نشریه پیام باستان شناس
پیاپی 29 (پاییز و زمستان 1402)

In archaeological terminology, small portable objects made of stone, mud, bone, and metal, usually 1-5 cm in diameter, with carved patterns are called seals. This tool probably had different functions in prehistoric times, but the economic function of the seal is more important. The greatest variety of cylindrical and metal mesh seals can be seen in the Bronze Age. The present article seeks to answer the following questions: What are the characteristics of Tepe Hissar seals in terms of typology and iconography? Are the typological and iconographical changes of the seals of Tepe Hissar related to the arrival of other cultures in this region? Have the cultural and religious evolutions of the native people of the region caused the changes in seals? This research is of documentary type and based on the descriptive-analytical method, which was carried out with the aim of typology and iconography of the seals discovered from Tepe Hissar, Damghan. The seals of the Hissar I and II periods have been often discovered from grave contexts and the seals of the Hissar III period have been often discovered from architectural contexts. This study shows that most of the seals are of the stamp type and most of the engraved patterns are geometric. The seals of Tepe Hissar were made of various stones and materials, some of which were local and some imported from other regions. This shows the extent of commercial and economic activities in Tepe Hissar.

Music is a type of human behavior that is very powerful in impact. Music should be considered the first tool of instinctual human expression. From the beginning of creation, man has used dance and song to describe his inner modes. The study of documents shows the high of music in ancient Iran, which has been effective in Iranian religious ceremonies. Music is a phenomenon that is part of the national identity and the basis of a society’s culture. One of the essential issues related to the position of women in prehistoric Iran is their role in music. The purpose of this study is to identify musical instruments in ancient times, primarily the tool discovered in the Iron Age cemetery of Gohar Tepe, and the importance of the role of women in music, dancing, and singing. The research hypothesis is that no such musical instrument has been discovered, according to the excavations and studies in the Iron Age sites of Mazandaran and Gilan. This study uses the analytical–experimental method and fieldwork. The results show this instrument which is similar to the clarinet, is a wind instrument and is one of the oldest musical instruments of ancient times. This musical instrument is unique and interesting, which consists of deer antlers and silver with seven nails riveted to each other. In addition to the musical instrument and this burial, a bronze mask, metal objects, pottery, and ornaments have been also discovered, showing women's high position in music in the Iron Age of Iran.

The Central Zagros was one of the most populous regions in the Iranian plateau in the first half of the first millennium BC, filled with small and semi-extensive settlements. One of the strange and interesting points observed in Mesopotamian sources, belonging to the first millennium BC, is two completely different locations for a land called Parsuaš or Parsumaš. From the reign of Shalmaneser III to Sargon II of Assyria, the name of this land was always mentioned along with the lands located in the east of Assyria and around the Central Zagros. However, from the time of Sennacherib, the land of Parsuaš has been referred to in the vicinity of Anshan and its ally. Additionally, we know that during the rule of the Achaemenid dynasty, the land of the Persians, both before and after the emergence of the empire, was located in southern Zagros. Deciphering the meaning based on the content of written sources obtained from archaeological excavations is a subject that many researchers have attempted to explain. This study reconsiders the subject by examining the content of these inscriptions and evaluating their geographical data. It is concluded that the name of the first land not only refers to the origin of a population but also indicates that its people have made a large-scale migration, to regain their former political independence and freedom. This experience was similar to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The loss of this independence was due to the failure of the ambitious development plans for the land by the king, which resulted in his fall and the rise of a powerful and influential leader over that land.

