Journal of Archaeological Studies

Abstract The city of Ardabil, due to its unique geographical and strategic location, was known in the early Islamic centuries as a crossroads and the most important city of Azerbaijan in economic, political, and cultural exchanges in historical and geographical texts. The diversity in the region's ecosystem and the spatial conditions had a significant impact on the survival and development of the city, which this article examines and analyzes the factors that have created these superior conditions. The aim of this research is to identify the geographical components influencing the survival and development process of Ardabil city from the Islamic era to the end of the Safavid period. Therefore, the main question of this research is: What geographical variables have influenced the survival, development, and decline of the city from the early Islamic centuries to the end of the Safavid era? The research method is descriptive-analytical. Data collection was based on historical and geographical written sources, and the analysis and argumentation were based on the "Kent and Watts" biogeography theory, examining the role of five variables: matter, energy, diversity, space, and time in the two phases of survival-development and recession of the city. The results indicate that in the early Islamic centuries, Ardabil city was mentioned as the first and most important city in the Azerbaijan state. Water resources, energy, and human-made resources shaped it in the early Islamic centuries. After the attacks by the Georgians and Mongols, this city lost some of its past prosperity. However, during the Safavid period, due to the importance of the mausoleum complex of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili and the resurgence of silk trade, this city once again regained its past glory through accumulating wealth by reviving communication routes and collecting endowments for the mausoleum complex from various points regionally and beyond

Abstract Tombstones in cemeteries are perhaps one of the most semantically complex human works of art. Tombstones deal with the most important and most painful event in human life, namely death and the hereafter. Tombstones exhibit great variety, both in general form and in their decorative motifs. Studying the morphology of the gravestones and exploring the human, animal, vegetal, geometric and other images, together they provide valuable information on Iranian-Islamic religious beliefs and historical sociology. Tombstones vary signficantly according to the religious beliefs and the culture and geography of each region. In the group of tombstones analyzed in this paper the most important,  from the point of view of visual semantics and mythological beliefs, are rams and stone lions. This group of tombstones are generally found in the western half of Iran, especially in the northwest and west of Iran. This paper is a descriptive-analytical study of field and library studies, seeking to discover the congruence between tombstone form and motifs and ornaments, i.e., the relationship between meanings and patterns in gravestones and lion-like stones found in cemeteries of the era of Islam in Iran. Studies show that the ram and lion tombstones themselves are symbols of greatness, bravery, heroism, greatness and courage, and all the sub-motifs on the body of these works also somehow reflect these traits and meanings, and they are completely dependent on the volume or morphology of the tombstones. Finally, it can be concluded that the stone carving artist has chosen these motifs with full knowledge of the meanings of the shape of the tombstones as well as the motifs placed on them. Therefore, he has been looking for the connection and dependence between form and image in his artwork.

Abstract Interpretation of human’s old behaviors in the past and paying attention to complex and interactive processes between humans and the environment to be understood in terms of their dependence on the components of the natural and ecological environment is the center of modern archaeology’s attention.  Archaeological surveys and analysis of settlement patterns are considered well-known methods in archaeology to help identify these interactive processes.With the studies of the Archaeological Board of the University of Pennsylvania on Hasanlu Hill and the Sandus Plain, the southern basin of Lake Urmia became one of the most important archaeological sites and a basis for chronology in northwestern Iran. Meanwhile, Piranshahr plain on one hand due to its proximity toHasanlu area in the north and Rabat area in the south and on the other hand due to the neighborhood of this area with great powers such as Assyria, Urartu and Mana in the first half of the first millennium BC, Is one of the important areas in terms of archaeological studies of the Iron Age in northwestern Iran. This study examined the Piranshahr plain, assuming that the Iron Age settlements of the Piranshahr plain follow a specific settlement pattern. In this research, using field and library studies and geographical analysis models, a methodical and appropriate interpretation of the distribution of Iron Age areas and the first millennium BCPiranshahr plain was presented. Studies have shown that the Iron Age settlements in the region are most affected by two geographical factors, altitude from sea surface and access to rivers, and this has led to the creation of linear networks in the course of rivers resulting to a suitable choice of height relating to the plain. It was also found that the Iron Age settlements of this plain, following the shape of the roughness and natural geography of the region in the first half of the first millennium BC, by creating a specific settlement hierarchy, tended to form an independent local political unit. The existence of this political unit in modern Assyrian writings as Xubuskie could be identified.

Abstract The eastern side of Central Zagros is one of the most important areas in the Neolithic development, which has remained unknown in terms of its common cultural tradition as requires more in detail studies. Among these unknowns, “Malayer Plain”  is associated with the effects of the “Late Neolithic” period Traditions. In terms of role and color, this is a part of the 6^th Millennium B.C., which due to the evolution of Pottery-making can be distinguished from the earlier periods. One of the most important pottery traditions is Sarab-Style, which is a pivot point to the recognition of the Late Neolithic of Central Zagros. This type of pottery has been identified along the eastern boundaries of Central Zagros on Malayer plain. This cultural region is considered as a blind spot of Neolithic studies due to the lack of question-oriented studies. The present research is based on the of Trench I & II excavation of the Tappeh Posht-e Forodgah studying the presence of Late Neolithic tradition  on the Malayer plain, answering the question: What are the common Neolithic cultures of the Malayer Plain and by which  common Late Neolithic cultural traditions of the Central Zagros has affected? In order to analyze the stratigraphy of the settlements formed at the Tappeh Posht-e Forodgah, a complete view of the Neolithic sequence on the eastern boundaries of Central Zagros, an excavation of the Posht-e Forodgah Site was carried out. How that two traditions of pottery or domestic or non-domestic potteries were common in this region simultanously; Eventually, the impact of the Late Neolithic period and common cultural traditions of Kermanshah plain (Segabi, Syahbid and Sarab) and Lurestan (Qelagap) on the Malayer Plain have been attested.