Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Dec 2022

The paper addresses a particularly interesting and complex archaeological site, partially excavated in the 60s of the last century in Iran in the far eastern region of Sistan. The article proposes a preliminary study of Qalʽa-ye tepe, with particular reference to ceramic production. The author surveys the collections of unglazed and glazed pottery fragments at that time kept in Italy, providing a description of fabrics and shapes. The excavation led by the Italian Archaeological Mission of IsMEO (Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente), then IsIAO (Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente), now ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi per il Mediterraneo e l’Oriente), directed by the late Prof. Umberto Scerrato had, at the time, revealed interesting archaeological and chronological data, although they were never published. However, the excavations at Qalʽa-ye Tepe were particularly significant as they presented a very long chronological sequence with three main phases ranging from the 3rd century BCE to the beginning of the 11th-12th century CE. The archaeological area of the surrounding plain – ellipsoidal/oval in shape – with the longest west-east axis of 125 m and the shortest north-south one of 85 m, constitutes a kind of fortress with the characteristic shape of the ancient nomadic camps found throughout Asia. The site, formed by the decay of raw earth structures, is located about 20 km northeast of Zabol, near the village of Qazemabad, a few kilometers north of the ruins of the old Zahedan, the Zaranj of the Islamic era.

Eastern Iran, which today almost corresponds to the province of South Khorasan, is unknown in terms of archaeological studies. The sequence and cultural characteristics of the region during various prehistoric and historical periods are still unknown. Archaeological excavations have recently begun in the area, which promises a bright future for the region's archeology. Due to the lack of excavations and, as a result, the lack of data with a clear and reliable stratigraphic and chronological context, it is sometimes possible to suggest evidence for recognizing and introducing the cultural characteristics of a period through a superficial study of an area. This is an issue that has been addressed in this article. Qal’e Asrar, 63 km northeast of Birjand, is a site discovered in the survey and identification program of Darmian city in 2016.  This area is a small monolithic castle that surface evidence, such as pottery pieces and, most importantly, a sealed piece of pottery, shows that it belongs to the late Iron Age and the Achaemenid period. Thus, the cultural material of Qal’e Asrar has been introduced as a feature of the pottery traditions of the late Iron Age and the Achaemenid period in this region of eastern Iran.

The identification of the geographical extent of the Bactria Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC) and the interpretation of the spreading map of the related archeological instances in the ancient sites of the eastern half of Iran is at the beginning stage of its long journey. Several Studies led by many archeologists from different backgrounds were carried out to define the relationship between the BMAC and the other neighboring cultural areas of the eastern half of Iran such as Dasht Gorgan, Hissar, Kerman, Baluchistan, but the relationship between this culture and the cultural area of Sistan was neglected. According to the continuous excavations that led to the identification of the BMAC pottery, the investigations on the Sistan basin and in the archaeological excavations of Graziani, Taleb Khan and the fourth period of Shar-i Sokhta, as well as the identification of miniature columns and stone disks, regarding the similarities between the cultural artifacts of this geographical area and the examples identified in the BMAC such as marble vessels, metal reticular seals, memorial burials, all of these evidences propose the different hypotheses studying the relationship between these two areas. All the obtained evidences and the cultural data available relating to these two cultural areas tell the fact that they had a mutual relationship during which the BMAC was both influenced by the Shar-i Sokhta culture and influenced it. This article studies the relationship between these two cultural areas by emphasizing the BMAC pottery samples identified by chance throughout the excavations carried out to examine the Zabol-Zahedan water pipeline.

In the Fars cultural Zone settlements of the Neolithic period emerged from the middle of the eighth millennium BC. In the early seventh millennium BC, societies in this cultural zone, like other societies in Southwest Asia, achieved the technology of pottery production. According to the results of excavations and surveys that have been obtained from the Neolithic Sites of Fars, from the second half of the seventh millennium BC, different pottery styles have emerged in this region. In the northern half of this area, Mushki and Jari pottery style were common, in the southern part, three distinct pottery style was obtained: Qasr Ahmad pottery in the Kavar region, Jalyan type in Fasa, and Bizdan pottery in Darab. Understanding the characteristics of the Neolithic period was one of the main goals of the author's archeological survey in Forg plain, which was conducted in 2019. In this article, based on the surface cultural materials obtained from this region, an attempt is made to study the cultural characteristics of the Neolithic period in southern Iran. The most important questions are: What is the oldest evidence of settlement in Forg? and the common pottery style in this area is influenced by which culture zone? According to the survey, Neolithic painted pottery was obtained from the surface of the two sites, which shows that this plain was under the influence and spread of Bizdan pottery in the Neolithic period. The existence of fertile lands and rivers in Forg can be considered as one of the most important reasons for the attraction of human societies in the Neolithic period.

Shahr-i Sokhta is one of Iran's biggest Prehistoric ancient sites, located in the southeast of ‎Iran, ‎‎near ‎Zabol‎. Early settlements of the site date to the 4th millennium BC. Archaeological ‎excavations over the ‎past few decades in this area have revealed the existence ‎of four ‎different ‎settlement periods from 3200 ‎BC to 1800 BC, including eleven cultural layers‏.‏‎ Continuation of ‎excavations over the ‎decades has led to thousands of valuable ancient ‎finds with Fantastic ‎variety. Valuable cultural findings and ‎discoveries from Shahr-i Sokhta ‎caused the registration ‎of the site as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2014, ‎the 17th Iranian ‎historical piece. Historical ‎pottery is the most numerous findings from the site consisting ‎of ‎three main groups of buff, ‎red, and grey paste wares. Grey wares are one of the most important ‎pottery ‎findings of the site, ‎which itself classifies into two plain and painted subclasses. In this study, three samples ‎of gray ‎painted pottery discovered from the burned city were studied experimentally using various ‎‎laboratory methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to identify ‎the structure ‎and mineralogical composition of these valuable pottery samples, to be ‎determined the importance and ‎impact of the elements and compounds that make up the pottery ‎body in metamorphosis and change their ‎color during the firing stage to gray. Structural study ‎and analysis of the chemical composition of gray ‎pottery samples in this study showed that the ‎presence of silicate phases and the use of clay soils with a ‎high percentage of iron oxide along ‎with the use of reducing atmosphere and high furnace temperature ‎during firing are the most ‎important factors in Durability and creation of gray color in this group of pottery ‎of the Shahr-i ‎Sokhta has been.‎

Qeshm folk music is associated with different traditions, customs, rituals, and ceremonies delivering different manifestations. This music, as a collection of meaningful sounds and melodies rooted in the culture of the native people of this region, represents the culture of the people of the Persian Gulf. The variety of forms of these sounds and melodies over the years as cultural and ritual symbols have caused the differentiation of ethnic groups in different regions. The research method in this article is an ethnographic method. Applying this method by participatory observation and field studies, we studied the anthropology of Qeshm music.  Our research outcomes indicate that folk music, plays, sounds, and songs of the natives living in the Persian Gulf and Qeshm region are mixed with the ordinary mood of the people. Natives of Qeshm Island have their own instruments to play their own specific music. Qeshm folk music alone is able to introduce the special cultural features of this island that is effective in introducing and attracting tourism to this region.