Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Mohammad Reza Asgari 1
- Fariba Mohammadi 1
- Hassan Fazeli Nashli 2
- Barbara Helwing 3
- Hossein Davoudi 4
1 Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization of Qazvin Province, Qazvin, Iran
2 Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin and Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
4 Bioarchaeology Laboratory, Central Laboratory, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study investigates the absolute and relative chronology of the Bronze Age at Tappeh Shireh-Paz-Khāneh (Shiretal) in the Qazvin Plain, northern regions of Central Plateau of Iran, based on excavations conducted in 2015-2016. The site presents a multiperiod archaeological record, including Late Neolithic, Middle Bronze, and Late Bronze Age deposits. Despite the limited knowledge of the Bronze Age in the Central Plateau, particularly the notable gap from the mid-third to the mid-second millennium BC, the findings at Tappeh Shireh-Paz-Khāneh provide valuable insights into the cultural and social dynamics of the period. This research aims to document and analyze the archaeological features and pottery assemblage to establish a relative and absolute chronology for the Bronze Age phases represented at the site. The study will also compare the cultural traditions observed at Tappeh Shireh-Paz-Khāneh with those of contemporary sites in the neighboring regions, to assess cultural continuity and regional interactions. Methodologically, systematic excavation and stratigraphic analysis have been conducted to categorize artifacts and architectural remains. The typological and chronological frameworks will facilitate dating the artifacts, especially pottery assemblage, and constructing a timeline of cultural sequences. By examining these findings, this research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the socio-political dynamics of the Bronze Age in the region, shedding light on the transitions leading to the Iron Age and the subsequent Median and Achaemenid empires. Based on relative and absolute chronological evidence for the Bronze Age, the site was occupied during both the Middle and Late Bronze Age settlement phases. The estimated date ranges for these phases at this site are 2400–2100 BC for the Middle Bronze Age, and 1800–1700 BC for the Late Bronze Age.
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