مجله مطالعات باستان شناسی پارسه
پیاپی 22 (زمستان 1401)

The interaction of cultures in prehistoric Iran has always been one of the most important and complex topics in Iranian archeology. Such connections in different regions of Iran show the relationships of cultures and their effects on each other. During the fifth and fourth millennia, these connections became more extensive and significant. During this period in the South Zagros region, between Fars, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari region) and Khuzestan regions, close cultural ties were formed, which are more than anything else reflected in the pottery collections of Bakhtiari region. Alain Zagarel in his studies in different parts of Bakhtiari region points out that during this period, this region has received many cultural influences from Fars and Khuzestan regions. In this article, the cultural relations that took place during the chalcolithic Age in the Early / Middle / Late Shushan period of Khuzestan, the Early, Middle and Late Persian periods, as well as in the phases of Alexandria, Chelehgah, Afghan, R1, Lapoei, Shahrak and Borjoui and S17 in Bakhtiari region have been formed, discussed and tried to answer the question of whether there were cultural connections between these areas during the chalcolithic Age or not? According to the studies, it seems that there were cultural connections between these areas during this period. The point that should be mentioned here is that in this study, the cultural influences of Fars and Khuzestan regions on Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari have been considered. The effects of these cultures on different parts of Bakhtiari region are not the same, so that the northern regions of this province during this period were influenced by the cultures of Khuzestan region and southern regions, especially Lordegan city during this period were influenced by the cultures of Fars region.

Grey Ceramic culture in the second millennium B.C. have been the controversial issue in the Iranian Archaeology. Since most of the grey ceramics have been discovered from the burials, it remained some questions regarding the socio-economic conditions of the individuals. Also the rarity of settlement contexts have added some ambiguities as well. For this, material culture and archaeometrical analysis on the grey ceramics might be helpful to clarify some aspects of socio-economic condition such as, ceramic production, standardization and production organization. This paper will attempt to argue about some aspects of ceramic production in Qeytariyeh cemetery at Tehran plain with metric and chemical analysis. Ceramic analysis demonstrated a number of attributes which are including uniformity of decoration and dimensions, homogeneity of ceramic shapes, the variety of resources and preparation processes. The result of the analysis inspired us to draw the ceramic production organization through the standardization indicators. Finally, it can be proposed the scale and intensity of ceramic production in Qetariyeh might be the household industry or workshop industry.

So far, the settlements of the Iron Age of Sarakhs plain have not been studied archaeologically, and on the other hand, the Iron Age of Plain Sarakhs represents the Yaz culture in the region and owes its name to the Yaz Hill area in southwestern Turkmenistan. Studies of the Iron Age culture of the Sarakhs Plain can reveal the basic information of this period and help to understand the general Iron Age of the Iranian plateau and the land of Turkmenistan. The purpose of this study, while identifying Iron Age settlements, is to analyze environmental factors to explain the patterns of Iron Age settlements in the Sarakhs plain. For this purpose, a field study was conducted in the plain and by studying the collected works and library studies. It was found that 16 sites have Iron Age artifacts. Some settlements are single-period and some have chronological sequences. The necessity of the present study is the unknown culture of the Iron Age of Sarakhs plain. Therefore, the identified Iron Age settlements of Sarakhs plain were analyzed from the perspective of environmental factors and their role in explaining settlement patterns. The output of maps and data of Iron Age settlements in Sarakhs plain showed that among the environmental factors influencing the determination of settlement patterns, Distance and proximity in the range of 300 to 900 meters above sea level, Location of settlements along the rivers of Sarakhs plain (linear settlement pattern) and large urban or rural centers (Mir Ahmad and Bazangan) up to 65 hectares (central location), Communication routes (communication route of Greater Khorasan in the Iron Age), In the formation and distribution of settlements have been more influential than other environmental factors. One of the most important results of the present archaeological study, Identifying the Iron Age settlements represents the culture of Yazd Plain Sarakhs, which will be used to measure the distribution of Iron Age settlements in this area to draw a very accurate and comprehensive perspective for understanding the social life of the people of that period.

