Journal of Archaeological Studies

A castle is one of the types of architecture that has been the guarantor of the security of the human society based in it due to its enclosure. Although providing security is the main ... Read More

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Finding Zoroaster: Feasibility Study of a ConnectionBetween the Iron Age Cultures of South Central Asia and Zoroastrianism

Seyed Mehdi Mousavinia

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 07 October 2024

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2024.379180.143278

Abstract

Zoroaster is one of the most prominent and influential figures in the history of ancient Iran. Despite the importance of comprehending Zoroaster’s life history toward abetter understanding ... Read More

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The Relocation of Hormuz Dar al-Molk to Jarun Island and its impact on the development of The road network in The Northern Hinterland of The Persian Gulf

kazem Omidi; tayebe rahimi; mehran rezai

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 26 January 2025

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2025.382216.143296

Abstract

The relocation of the administrative and political center of the Hormuz Kingdom from coastal Hormuz to Jarun Island was one of the significant events influencing the political and economic ... Read More

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Archaeological Studies on Sgraffito-Type Pottery Production Workshops in Iran (9th–14th Centuries AD): Insights from Archaeological Excavations at the Aghche Rish Site, Northwest Iran

mehdi kazempour; Yadolah Heydari Baba Kamal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 31 August 2025

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2025.399060.143365

Abstract

For several centuries (9th to 14th AD), Sgraffito-type pottery was widely distributed across a vast region, including Iran, the Caucasus, Anatolia, Eastern Europe, and Transoxiana. ... Read More For several centuries (9th to 14th AD), Sgraffito-type pottery was widely distributed across a vast region, including Iran, the Caucasus, Anatolia, Eastern Europe, and Transoxiana. Based on the typological studies of Grube and Allen, this pottery tradition is classified into five main groups—Simple Sgraffito, Splashed Glazed Sgraffito, Champlevé/Garrus, Agh Kand, and Amol—each named after geographic locations in Iran where examples were first identified. Despite this established classification, our knowledge of the actual production contexts—workshops, kilns, tools, and technological processes—remained speculative, relying mainly on unverified accounts from antique dealers. No systematic archaeological investigations of production sites had previously been undertaken. These gaps raise significant research questions: How did Sgraffito pottery technology develop over a span of five centuries? Which styles represent earlier phases, and which embody the latest technical innovations? To address these questions, I initiated fieldwork in 2015 in the southern part of northwest Iran, a region historically rich in ceramic traditions. Surveys identified more than 20 sites containing substantial Sgraffito pottery remains. Among them, the site of Aghche Rish was selected for excavation, marking the first archaeological project in Iran devoted specifically to uncovering Sgraffito pottery production workshops. Excavations revealed a complex dating from the 9th to 14th centuries AD. Finds included multiple pottery kilns, extensive quantities of Garrus and Agh Kand wares , residential structures, workshop buildings, kiln-support tools such as bars and tripods, glass bracelets, 10th-century coins, tombs, and a historical cemetery. The presence of both domestic and industrial features provides valuable insight into the organization of pottery production and the daily lives of the craftspeople. This article first examines the workshop activities at Aghche Rish, offering rare archaeological evidence of Sgraffito production in Iran, and then presents a detailed typological analysis of the pottery assemblage, contributing to a deeper understanding of its technological and chronological development.

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Identification and Study of the Paved Roads of Mazandaran in the Late Islamic Period

Mahdi Khalili; Seyyed rasool Mosavi haji; Morteza ataie

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 31 August 2025

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2025.397298.143358

Abstract

The province of Mazandaran has played a pivotal role in northern Iran's political, economic, and cultural development due to its unique geography and strategic location. The imposing ... Read More

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Site Size Hierarchy and the complex chiefdoms in the Bampur Valley during the Chalcolithic Period (4500-3900 B.C) سلسله مراتب محوطه ها و خان سالارهای پیچیده در دره بمپور در دوره مس سنگی (4500-3900 پ.م)

Hossein Moradi; Zahra Rajabioun; Hossein Moradi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 September 2025

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2025.383347.143304

Abstract

دره بمپور در جنوب شرق ایران در استان سیستان و بلوچستان قرار دارد و پیشینه مطالعات باستان شناسی در آن ... Read More دره بمپور در جنوب شرق ایران در استان سیستان و بلوچستان قرار دارد و پیشینه مطالعات باستان شناسی در آن به دهه 30 میلادی و حضور اشتین در منطقه باز می گردد. دره بمپور یکی از مناطق مهم در جنوب شرق ایران برای درک فرایندهای فرهنگی پیش از تاریخ به حساب می آید. مطالعات جدید باستان شناسی در این منطقه شامل بررسی فراگیر باستان شناسی آن در سال 1390 است که در آن 122 محوطه از ادوار مختلف فرهنگی شناسایی شد که 48 محوطه آن مربوط به دوران مس سنگی است که مهمترین محوطه آن تپه چاه حسینی می باشد. علاوه بر آن 47 محوطه کوچک و بزرگ دیگر با اندازه های مختلف نیز شناسایی شد که وجه اشتراک بیشتر آنها حضور سفالهای یحیی VA علاوه بر سفالهای محلی، سفال علی آباد و نوع میری کلات II است که تاریخ آنها به 4500 تا 3600 پیش از میلاد باز میگردد که این تاریخ گزاری بر اساس مطالعات جدید باستان شناسی در نقاط همسایه با دشت بمپور همچون کرمان و مکران است. محوطه های مس سنگی شناسایی شده غالبا اندازه های کوچک کمتر از سه هکتار داشتند. برای درک برخی پیچیدگی های تصمیم سازی در این جوامع محوطه ها با استفاده از نرم افزار آماری SPSS به سه گروه تقسیم شدند و سپس با استفاده از سایر روشهای سنجش آماری فاصله آنها از یکدیگر نیز سنجیده شد که نهایتا ارتباط معنا داری میان اندازه محوطه ها و سلسع مراتب آنها را نشان میداد. For a better understanding of the various aspects of complexity and site size hierarchy, the relationship between site size and the distance of each site from the others was analyzed using SPSS. Consequently, the correlation between them was calculated by Pearson R and regression tests. Ultimately, this analysis demonstrates that examining distances and sizes is meaningful.

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