Journal of Archaeological Studies

The role of Environmental Factors in the Location and Genesis of Parthian Sites in North Khorasan (Central Kopeh dagh-Aladagh Corridor)

Azita Mirzaye; Reza Mehrafarin; Seyed Rasoul Mosavi Haji

Volume 12, Issue 3 , December 2020, , Pages 327-347

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.255365.142550

Abstract

Geographic and environmental attributes of a given region assume a pivotal role in the formation and persistence of human settlements. Nature confers possibilities and resources on ... Read More Geographic and environmental attributes of a given region assume a pivotal role in the formation and persistence of human settlements. Nature confers possibilities and resources on human, who, as per his understanding of them, employs them in pursuit of his goals, hence the rise of human–nature interaction. The frequency of and the ways in which human settlements are established and the type of functions they serve with regard to environmental characteristics give rise to the ecology, which aims to grasp the scope of the interrelationships between humans and the environment. The present paper examines the scope of human-environment interactions in the Parthian period over the geographic extent of the central part of the Kopeh dagh-Aladagh corridor. The paper seeks to ascertain the local environment’s influence on the formation and evolution of Parthian settlements and to find out the pertinent settlement patterns in northern Khorasan. Given the environmental potentialities, what were the Parthians’ criteria for site location when establishing their settlements? How did these priorities affect the distribution of sites and their settlement pattern in the study area? The present paper represents a multifaceted research drawing upon archaeological survey, ecological studies, information processing in GIS, examining the relationships between natural and cultural variables and their impact on the formation of the contemporaneous settlements, and finally archaeological analysis. The study adopts an ecological and economical approach. In this context, ecological data on the relation between soil type, geology, flora, fauna, and water table or “biosorption analysis” have been used. Processual archaeologists use ecological systems as their basic model for observing the adaptive transformations humans in response to environmental circumstances as even small environmental alterations will have the potential to affect cultural structures. The Kopeh dagh-Aladagh corridor stretches from Garmab in western North Khorasan to the Mashhad plain to the east. For the purposes of this study, the corridor is divided into the following three separate parts based on geographic features that someway affect cultural aspects: a) Western part: extending from the beginning of the village of Garmab to the border of Shirvan County (Reza Abad), this part is characterized by a mountainous terrain with narrow passes such as Badranlu; b) Central part: in this part, defined by the beginning of Shirvan County (Reza Abad) and the end of Quchan County, the plains grow wider as the mountains begin to sit back; c) Eastern part: Chenaran County and the Mashhad plain mark the extreme boundaries of this part. The focus of the present work is on the central corridor, viz. the stretch delineated by the counties of Shirvan, Farooj and Quchan (Figure: 1). Geographically, the study area encompasses the structural valley of Atrak-Kashafrud, an expanse that is bounded by the mountains of Kopeh Dagh/Hezar Masjed to the north and the Aladagh/Binalud mountains to the south (Figure:2). This plain geomorphological unit exhibits a fairly wide and flat landform, and is principally affected by the sedimentary process of the flowing water bodies of the Kashafrud and Atrak rivers and their tributaries. Geomorphology, it consists of three main units of plain, foothills, and mountains. Its northern and southern sectors are mountainous, its slopes are characterized by foothills, and its central part consists of plain. Indeed, the mountainous quarters comprise small, narrow intermontane plains, which fall in the plain sub-class. The regional heights follow the northwest-southeast trend dictated by the general orientation of the Kopeh dagh zone. The Atrak and Kashafrud rivers rise from the regional mountains, forming two drainage basins. The archeological survey of the concerned area recorded more than 500 archaeological mounds and sites spanning the Chalcolithic to the Islamic period. Based on a comparative analysis of the surface pottery, 20 Parthian sites are distinguishable. It is notable that due to the lack of adequate knowledge of common Parthian pottery forms in the region, due caution has been exercised in the identification of these sites. These Parthian sites are divided between 16 examples lying in the northern half of the plain on the southern slopes of Kopeh dagh/Hezar Masjed and 4 instances that occur in the southern half on the northern slopes of Aladagh. As stated, a main objective of this study is to pin down the influential factors of the region's ecology in the formation of Parthian sites and their distribution in the geographic setting of the central Kopeh dagh-Aladagh corridor. To this end, such components as geology, altitude, slope gradient and aspect, climate, water resources and soil are explored. Finally, the results of the study reveal a close and direct correlation between the site location and the environmental factors (Figures: 3-10). The central Kopeh dagh/Hezar Masjed corridor on the north and Aladagh/Binalud on the south form an upland district hemmed in by mountains. Due to its mountain geomorphology, the area is generally dominated by cold, dry climate. In mountainous regions, slopes and valleys generally offer more advantageous conditions for settlement as the altitude variable prompts reduced temperature and increased humidity. Dropped temperature in warm seasons results in lowered evaporation of water resources, making water resources more easily accessible throughout the year. The choice of appropriate altitude as an influential factor in human activities has thus led to the concentration of Parthian settlements on the slopes dominating the plain. Choosing slopes provided the local populations with access to montane pastures, but also enabled them to exploit alluvial and fertile plains. The same strategy is still operative in the region, where, save for the cities that lie in the plain, rural settlements mostly sit on the slopes overlooking the plain. The distribution of the sites in reference to the slope gradient and aspect shows that, with the exception of F 0026, the Parthian sites lie in proper points of terrain ruggedness and slope gradient spectra, and their dominant slope aspect indicates the maximum use of solar heat in this cold region, with advantageous impacts on agricultural production and pastures. Given their location on slopes, the hitherto identified Parthian sites mostly occur on the spring-fed influent streams that flow into the Atrak, with no instances recognized along the latter. In light of the results from environmental studies, the altitude, slope gradient, easy access to water resources, and fertile soil served as the foremost factors governing the distribution of Parthian sites in the region as they were directly linked with subsistence. It is notable that while our environmental studies drew on the present-day landscape, the survey of the study area produced about 500 sites dating between the Chalcolithic to the Islamic period, and presence of this huge number of sites over this protracted timespan testifies to the fact that advantageous environmental conditions did prevail in the past.