The Urartians lived about 9th to 7th centuries B.C around the shores of four Lake Urmia, Lake Sevan, Çildir Lake and Van Lake. The production of the sealed bullae started from Rusa II’s reign about 713 B.C. The stamp and cylinder seal impressions on these pieces of evidence could provide us with the wide range of data about the Urartians. There are some recognized cylinder seal impressions on some bullae and tablets belong to the Urartian official called aṣuli. This official is mentioned in the seal impressions from several Urartian sites including Bastam, Ayanis, Anzaf and Toprakkale. Some studies and contributions have been taken place on who these aṣulis could be the crowned princes or the officials. The question of who were aṣulis and from which sites their seal impressions are discovered aer significant issue as there are several pieces of evidence discovered. Also, there was the question of the possible difference between the seals and their inscriptions and motifs. Also, the difference between their seal impressions and the variety of their seals were significant questions. It is the aim of this paper to put the different seal impressions of aṣulis in different groups and subgroups according to the detail of the illustrated mythical scenes of the griffins or genies in two sides of a sacred tree and the position of the inscription above and below this scene and the difference in the inscriptions. Additionally, the author provides the readers with the reasons she thinks aṣuli is not the crowned prince but a trusted official who had the permission to deliver commands and massages. The research has been fulfilled by both library and field work.

Providing water for the inhabitants of the plateau of Iran, which is located in the arid and semi-arid region of the earth, has always been one of the most important challenges for the its people since the beginning of the formation of the first dynasties and establishing the first irrigation systems. Low rainfall climate has caused the Iranian people to innovate different techniques to provide water for agriculture activities permanently.  Iranians are considered as the main creators of Kariz (subground aqueduct) as one of the most practical methods of exploiting underground water resources. Exploitation of running water resources by construction of dams on rivers and springs and the creation of canals is another method rooted in the history of the civilizations of the west Asia for supplying more sustainable water for the agricultural and industrial functions. In the specific and under investigation area of the Pulvar River, where the Achaemenid capital of Pasargadae is located, there are some of the ancient water structures including dams, artificial waterways, canals, extensive water reservoirs and springs. Of theses the dams are mostly built on the tributaries of the Pulvar River, and the water supplying canals are located below them.  Such complex structures have been built in the plains and districts surrounding Pasargadae such as Didegan, Murghab, Sarpiran, Kamin and Arsanjan. The present investigation briefly introduces these water structures and the techniques they were made in the Achaemenid period in the cultural landscape of Pasargadae. The results of this research are based on the studying historical documents and field studies of the past decades by historians and archaeologists, as well as field surveys by the author during the recent years in an area of nearly 16,000 square kilometers. The results of this research are amazing and very impressive. These extensive water systems, with the tact and intelligence of Achaemenid managers and engineers, have supplied water to all the plains and mountain valleys of the Pasargadae region. Villages and public settlements, gardens, agricultural lands, government buildings and centers, and finally the Royal Paradise of Cyrus the Great used of the benefits of water supply structures. In the construction of the dams, clay materials and ashlar or carved stone masonries have been applied, and some of them also have architectural structures with cut stone blocks. Waterways are also created in several ways on the slopes of hills and rocks.  Studies and researches show that the construction of water structures in the study area began during the reign of Cyrus the Great and expanded during the reign of Darius the Great and continued to develop until the end of the Achaemenid period. This method of exploiting surface of sub ground water resources continues to post-Achaemenid periods, especially in the Sassanid era and continues till modern times.

Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, tells a story according to which after Geomat called himself Berdia son of Cyrus, Darius and his allies rose up and killed Geomat and his companions. After the murder of Guomat, they decided to ride around the city on a horse and whoever’s horse drew a Shihe first would reach the kingdom. According to Herodotus, Darius’s horse, with the help of Oibar’s trick, Darius’s horse drew a Shihe earlier than the others and Darius reached the throne. The research method in this research is descriptive and analytical using reliable historical sources. The findings of the research show that the story of Herodotus is legendary and the mention of extraordinary and supernatural content makes it invalid. According to Michel Foucault’s cultural theory, the culture of societies is not static, but is always changing, so we must first examine the Achaemenid culture. After analyzing the culture of the Achaemenid period, we realize that the story of Herodotus is a fabrication and other factors, including belonging to the ruling or Achaemenid family, were involved in the accession of Darius to the throne, which Herodotus intentionally or unintentionally did not mention.

