Journal of Archaeological Studies

The Monument of Qala-Kohzad was built on the heights of Weyzenhar/Veyzenyar Mountain in the southwest of Roumeshgan Plain (west of Lorestan). The archeological excavation of the site ... Read More

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From Apavortene to Abivard: Feasibility and Identification of the Early Parthian City of Dara in Northeastern Iran

Seyed Mehdi Mousavinia; Hassan Nami

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 155-166

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.356117.143188

Abstract

According to classical texts, Dara stands out as a significant city from the early Parthian era, situated on the eastern fringes of the Parthian Empire. Classical sources have documented ... Read More

Research and Analysis of the Parthian Settlement Pattern in the West Plain of Urmia Lake, Based on Geographic Information System (GIS)

Farangis Mirzaie Damirchi; Alireza Hejebri Nobari; Seyed Mehdi Mousavi Kouhpar

Volume 15, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 183-212

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.288384.142777

Abstract

Nowadays, Archaeologists use spatial analysis of environmental data and archaeological field findings to clarify the patterns relating to the scattering of ancient settlements and their ... Read More

Identification of Perfumery Residues Contained in Glass Objects from Parthian to Early Islamic Period with Gas-Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectroscopy

Nafiseh Hosseinian Yeganeh; Arman Shishegar; Seyed Mohammadamin Emami; Samad Nejad ebrahimi

Volume 13, Issue 1 , July 2021, , Pages 23-40

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.271372.142653

Abstract

It has been a long time since aromatic plants and aromatic materials have been used in perfumery.Therefore, production of perfume flask had become noticeable among craftsmen and artists. ... Read More It has been a long time since aromatic plants and aromatic materials have been used in perfumery.Therefore, production of perfume flask had become noticeable among craftsmen and artists. The use of plants and other aromatic substances in perfumery has been possible by obtaining their essential oils. The production of perfumes are mainly derived from plants such as roses, cloves and saffron, incense and sandalwood and plant gums. Amber, musk and Azfar were also taken from some animals such as Gazelle and Amber fish. Perfume flasks are little containers made by a variety of different materials that have been shaped or embellished by standard technology and ornaments of their historical period. Glass has been one of the most favorite materials to make a perfume flask through the time. This research gives a brief overview of the history of perfumery, from the Achaemenid era to the first centuries of the Islamic era. Then it analyzes remained materials inside the five glass containers, which are considered to be perfume bottles, from the Parthian period to the first centuries of the Islamic era. These glass perfume bottles are kept in the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran currently. This analysis has been done by Coupled gas chromatography with mass spectrometer in the gas chromatography laboratory of Research Institute of Medicinal Plants and Drugs, Shahid Beheshti University. The main composition which has been detected and identified are waxes, cholesterol, and natural fatty acids. Due to its sensitivity, speed, versatility, and ability to identify traces of compounds in a mixture, the GC-MS technique's application is a brilliant method for archaeological organic chemistry and can be applied to analyse any substance containing volatile organic compounds expected. In two samples of our collection, residual perfumes were extracted.For this test, the containers were first washed with n-hexane solvent and the solution was transferred into the sampling dishes for transfer to the laboratory. On the day of sampling, the objects were selected from the samples which were photographed. Then, through a Pasteur pipette, about 2 ml of n-hexane was placed in the dishes and the material was washed by rotating and the extract transferred into the pipette and prepared for the analysis by evaporating of hexane. It should be noted that n-hexane solvent has no destructive effect on the objects and because of its high volatility, immediately it will be disappeared completely and there is no trace of it in the container.Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a powerful tool for separation and identification of natural and chemical materials. In this method, after the initial preparation, the components of a mixture are injected into the device through a special syringe in the amount of half a microliter of the tested solution. The materials are separated based on the difference between the boiling point and interaction with the chromatographic column, will be entered into the Ionization Mass Spectrometry source, because of generating powerful electric and magnetic fields, the mixture’s components will be identified quantitatively and qualitatively based on their electrical charge to mass ratio (m/z). For this analysis, 1 to 3 mg of the sample was taken and 1 ml of KOH hydroalcoholic solution (potash alcohol) was added and then subjected to alkaline hydrolysis at 60 ° C for 3 hours. After hydrolysis, the neutral organic components were extracted with n-hexane. Then, according to the internal standard, injection of the solution was analyzed in GC-MS. It was then interpreted based on comparisons of components and reference materials with library items and mass spectrum. In order to identify the type of fatty acid compositions, GC-MS equipped with a DB-5 column with a length of 30 m and an inner diameter of 0.25 mm and a thin layer thickness of 0.25 μm was used. The oven temperature was increased from 60 °C to 250 °C at velocity of 5 °C/min and was kept at 250 °C for 10 minutes. Helium carrier gas with a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min was used and 70-eV electrons was used for ionization and a mass range was from 43 to 456 amu. In order to analyze the essential oil using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, the components were identified. The components and compounds were identified by the use of various parameters such as retention time (RT) and retention index (RI), study of mass spectrum and comparing the spectrum with standard compounds and basic data in the GC-MS database by Xcalibur Software. The relative percentage of each components of the essential oil was obtained according to the area under the curve in the GC. Based on the chromatogram table, the following results were obtained:Sample 1 (Table 1, Figure 1), the perfume flasks from the Arsacid era: the most important compounds identified in container No. 1 including the paraffin compounds, cholesterol (animal-based oils), vegetable oils, and fatty acids and waxes. Also, an important substance in the solution obtained from washing was flavonoid. It is a polyphenolic substance which is found in the extract obtained from the petals and pollen of plants. Sample 2 (Table 2, Figure 2), a semi-thin blue glass container, probably from the Arsacid era: the most important components identified include an essential oil, wax and fatty acid. Sample 3 (Table 3, Figure 3), a thin glass container probably from the Sassanid era: the most important compounds identified include fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid. Such materials indicate that this container has been in contact with vegetable-base oils and 80% of the substances identified in this container are fatty acids. Sample 4 (Table 4, Figure 4), a semi-thin glass container from the first centuries of the Islamic period: there are only paraffin materials such as wax and beeswax and do not contain any fatty acids. The most important substance in this sample is natural linalool, which is classified as a perfume. Example 5 (Table 5, Figure 5), the perfume flask with base from the first centuries of the Islamic period: the most important compounds identified are plant-based fatty acids, paraffin compounds or waxes, and phthalate compounds.According to the tests performed in two case studies (samples No. 2 and 4), aromatic substances and essential oils are present in the identified compounds. It shows that natural perfumes and essential oils can actually stay in the glass and the adsorption of glass is very high for keep of such materials. Except for sample No. 4, other samples contain a variety of fatty acids and proved that such glasses were used as preservative objects. Wax can be seen in all samples. Fats have been identified in various forms such as cholesterol (animal base oil), palmitic acids (plant base fats) and paraffinic substances.