The Recognition of Timurid Architectural Decorations on the Basis of Kamal Al-Din Bihzad Miniature Paintings

mehdi kazempour; mehdi mohammadzadeh; raziye heydari

Volume 10, Issue 2 , January 2019, , Pages 239-258

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.68543

Abstract

Visual evidences are considered to be the most important documents in history and especially in the history of Iranian architecture. There are different types of painting that they ... Read More

Explaining Structure, Function and Chronology of Moshkouyeh Kiln

Reza Nouri Shadmahani

Volume 11, Issue 2 , October 2019, , Pages 261-271

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.73181

Abstract

The archaeological site of Moshkouyeh that nowadays called Moshkin tape is located in northern part of the Iranian plateau, between the two historical cities of Rey in the north and ... Read More

Zoroastrians of Maybod (Yazd): A Historical Archaeological Perspective of the Two Villages, Mazra’e Kalantar and Asr’ Abad

Ruth Young; Taha Hashemi; Ashkan Pooryan Avvali; Sepideh Jamshidi Yeganeh; Zeinab Nazari Tehrani; Mohamad Hossein Azizi Kharanaghi; Hassan Fazeli nashli

Volume 13, Issue 2 , September 2021, , Pages 319-341

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2021.266881.142623

Abstract

A joint program by the University of Tehran and the University of Leicester carried out a first season of archaeological exploration of Zoroastrian societies in Maybod, Yazd province ... Read More