Niskabad tepe is located 5.5 km southeast of Sardasht city, 5 km south of Rabat city And 1 km north of Niskabad village along the west bank of the small Zab River. The excavation of this tepe was carried out in 2015 for two months in line with the rescue project behind Sardasht Dam and also the study of the archaeological landscape of the region, especially in prehistoric and historical periods. A total of four trenches were created in Niskabad Tepe. Excavations in these trenches have led to the identification of architectural remains (Chinese stone walls of the river type), numerous pieces of pottery and stone tools. The study of architectural remains and samples of pottery in Niskabad Tepe has shown that the site is single-period and short-term residence of human groups in this Tepe. According to studies, the pottery form of the yard consists of a variety of bowls, cups, jars, pots and jars. The decorations created on the pottery include added patterns (rope-shaped), carved patterns and stamped patterns. In addition to ordinary pottery, a limited number of glazing pottery have been identified. One of the main questions raised in the present study is that the form and technical characteristics of Parthian pottery in Niskabad tepe are comparable to which areas? In this regard, it seems that the Parthian pottery of the Tepe, in addition to being comparable to areas such as Yazdgerd Castle, Qorveh Kurdistan, areas of Hamadan, Lorestan and northwestern Iran, also have some local and indigenous characteristics. According to the comparisons, it seems that the settlement in this Tepe was in the early and middle of the Parthian period. It seems that the study, evaluation and study of cultural data of Niskabad Tepe can identify some of the hidden angles of the Parthian period in the region.

Tol-e-Zahak site, as the ancient city of Fasa in the historical and Islamic period, is located about 2 km south of the modern city of Fasa in the eastern center of Fars province and was registered as the 15th national monument in 1310 AD. After conducting a archaeological systematic survey of this site in 1397, in addition to identifying the extent of the site (based on the dispersion of surface data) which reaches more than 500 hectares; Chronology and settlement periods of the site, which indicate its habitation from the late fourth millennium BC to the Islamic Middle Ages; It was found. By studying the data obtained from the survey, especially pottery samples, one of the important settlement periods of Tol-e- Zahak area is the settlement related to the Sassanid period. Scattering of cultural materials related to this period (especially pottery) was observed almost all over the site. In this article, the authors intend to examine the historical sources and previous archaeological research in the region in connection with the Sassanid period in the region, the results with the data related to the Sassanid settlement identified from the methodical study of Tol-e- Zahak site, Intertwined (Historical Approach) and to reconstruct the appearance of Fasa city in the Sassanid period as much as possible. Studies show that the Sassanid settlement of Tol-e- Zahak site is undoubtedly a large urban settlement of the type of cities with an irregular shape of the Sassanid period. Due to its strategic location and suitable environmental conditions for agricultural and livestock activities, this city as one of the important commercial and commercial cities throughout the Sassanid rule and even a few centuries after the advent of Islam in Darabgerd province in the east of Persia Has played a role.

The historical site of Vigol and Haraskan is located near Aran and Bidgol city in the north of Isfahan province. The archaeological studies of the first season of this site led to the identification of the central part of a fire temple and a small part of its circumambulation corridor. The second season of the archeological exploration in the fire temple was to identify other spaces around the central part of the fire temple. Archaeological studies revealed that since this fire temple was built in the urban context, it is more important than the fire temples that were built away from settlement areas. Beside architectural evidences, religious elements and decorative stucco relics found in this fire temple, the identification of several Sassanid Pahlavi inscriptions on the walls of the eastern circumambulation corridor of the fire temple and two Ostracons added to its importance. Pahlavi inscriptions founded on stucco plaster of the dado which are written in a beautiful handwriting. Unfortunately, except for a few inscriptions, most of them cannot be read and require extensive research. In this research data collection about Vigol fire temple and its Pahlavi inscriptions was done by field methods and linguistic and descriptive-analytical studies. The main questions of the research are: What is the content of Pahlavi inscriptions and what themes do they include? What period of time does the estimated date of writing these inscriptions include? Given to linguistic and archeological studies, the placement of these inscriptions inside the fire temple, the content and of them has religious themes, and according to their writing style, these inscriptions were probably written in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. According to the dating of the inscriptions, it seems that the fire temple of Vigol had a high reputation until the early Islamic centuries and was probably abandoned forever in the first of 9th AD century.