An Introduction, Description and Classification of Parthian Pottery from Tepe Balan, Sardasht, First Season

salah salimi; Reza Heidari; yousef fallahian

Volume 12, Issue 2 , September 2020, , Pages 83-106

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.206209.142290

Abstract

Tepe Balan is one of the five ancient tepe that has been excavated as part of Sardasht dam’s salvage project. More than 900 diagnostic pottery pieces have been found during the ... Read More

Archaeological Survey of Parthian Sites in Dargaz Plain, North-East of Iran

Hassan Nami; Seyed Mehdi Mousavinia

Volume 11, Issue 1 , May 2019, , Pages 233-252

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.71116

Abstract

Dargaz County is located in northeastern Iranian Plateau, near to borders of Turkmenistan. Its location so close to Turkmenistan and ancient Nisa, as the first homeland capital of the ... Read More

Explanation of Early Pottery Features in Kashafrud River Basin: Based on the typology of Pottery,s Esmail- Abad site in Mashhad

moh davari; fatemeh mousivand; hassan basafa

Volume 10, Issue 1 , August 2018, , Pages 75-94

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2018.239481.142460

Abstract

The parthian period in Iran is less known than other historical periods. The information that presents historical and historical geography can be the source of the Parthians in Northeast ... Read More

Qal’e Nehbandān: New Evidence of Parthian Period in Eastern Iran

Mohsen Dana; Alireza Nasr Abadi; Hadi Sharifan

Volume 8, Issue 1 , April 2016, , Pages 37-56

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2016.59491

Abstract

In this article, the Eastern Iran defines a region where situated between northeastern (equal Khorasan Razavi Province) and southeastern Iran (approximately equal Sistan & Baluchestan, ... Read More

A Study on the Parthian Burial Traditions at Veliran Cemetery in Damavand, Iran

Mohammad Reza Nemati; Ali Sadraei

Volume 4, Issue 2 , February 2013, , Pages 103-121

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2013.32122

Abstract

Since the ancient times, burial practices have displayed certain characteristics among different Iranian ethnic groups and regions were influenced by the local religious orientations, ... Read More

Volume 15 (2023)

Volume 14 (2022)

Volume 13 (2021)

Volume 12 (2020)

Volume 11 (2019)

Volume 10 (2018)

Volume 9 (2017)

Volume 8 (2016)

Volume 7 (2015)

Volume 6 (2014)

Volume 5 (2013)

Volume 4 (2012)

Volume 3 (2011)

Volume 1 (2009)

Keywords = Parthian Period

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