A Research on Zoroastrian Dakhmagozari Rituals Based on Architectural Structure Study of the Zoroastrian Dakhmas

rasoul ahmadi; Reza Mehrafarin

Volume 12, Issue 1 , May 2020, , Pages 1-17

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.264448.142609

Abstract

According to the Zoroastrian religious teachings, and in order to prevent the contamination of the four sacred elements of water, soil, wind and fire, dead bodies should be put in an ... Read More

A suggestion on the location of the islamic Torshiz city based on interdisciplinary studies (GIS, Written texts and archaeological data)

Mohammad Esmaeil Esmaeili Jelodar; Reza Heydari

Volume 12, Issue 2 , September 2020, , Pages 1-21

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.249157.142520

Abstract

One of the most important reasons for the formation of cities is their geographic location. Sometimes these particular geographic conditions themselves cause the city to be displaced ... Read More

Study and analysis of the chalcolithic period of Moghan plain based on archaeological data of yatag tepesi

Ali Karimikiya; Reza Rezaloo; Akbar Abedi; Ardeshir Javanmardzade

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2021.319501.142989

Abstract

The Aras river and other rivers in the Moghan region have played an important role in the formation of prehistoric sites. Although the Moghan plain has not received much attention in ... Read More

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Parthian History and Syriac Sources by Looking at the Impact of National Iranian Historical Traditions on Syriac Resources

Narges Asadpur; Kamaleddin Niknami

Volume 13, Issue 4 , September 2022, , Pages 1-20

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2019.289750.142782

Abstract

We are justlfied in our study of Iran’s historical period by the invisible and clear vestiges of the mysterious Parthian empire, which has piqued the interest of a lot of ... Read More

Gird-i Ashoan: The Geographic Span of Chaff-faced /Pisdeli Ware in the Late Chalcolithic in light of the Second Season of Archaeological Investigations of the Zab Basin, Northwest Iran

Mahnaz Sharifi

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2022.340765.143102

Abstract

Excavations at Gird-i Ashoan, an archaeological mound in Piranshahr County in the Lower Zab Basin, provided remarkable insights into cultural traditions characterizing the region in ... Read More

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Recognition of the Historical and Architectural Identity of Alaki Caravansary- North of Marand; the Study of Documents and Remains

Ali Nemati-Babaylou; Mahsa Saidi Mehrabad

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2022.344774.143137

Abstract

Most of the foreigners who entered Iran from European countries came from Caucasus Road to Tabriz and reported many buildings on their way. Alaki caravansary is one of the most important ... Read More

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Preliminary study and introduction of recovered armaments from Parthian catacombs at Vestemin, Kiasar, Sari, considering 2015, 2017, and 2018 excavation seasons.

Abdolmotaleb Sharifi Hulaei; Bahman Firouzmandi; Kamal-Aldin Niknami

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2022.340656.143101

Abstract

The contractor of the gas line transition from Damghan to Neka destroyed and recovered two tombs at 2014. The site is located 80 km south of Sari. Archaeological excavations led to ... Read More

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The settlement pattern of ancient sites in the southeastern Sub-basins of the Caspian Sea, from the Hydro geomorphological perspective

Afsaneh Ehdaei; Mehran Maghsoudi; Seyed Mohammad Zamanzadeh; Mojtaba Yamani; Hasan Fazeli Nashli

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.353608.143178

Abstract

The existence of water sources, especially rivers, is one of the most important factors in the site selecting. But from the past until now, the establishment of settlements by the rivers, ... Read More

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A Mineralographic study and elemental analysis of the Sasanian - Early Islamic potteries of Jahangir monument in Ilam, using petrographic, XRF, ICP and T.L Dating methods

Leila Khosravi; Mlad baghsheikhi

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.354447.143181

Abstract

no experimental studies using petrographic, XRF, ICP and T.L methods for analyzing Sasanian and Early Islamic pottery in Western Iran have been conducted. Therefore, the results of ... Read More

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Archaeobotanical studies in Feyzabad Site, in Aran-o-Bidgol City

