric inhabitants. Geological surveys in the Kurdistan region have shown that high density of metal ions contaminate surface and groundwater and directly affect aquifers. This has caused of pollution and collapsed of environmental of the inhabitants of the fifth millennium. The archaeological excavations of Chehl Amiran Mound belonged to the 5th millennium BC in Kurdistan had done in 3 seasons, one of the achievements of excavations in Chehl Amiran Mound was the discovery of many animal bones in this habitat site, that were studied. The time of the establishment of this habitat based on Thermoluminescence tests goes back around 5,500 BC, which lasted until 1500 BC and then the site collapsed.In the chel amiran Habitat site, a large number of bone samples from various animals were found, from these samples, 21 bones belonging to different animals from the 5th millennium BC were tested. Also, a number of bone samples from contemporary cattle and sheep from the region were collected and they were evaluated for the comparison. It should be noted that these livestock had been fed freely from the vegetation grown in the same region. Samples were transferred to the laboratory independently after collection. The measurement of lead and cadmium values ​​of samples versus the standard was carried out by the Varian spectra AA220 atomic absorption (Australian fabrication). Recovery rate for each element was calculated by using the chemical Sample Reference LUTS-1 (NRCC) and was used to measure the elements separately. By using the standard solutions for each element the device was calibrated. The wavelengths were 217.0 nm and 228.8 nm, respectively, for readings the lead and cadmium. The findings of this study indicate that livestock in the chel amiran region were exposed to severe contamination with lead. The results of the samples of contemporary animals which living in the study area also confirmed that the contamination remains in the region. Therefore, the study of water, soil and plant resources of the excavated area is necessary to identify the origin of this contamination. In fact, it can be admitted that the main reason for this collapse is the presence of gypsum and copper deposits and possibly the presence of heavy and toxic metals in the ecosystem of the region. The poor soil of the region, and Proportional high elevation of the sea and the relative coldness of the climate, compare to other areas around, as well as the weakness of the pastures, are among the reasons for the unsteadiness of habitats during the prehistory time of the region. The area due to metal deposits does not have agricultural capability and the majority of livelihoods of residents based on livestock. It seems that one of the reasons for the collapse of the chel amiran habitat was the penetration of heavy metals and metals into the soil of the area, which has caused the soil to be poor, and damaged and had got the possibility of extensive agriculture. Therefore, after 1500 BC, the chelamiran habitat has collapsed forever and never even until present time been able to live in it. Therefore, with the assumption that despite the environmental stability and the gradual warming of the air and human access to domestication, Why, after the peak of the population of the Talvar Valley in the 5th millennium BC, suddenly the number of settlements was reduced and until the historical and Islamic periods never returning to the previous level, is a basic issue for a better understanding of the situation in this area. Thus, the destruction of the environment of the region by humans due to its double pressure could have caused such an occurrence .The present study was conducted to evaluate the levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium found in animal bones found in Talwar Dam in Bijar Township and compare it with contemporary samples obtained from domestic animals slaughtered in the same area, which seems that, environmental pollution has caused of population collapse in the Talvar Valley of Kurdistan Province.

Tepeh Bahram is located next to Moghim Abad village in Rayy County in Tehran plain. This site has been fortified with three walls and some towers. In archaeological survey of Tepeh Bahram no reliable materials about its dating and function were found- unless some rarely brick and pottery sherds. Hence the first excavation season has conducted to reveal some archaeological findings about dating and the function of this site. Besides, an archaeo-geophysics survey was conducted to detect and suggest some archaeological data to excavate. Based on excavation findings and archaeo-geophysics survey, this paper tried to present some hypothesis about dating and functions of this site. In this regard two important questions arose about the dating and the function of Tepeh Bahram. This paper was done using a descriptive-analytical method studying some files and library documents. This paper showed Tepeh Bahram is a Buyid site. Tepeh Bahram was probably a luxury center and at the same time an industrial area in early Islamic period. Thanks to some kiln wasters in the last phase in some parts of site, Tepeh Bahram mainly had an industrial function in this time.

