نشریه پیام باستان شناس
پیاپی 26 (بهار و تابستان 1401)

 Due to its many Parthian Pithos cemeteries, Marivan region in Iran is very important for archeological studies on the Parthian era. In their studies on the Parthian era in Marivan, the authors noticed that this region is entirely encountering a wide range of human and natural damages that have been paid little attention by researchers. The exploration of Zardouyan Cemetery properly clarified damaging factors and their amounts to researchers, and the most essential question is “Why is there such a huge amount of damage in these regions?” As a result, given the above-mentioned, we first investigated damaged evidence and damaging factors in the Zardouyan site. Then, to evaluate the factors impacting the region’s damage, geomorphological, climatic, and geological evidence and Sentile-1 images were employed. The results suggested that given the region’s geomorphological situation, slow and continuous mass wasting imposed pressure on the jars to move in the slope direction, damaging and even overthrowing them. Moreover, according to the region’s climate, the Cryoclast phenomenon eroded jars near the surface. Furthermore, the results obtained from the radar interferometry method and SBAS time series method implied that the studied region subsided by 6.7-43.8 mm within two years. The number could be significant long-term and directly impact the region’s vulnerability

The Hassuna culture belongs to the late Neolithic era, which spans the period of 6000-5300 BC, and is considered as one of the first village-dwelling cultures in Zagros. After the discovery and exploration of Hassuna hill in the north of Mesopotamia, due to the importance of the findings, this culture was considered as an indicator for the early rural settlement of Zagros. So far, evidence of the Hasuna culture has been obtained in the northwest and recently in the east of Zagros, which shows the wide spread of this culture. However, no evidence of Hasuna has been found in central Zagros, especially in its western regions. In the fall of 1400, a rescue survey of the Havasan dam area of Sarpol Zahab city was carried out under the supervision of Nasser Aminikhah. This research pursued various goals, one of the most important of which was to study the possible cultural interactions of the region with neighboring regions, especially Mesopotamia. One of the distinctive aspects of Hassuna culture is a type of pottery known as "peeling tray", which was obtained for the first time from layer 2 of Hassuna hill. The existence of peeling tray fragments on the observation hill answered our question about the existence of the connection between Zagros and Mesopotamia in one of the most important historical periods. In this article, in addition to introducing the cultural materials of Tepe Nazargah, we have also discussed the reasons for the importance of the area under investigation.

In the archaeological research of the Iron Age of Iran, the study of human-environment interaction has been largely neglected. Besides, due to the occurrence of climatic oscillations over the cultural period, conducting research with this approach seems necessary. The biggest limitation of this study was the shortage of absolute datings and reliable relative chronologies for most Iranian Iron Age sites. In addition, the studied sites, which are mainly cemeteries, do not allow for cultural stratification. In this research, the abundance and spatial distribution of the Iron Age cemeteries and settlements excavated and surveyed in the North Central, North, Northwest, and West regions of Iran are analyzed from the perspective of climate change. Paleoclimate researches in Southwest Asia indicate the intensification of arid climatic conditions during the Iron Age II (1250-800 BC). Based on the analysis, it is probable that the decrease of population in some regions and the displacement of human communities, as well as the subsistence system relying on mainly pastoral-nomadic during the Iron Age, were related to arid climatic events.

Located in Zanjan province, given its special geographical location, Ijerud County has characteristics that the quantitative and qualitative knowledge of its ancient sites in the Parthian period can help us in understanding more about the cultural developments of this period - in the west and relatively in the northwest of Iran. In the form of a field investigation, to clarify the situation, changes, and cultural developments of the region during the Parthian period, the present research was carried out. To this end, the survey of the geographical basin of Golabār Rural District and the northwestern part of the Ijerud River in Ijerud-e Pain Rural District was carried out during two exploration seasons. The results of these surveys led to the identification of 100 ancient sites (68 sites in Golabār Rural District and 32 sites in the northwestern part of the Ijerud River in Ijerud-e Pain Rural District), of which 35 sites have Parthian artifacts. The typology of the Parthian pottery of the region, general understanding, and perception of the settlement pattern of the examined range related to this period, were important results of this research. These results indicated the number of settlements in the mentioned period increased significantly compared to the previous period (Achaemenid), and even the settlements of the later period (Sassanid) were not as large as Parthian. This indicates the demographic changes with the transformation of the settlement distribution pattern, compared to the previous period. Additionally, it was found that most of the settlements in the region consisted of small villages and few large villages, and no evidence of urban centers was identified. The material culture of the region in the Parthian period seems to have some native-local characteristics - which distinguish it relatively from other regions of the west and northwest of the country - as a result, is a part of the cultural scope of the west and northwest of the country