Narjes Khan Fini; Reza Nouri Shadmahani; Mohsen Javeri; Mostafa Sarlak

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.356585.143190

Abstract

Archaeobotany is one of the interdisciplinary sciences in archaeology. Archaeobotany studies plant remains in archaeological contexts. Based on plant findings, it discusses topics such ... Read More

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Typology and Chronology of Pottery Findings in the Bagh-Bamid site of Sirjan from the Early Islamic Centuries to the Thirteenth Century AD

Zeinab Afzali; Sattar Khaledian

Volume 15, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 1-27

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2022.343725.143120

Abstract

According to written sources, the city of Beymand was one of the cities of Kerman province in the early centuries of the Islamic era. Beymand was considered to be one of the more important ... Read More

The study of Mining and Metallurgy in the Central Part of Bam County,, Based on Archaeological Surveys and Historical Sources

Nazanin Khojasteh behzadi; Farzad Mafi; Seyed Mohammadamin Emami

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.358920.143203

Abstract

Kerman region is one of the important mining regions in the world due to its huge and rich mineral resources. Bam County located in the southeast of Kerman had long ago become a center ... Read More

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Shell Vessels from Prehistoric Iran and Neighboring Areas

Abbas Motarjem; Parisa Naseri; David S. Reese

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.342641.143113

Abstract

Shell vessels are rare grave objects that have been found in many third and 2nd millennium B.C.cemeteries in Mesopotamia. Archaeological excavations in the Iranian plateau have yielded ... Read More

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

Seyed Mehdi Mousavinia; Hassan Nami

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

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

Abstract

According to the classical texts, Dara is an important city of the early Parthian period, which is located on the eastern borders of the Parthian Empire. This region has been documented ... Read More

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Continuity of Saljuq Architecture in Iran,, the Friday Mosque of Firdūs

Alireza Anisi

Volume 15, Issue 2 , December 2023, , Pages 1-1

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2023.366630.143239

Abstract

This paper examines in detail the little-known Friday Mosque (masjid-i jāmi‘) of Firdūs, located southwest of the Khurasan, which has had a key role in developing Saljuq architecture ... Read More

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An Analysis of the Role of Natural Factors in the Spatial Distribution of Castle Settlements in Ardabil Province Using GIS and AHP

parviz purkarimi; Karim Hajizadeh; reza rezaloo; behrouz afkhami

Volume 12, Issue 1 , May 2020, , Pages 19-40

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.261578.142594

Abstract

Castle monuments are one of the settlement types whose location, formation and space distribution are strongly influenced by natural factors and communicational factors. The present ... Read More

Explanation and Analysis of Bronze Pottery Making in Khorassan Case Study: Shahrak-e Firouze Site in the Neyshabur Plain

Hassan Basafa

Volume 13, Issue 4 , September 2022, , Pages 21-37

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2021.296601.142842

Abstract

The study of pottery production and organization in the Bronze Age helps us to know the cultural and technical characteristics. Knowing this issue is done by relying on production ... Read More The study of pottery production and organization in the Bronze Age helps us to know the cultural and technical characteristics. Knowing this issue is done by relying on production technology and recognizing the traditions used in pottery production, as well as by examining the possibility of exchange or trade and internal and external regional actions. Accordingly, it is necessary to know about the explanation and analysis of the Bronze Age pottery-making in the prehistoric settlement, especially in the Bronze Age. In Khorasan, we don’t have enough archaeological pieces of information about the Bronze Age and this area consists of many plains such as Neyshabur plain that this plain is one of the most important. The location and suitable environment of Neyshabur plain are the most important reasons for the development of human societies. The basis of this research is the construction of furnaces, production techniques, topology, and distribution of pottery pieces, which have been obtained during the 5 seasons of Shahrak-e Firouze archaeological excavations. Based on this, the process of producing pottery has been done outside the residential zone and has been formed centrally, such as large-scale industrial centers on the outskirts or adjacent to the settlement. Their production technology has also been selected and designed with the aim of mass production. The forms are simple and varied and are dated in a comparative approach in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, while in their development, the influences of the Bactria Margiana Archaeological complex (Oxus Civilization) are seen as the most important known culture of Central Asia in the Bronze Age. The similarities between the pottery traditions and, in a way, the specialized pottery production organization between the Neyshabour plain and Central Asia show similar traditions on a trans-regional scale. The results of this study show that the pottery making of Neyshabour in the Bronze Age has been associated with Central Asia more than the interior of the Iranian plate.