The Polychrome Enobe pottery attributed to Neishabour is one of the unique pottery of the Islamic era, which has many divers and symbolic motifs. According to the role of the ingredients of these pottery, they were created in deep connection with the mythological and religious beliefs of the people of the third and fourth centuries AH; Therefore, the correct interpretation of these pottery designs helps to understand the social, cultural, political and religious conditions of the people of that time. One of the illustrated symbols on these pottery is the symbol of a camel, which is drawn on a Polychrome bowl and is kept in the Reza Abbasi Museum. The camel drawn on this pottery is important because it seems to be indicative of deep concepts regarding the sanctification of “Camel” in Neishabur society. Until now, no purposeful study has been done to interpret the depicted camel on this pottery; Therefore, the authors are trying to study the symbol of the camel depicted on the pottery in this essay with “Iconography” method with the approach of “Erwin Panofsky”. To achieve this goal, the questions; what is the symbolic meaning of the camel depicted on the Polychrome bowl of Neishabur in relation to the jar and the bird? The Polychrome Enobe bowl with the motif of a camel, in combination with other motifs, is derived from the beliefs of which stratum of society is Neishabur? It has been suggested that in order to get the answers to the questions, the research method adopted for the future research is a library with a descriptive-analytical-historical approach, in which the discussed pottery motifs are analyzed first, and then to interpret its symbol with Panofsky’s three-step method. The result of the study of the camel symbol is that the motif of a camel with a jar under its belly and a hoopoe bird seems to be derived from the principles of Zoroastrian purification and also the Gomiz healing properties of camels among the Muslims of 3rd and 4th centuries AH living the north east of Iran.

Wood has been a suitable raw material for the expression of taste, talent, art and creativity of craftsmen and artists in different periods. Iranian artists in the Islamic period, like other industries, have created the most exquisite artworks made of wood. During the Islamic period, in the construction of the architectural elements of religious buildings, such as wood turning, fret work, Gereh Chini, and Khatam’s artworks were made of wood, which studying on them in terms of the evolution and transformation of wood-related industries as material and cultural remains of the Islamic period, as well as analyzing the themes of their religious motifs and inscriptions, has been of special importance. Considering the importance of this subject, not many studies have been conducted in this field of research. During the archaeological survey that was carried out in 2014 in order to identify the cultural historical monuments of Bavanat city, many wooden artworks were identified and observed, and the upcoming research is in line with the introduction and analysis of these findings. In this regard, the questions of this research are: What wooden artworks have been left from the Islamic period of Bavanat, and what are the decorative elements and themes of their inscriptions? From Jame Mosque of Bavanat and holy shrine of Hamzeh of Bazm, various hand-made wooden structures have remained, including doors, windows, pulpits, and wooden latticework, the delicacy and proficiency in their construction are remarkable. Since the two studied buildings, the mosque and holy shrine, have religious uses the general inscriptions also included Quranic verses, Shahadatein, Shahadat-e Salaseh, Salavat and the names of the Imams, which shows the influence of Shia religion on the industry and art of this period.

The art industry of locksmithing, like other metal arts in Iran. Is a kind of reflection of the customs. Beliefs and traditions of the people of this land. This art is in a delicate fusion of aesthetics with steel and iron, and finally leads to a thoughtful accompaniment of art and craft. Therefore, it can be understood that we are facing a valuable category that has various visual, formal and aesthetic capacities. The purpose of this research, while categorizing locks and features of form and role, recognizing different capabilities and functions, is to decipher the patterns and traditions and beliefs around them. The main research questions and raised about, this is where the designs of Safavid locks were adopted? What are the formal and conceptual characteristics of the designs used in the locks of the Safavid periods? And to what extent is it related to the doctrinal aspects of the Safavid period? This research is of a fundamental type and is descriptive and analytical in nature. The method of collecting information will be field and library based on description analysis and history.  In this study, an attempt has been made to show that in Safavid era, locking, in addition to the protective aspect (practical), had a ritual aspect and had a direct and close relationship with The Islamic tradition. The mental concepts of the craftsman artist also played a role in a making the locks. Which often contain symbolic information, besides being made based on culture and custo.