Pottery is one of the valuable findings in archeological excavations that is very old in Iran and has been able to reveal some of the dark spots in the history of this land. In pre-Islamic times, pottery had a special place; In the Islamic period, especially with the emergence of the Seljuk dynasty, a significant change occurred in all artistic and industrial fields, including pottery. Archaeological excavations in 2009 and 2010 in the Zolfabad area of Farahan, one of the largest Islamic sites in the Medieval Ages, yielded a large number of blue and white pottery, including a number of healthy utensils and broken pieces. The present study is based on the study and comparison of blue and white pottery that has been discovered from excavations of Zolfabad Abad Historical Site, In this way, while introducing this type of pottery, the ambiguities about this type of pottery in the Farahan region can be determined. This is a descriptive-analytical research based on field excavations and library studies to answer questions such as: To what period these pottery type belong? How much they were affected by China’s blue and white pottery? Have these potteries been producted in Zolfabad site or imported? The results of the pottery study showed that this type of pottery is based on coins and pottery of the Ilkhanid and Safavid period and according to the evidence obtained as: welding furnace, clay tripods and deformed potsherds, they were producted in Zolfabad. Blue and white potteries of Zolfabad have been affected by other production centers such as China.

This study seeks to evaluate the possible relationship between the location of stratigraphic trenches and the results of excavations in order to answer questions on (1) the effect of the location of trenches in stratigraphic excavations on the nature, quantity and quality of excavation findings, and (2) on what the criteria should be for choosing the location of these trenches. To address these issues, the findings and results of stratigraphic excavations at over thirty archaeological sites in Iran were investigated in order to assess the relationship between the geographic location of a trench and the nature of the archaeology uncovered. Specifically, why do trenches excavated on the northern or eastern slopes of relatively high mounds, or slopes overlooking rivers and valleys, usually consist of layers without architecture filled with accumulations of rubbish, ash and debris, whereas trenches excavated on southern and western slopes show a different pattern and generally produce clear architectural layers unaccompanied by accumulations of rubbish, ash and debris? Studies indicate a significant correlation. This situation is likely to be rooted in garbage disposal patterns in ancient sites, site formation processes, and the direction and amount of sunlight and its impact on the creation of the built environment. Current evidence and research results demonstrate that in most high multi-period mounds ancient people usually discarded their daily debris and garbage on northern and eastern slopes, and that the inhabitants of sites overlooking rivers and valleys and other people dwelling on slopes simply discarded their garbage downhill. These findings tie in with ethnoarchaeological observations in more than 130 present-day villages. If correct, this is important for archaeologists conducting stratigraphic excavations, the implications being that, in the case of mounds, siting trenches on southern and western slopes will maximise the chances of uncovering ancient architecture.

Rock engravings of the Nir mountain were identified by the author during the archaeological survey of Kohgilouye region in 2013. These engravings are containing 5 individual set. All of the engravings are scattered on a part of rocky face of Nir Mountain. Motifs of the engravings are including human and animal images such as goat, dog and ibex. Subject of the motifs are pastureland and animals during hunting and the figures are made by knocking and engraving methods. One of the most interesting motifs is image of two kid goats which have been shown on back of a mature goat between their horn curvatures. Rock engravings of the Nir mountain do not have any chronological indicators, and dating of the motifs requires laboratory studies which cannot, unfortunately, be carried out in Iran. Therefore an exact chronology has not yet been presented for motifs of these collections.

Today, Ethnoarcheological studies are one of the main pillars of archaeological research and are of great importance. Ethnoarcheological, by using mechanisms It begins to compare and analogy static archaeological findings with dynamic anthropological findings, expands them, relates to each other, as well as environmental conditions, and helps to study this process in order to better understand human societies in the past. Southeastern Iran has been one of the important areas in cultural interactions with the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, the Iranian plateau and the southern coast of Iran; this region is known as Little India due to its humid and tropical climate, impassable mountains and dry deserts. The present study was conducted in SefidKuh area located in Nikshahr city, Bent district of Sistan and Baluchestan province. This area is home to communities with a semi-sedentary settlement pattern in the form of scattered and cohesive villages with a specific location pattern along rivers or intermountain plains that follow the pattern of circular, oval, cohesive and rectangular architecture in a limited way. The livelihood pattern of these communities is very broad and is based on agriculture, horticulture, livestock, hunting, food gathering, trade and labor, and they follow unique cultural and economic patterns and political and social relations similar to prehistoric times. Two separate and, of course, related objectives were considered in this study; in the first stage, the project of surveying and identifying the ancient sites of the region was carried out, and in the second stage, the anthropological study of the current living communities was considered. In this study, the continuity of the settlement patterns of the studied communities and also the identification and registration of all biological and cultural patterns of living settlements in Sefidkuh of Makran area (Balochistan) were examined. Finally, using the approaches of the thnoearcheological, the similarity and difference between the communities in question and prehistoric communities (exclusively, Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic) was measured, which ultimately led to a better awareness of the region's ancient and special cultures.