An Analysis of Structural Reasons for the Use of Bulbous Domes and their Prevalence in Iran: A Case Study of Shah Mosque in Mashhad

Zeinab Akbari; Javad Neyestani; Mohammadreza Nasiri

Volume 12, Issue 2 , September 2020, , Pages 23-39

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.260100.142585

Abstract

Bulbous domes are among discontinuous double-shell domes and has been developed in Iran since the middle of the 9th century AH/ the 15th century AD, concurrent with Timurid period. ... Read More

Southern Lake Urmia in the Iron Age III Period: New Evidence from Mahabad

Vahed Joolaee; Reza Rezaloo; Karim Jajizadeh Bastani; Behrouz Afkhami

Volume 15, Issue 1 , April 2023, , Pages 29-54

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.281524.142720

Abstract

According to historical evidence, during the Iron Age III period the southern shores of Lake Urmia were a place where many tribes lived, politically divided among small kingdoms whose ... Read More

The Typology of Rusa II’s Seal Impressions on the Urartian Bullae of Bastam

Maryam Dara

Volume 13, Issue 4 , September 2022, , Pages 39-70

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2021.325316.143025

Abstract

Urartiand ruled over the shores of Urmia, Van and Sevan Lakes in from about 9th to 7th centuries B.C.E. Bullae are among the smallest but most significant pieces of information they ... Read More

Research on the Advantages of Archaeological Materials Found in the Underwater Archaeological Survey of Bushehr Port

Hossein Tofighian

Volume 12, Issue 1 , May 2020, , Pages 41-58

https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.250382.142528

Abstract

According to the report of the Center for Marine Medical Studies affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences about the discovery of pottery fragments from the seafloor in the ... Read More According to the report of the Center for Marine Medical Studies affiliated to Bushehr University of Medical Sciences about the discovery of pottery fragments from the seafloor in the coastal waters of Bushehr Port, Department of Underwater Archeology, Iranian Center for Archaeological Research (ICAR) undertook to study and identify these cultural remains during August 2016. With the participation of professional divers, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences began scientific diving in the Persian Gulf. During the underwater archaeological survey, an area containing clay fragments in the seafloor was identified. The site is located 500 meters from the shores of Bushehr Port and at a depth of three to six meters. Underwater archeological studies of the coasts of Bushehr port in the Persian Gulf, cultural materials including Torpedo jars, small and large glazed crabs and fragments of pottery in the seafloor were identified. Among the cultural findings, a small number of Torpedo jars and more broken pieces of this pottery and several glazed potteries were collected. Torpedo jars and Turquoise glaze pottery are among the most prominent Sassanid pottery in the Persian Gulf that were shipped from Iranian ports to destination ports in the maritime trade. Determining the true nature of this historic site and its dating was one of the major impetus for underwater archaeological diving operations on these beaches, which led to the discovery of cargo from a historic ship from the Sassanid era. In this article, while explaining the underwater archaeology research program of Bushehr port, the discovered pottery of this study, including turquoise and glazed pottery as the most prominent Sassanid and early Islamic pottery in the Persian Gulf, will be discussed. The Sassanid position in the Persian Gulf maritime trade and the importance of trade in this historic period from Iranian ports to destination ports in the Indian subcontinent, the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf and East Africa are carefully considered.

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)

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