Aligudarz County is one of the cold regions of Lorestan province, which is located in the east of the Lorestan province. Green pastures, high altitude, abundant water resources and the proximity of this region to the Khuzestan plain have provided a suitable conditions for the formation of nomadic life in this region. From prehistoric times, this region is connected to the lowland areas of northern Khuzestan by many nomadic roads. One of this nomadic roads is Khalilābad/Nomkul which passes through a difficult path along the roaring rivers “Bakhtiari” and “Sarkhao”. During the late Islamic century this road have been used by tribes of Bakhtiari Tribe Federation which they spent the summer in the northeastern part of Lorestan, ie in Aligudarz and Azna, and on the slopes of Oshtrankooh, Qalikuh and winter in Lali and around Dezful. Due to the fact that this road have not been studied so far and have not been well introduced, Independent research was necessary to identify and introduce them. The purpose of this study is to introduce this road and evaluate and analyze the history of the formation of related facilities based on archaeological evidence. The main question of the research is what archeological evidence remains from this road and what period do these works belong to? Research findings are provided through field works. As a result of this study, four bridges, a large part of the cobblestone road, a cemetery and an inscription were identified. The study of these works shows that this road and the collection of works of its route was built in the Safavid period.

Among the architectural arrays of Imamzadeh Hossein in Qazvin that can provide valuable information to researchers, are the remaining parts of the murals. Considering that Qazvin was the capital during the second period of Safavid rule, the study of Safavid and Qajar period buildings in this city can be of great importance. Compared to the existing historical monuments, few studies have been done on the technical knowledge of the layers of historical murals.In the present study, the identification and recognition of pigments related to the remaining murals of this monument and gilded layers has been considered. Also, in order to complete the technical information of the murals, the mortar of the fine coat (finishing plaster) and scratch coat (levelling coat) under the paint has been studied in terms of structure and chemical composition. To identify the pigments used in the murals as well as the materials used in the mortar of the underlying layers of the mural and the floor mortar, the hydraulic properties and the mineral and chemical composition of the mortar from X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy and digital microscope have been used. As a result of the studies, it was found that the Pastiglia in the murals is made of a mixture of gypsum and Bole (Armenian Bole, Hormoz Bole). Apply a white Primary layer on the pastiglia on which the gold leaf is applied with low copper impurity. In this murals, three types of gold sheets have been executed. Green: A mixture of arsenic pigment with azure blue and Prussian blue; Green-blue: a mixture of green earth pigment (Celadonite) with white lithopone; Blue: a mixture of azure and Prussian blue pigments with White lead; Red: A mixture of ocher red and orange arsenic; Primary layer filler: a mixture of Huntite and White lead; black: It is a mixture of cobalt black and iron black. The structure and composition of mortars were also identified.

Waqf is one of the oldest and most valuable human heritages that has been widely used among all ethnic groups, religions and civilized nations of the world and in different periods of Iranian history and has had lasting effects on societies. The issue of waqf and its formation and function have had a long history in the city of Ardabil. The city of Ardabil has had strategic and geopolitical value in terms of geographical location. During the Qajar period, although Ardabil did not have the prosperity and glory of the Safavid period, but people, especially Shiites, paid much attention to that city and until the end of the Qajar period, they went to visit the tomb of Sheikh Safi. The religious nature of Ardabil, especially as the origin of the head of the Safavid sect of Sheikh Safi al-Din and the location of his tomb, has had a great impact on the role and function of the waqf tradition in various religious, cultural, social and economic dimensions. The present study was done in a descriptive-analytical manner. To this end, libraries and archival documents and Waqfnameh were studied, reviewed and analyzed in the General Directorate of waqf and Charitable Affairs of Ardabil province. The present study seeks to answer the question: what socio-economic functions did the tradition and institution of waqf have in Ardabil during the Qajar period and what were the amount, types and uses of waqf in Ardabil? The analysis revealed how the socio-economic functions of waqf have been influenced by socio-historical events and intellectual currents of the Qajar period. Due to the religious nature of Ardabil, religious waqfs are the most common items in Waqfnameh. In addition, waqfs have been given to those people who have actually needed them. Also, new intellectual movements and the familiarity of Ardabili waqf doers with new ideas, including constitutionalism, have had a significant impact on the types of waqfs.