Nehbandan County is considered one of the important areas in the archaeological research of the historical and Islamic period of South Khorasan. The eastern region of Shah Kouh in the west of this county, due to the existence of suitable and favorable climatic and land conditions, contains important and spacious settlements, which shows their importance in intra- and extra-regional interactions in historical times. Among these unique monuments, there are the remaining parts of the building known as Atashkadeh (Fire Temple) in the village of the same name, but unfortunately, only a few parts of this structure are left. According to the results of the excavation project to determine the core zone and suggest the buffer zone of the building as well as the existing architectural evidence and the current architecture in the context of the village, it is believed that this structure was founded with a cruciform pattern and four stone walls and a dome cover. The study shows that this building was built in the Sassanid period and was still standing in the early Islamic centuries as a religious place and in connection with the surrounding sites. Here, some of the nearby sites such as Kalate Bal Batu and Taska Cemetery were introduced and their surface cultural remains were also discussed and analyzed. This research aims to recognize the Fire Temple building according to the archaeological evidence and also to introduce other sites of the historical era such as Klate Bel Beto and Taska. Collecting the findings has been conducted in the field and analyzing them through Library research has been done with a historical-cultural approach and descriptive-analytical method.

The architecture of the Sassanid period includes religious and non-religious buildings. Since Zoroastrianism was the official religion of Iran in the Sassanid period, religious buildings related to this period had an important status. Shiyan Fire Temple is one of the ancient shrines in Kermanshah, Iran, dating back to the Sassanid period. Architectural features include a four-arched room with corridors and architectural materials including rubble, stone carcasses, plaster, and gypsum mortar. The dimensions of the building are 14.5× 14.5 m in a square plan. So far, no detailed report or study has been published about this building, and the little information published has been through the writings and documents in the registration file of the building and some reports of the excavator of the Shiyan, according to which the Shiyan Temple is related to the Sassanid era. This research was based on fieldwork, and all available documents were reviewed. In addition, it was carefully studied in terms of plan, materials, and other architectural features. This study aims to introduce the building of the Shiyan Fire Temple as an example of lesser-known fire temples in the west of the country. Accurate identification of the characteristics of this monument can make the reconstruction of fire temples in western Iran smoother. In addition, the investigation of this building is effective in determining the chronology and use of similar buildings in this area. According to the architectural features of the Shiyan building, the materials and components used in the architecture, as well as other movable and immovable finds, this building can be considered a religious place of worship or a fire temple from the Sassanid period.

Urmia City, the capital of West Azerbaijan Province in northwestern Iran, holds a rich historical background with numerous Islamic era structures. Despite this, the historical-cultural evidence in Urmia has been less studied due to its location beneath urban and residential buildings. In 2017, due to the digging operation for the restoration and organization of the eastern side of the Urmia Grand Mosque, evidence of evidence of architectural structures and cultural artifacts was obtained. However, disputes led to the suspension of the restoration operation. Subsequently, in 2019, archaeological excavations were initiated to identify architectural remnants and understand the site's cultural layers. Aligning with the excavation's objectives and the General Department of Cultural Heritage's goal to establish a museum site, two trenches were excavated. Notably, evidence of cultural materials from the Sassanid period beneath Islamic-era structures was uncovered. This paper, while studying and relative chronology of cultural findings of the Urmia Grand Mosque, compares them with findings of Sassanid sites in western Iran. The data of this research has been collected by documentary and field methods, and this study has been carried out by descriptive-analytical approach.

Numismatic studies have an important role in reconstructing the history and culture of governments, which can be an accurate source of information about the past, and with their help illuminate a dark and forgotten part of history. Alexander the Macedonian established Characene in 324 BC, for commercial purposes at the bank of Arvand River. The Seleucid kings ruled this city until 127 BC. Until Hyspaosines founded a local government in this region in 125 BC. Historical sources give researchers a little information about the local kings of Characene. Therefore, identifying and studying Characene coins in museums can significantly contribute to elucidating historical events during this period and fill the existing research gaps to some extent. This study aims to introduce the Characene coins of the National Museum of Iran and to examine historical events through the coin. In this research, field and documentary methods with a historical approach have been used. The results show that the Characene coins in the National Museum of Iran belong to the kings Hyspaosines, Mithradates II, and Attambelos Kings. Historical and numismatic studies show that these kings had trade relations with the Arab regions of the Persian Gulf from the period of Hyspaosines to Attambelos VI, which politically, these local rulers played the role of negative balance in the region. However, from the period of Pacorus II (AD 131), the administration of this region was entrusted to the Parthian princes and in this way limited the power of local rulers.

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.