In the vast land of Iran, many landmarks have problems in terms of chronology and usage. Among these buildings is Zije Manije, which is located near Sarpol-e Zahāb, Kermanshah, and various opinions have been expressed about it. It is a lithic landmark with gypsum mortar in dimensions of 35.5m × 57cm and a rectangular plan. So far, no detailed report or study has been published about it. Some researchers, in short references, have considered this building as an inn of the Sassanid period. Others have considered it as a summerhouse, and some have mentioned its usage as an observatory. All available documents and historical references were collected in this research and the basis of the work was focused on field activities. Carefully, in terms of the plan, materials, and other features, this building was examined and studied. Considering the remaining evidence and comparing it with other similar buildings in terms of characteristics and architectural style, the purpose of this research is to determine its use. Suggesting the use of this building as a summerhouse or a small palace and a temporary domicile is one of the most important results of this research.

A large part of our information concerning Paleoenvironment and Paleoclimate, past human activities, are coming from archived data in the sedimentological layers. Diets regime, vegetation, climatic situation and the causes of extinction of species, migration and settlement systems are that information which can be extracted from the earth archive. Meanwhile, it is clear that not only is it possible to obtain all this information by studying cultural materials. As a result, the relatively new approaches of environmental archaeology and geoarchaeology have been adapted from the geological sciences to help archaeological problems. The task of these approaches is collecting and analysing information that helps better human behaviours and tries to understand the processes between humans and their environment. Like other parts of the archaeological researches in Iran developing rapidly, however, still using Advanced Techniques are not comparable with western countries. This paper provides an overview of some of the most important Geoarchaeological approaches associated with examples more specifically during the late Pleistocene. We have been trying to give a general picture of the research that has been taken out in recent years on Iranian Geoarchaeological and environmental archaeology.

Eastern Anatolian pottery of the Achaemenid Period is quite different from its predecessor Urartian pottery - in techniques and forms. With the collapse of the Urartian Kingdom and the spread of Achaemenids in Anatolia, we can speak of a newly developing pottery culture. The monochrome, glossy red slipped pottery of Urartu were replaced by monochrome and polychrome painted pottery in miscellaneous forms. After the collapse of Urartian Kingdom, the culture of Eastern Anatolia was gradually changed and over time, the old culture, developed by the official state, had disappeared. This process did not occur instantaneously. Rather, it appears that a couple of centuries was needed for such a reshaping. Historically, Urartian influence still exists in the early phase of the Late Iron Age, which coincides with the Median dominance period. This phase is considered to be associated with a Post-Urartian/Median period, which can be placed among the painted wares of Urartu and the Late Iron Age. Within the scope of this study, we succeeded to come to certain conclusions with respect to ceramic finds, which were obtained from the excavation sites in the region where architecture could not have been sufficiently examined. In the post-Urartian/Median phase, manufacturing with red coloured paste, influenced by Urartu, continues. While certain continuity also persists among the shapes, the prototype examples of double-handled metal vases, developed in Achaemenid period, appears as a novelty. Firstly, our current study considers the pottery of the Achaemenid Period, which was discovered by archaeologists in the excavations and surface surveys of the Northeastern Anatolia haemenidRegion. Secondly, This study will generally analyse the painted pottery of the Achaemenid period that is preserved at Kars Museum, taking on account the excavation and surface surveys of the Northeastern Anatolia Region