Journal of Archaeological Studies

Abstract Systematic excavations of 2012 and 2014 at the Early Bronze Age site of Kohna Shahar, situated in northwestern quadrant of West Azerbaijan Province, have brought to light new evidence. The available data on the pottery from the site comes merely from surface surveys, and no archaeometric and mineralogical analyses have been undertaken on its pottery assemblage. The sample examined in the present work consisted of handmade black-gray, red and yellow ceramics of the late third millennium B.C., which derived from a single stratum and a single phase (settlement phase 5), and was selected by virtue of the typological variations that existed between some of the red ware instances and those of black-gray forms. Accordingly, mineralogical analysis was conducted and the similarities and dissimilarities between the two groups, i.e. black-gray and red forms, were established. Results of thin-section petrography and x-ray diffraction suggested that the examined sample had a similar composition and mineralogy, with the entire specimen having been locally manufactured. Both groups of the ceramics were fired below 850°C, and merely differed from each other in terms of and firing technique.  

Abstract Following recent excavations at Falak al-Aflak, Khorram Abad, some evidences revealed indicating a fortification contemporary to findings of Babajan III, considering characteristic material culture of the region including "Genre Luristan" potteries, limited architectural remains, and comparison studies. The evidence, especially "Genre Luristan" potteries assign to Ellipi kinglet that governed Pishkuh-i-Luristan. Assyrian written sources, which report Sargon II expedition at 713 BC to western Iran, announce "Simaš" at west of Ellipi territory and nearby Median of further east. Present paper suggests the location of the fortification as Simaš following investigation of written and geographical sources. It could be the same Elamite Simaški at late 3^rd and early 2^nd millennia according experts and archaeological evidence.

Abstract This study uses background data collectd from a field work carried out in Boiniyoghon castle. Three seasons of excavations (2004-2007) revealed valuable remains from the Middle Bronze Age to the Safavid period. This paper at first describes briefly the process of excavation in the trench A of work place1 and then explains the appearance of the first millennium BC Painted Wares according their stratigraphic locations. At the end the distribution of the Wares caracterized here as Ardebil style were discussed. The relationships between Ardebil painted ware and triangular pottery of Hasanlu III is another issue which is addressed by present paper. Results obtained by this research shows that although in the lower lyers of trenches  there have been many forms and types of pottery reflecting cultural continuity of Iron III, but ceramic samples of upper lyers indicate a gradual changes from Iron III to the late Achaemenid and to the early Parthian.

Abstract Firuz Abad or Shahr-e Gur is an important city founded by Ardashir Papakan. Despite of researches on Gur and spatial structure of the city, there is ambiguity about function of its architecture especially one which is called "Takhtneshin". Some believe that it may be an Achamenid tomb, while others suggest it to have been functioned as Sassanid fire temple or Chartagh. For a comprehensive study, this research uses field material, historical written resourses as well as descriptive-analytical approaches. Data analysis indicated that the structural patterns of so-called Takhtneshin categorized here as "nine domes structures, can be regarded as a ceremonial building functioning throughout the Sassanid period.

Abstract Laran County in Highland Zagros in Bakhtiari region consist of two major rivers; Karun and zayandeh Roud and Perhaps one of the few areas of the country that has not witnesed archaeological activities. According to Geographical location and ecological capabilities of the region, it is essential that to know which environmental factors Influence to create, bumping or contribute abandoned sites? This study carried out with descriptive and analytical methods to analyze and classify data using GIS and SPSS software. By examining environmental factors we determined that pasture and water seasonal resources have the greatest impact on the creating and sustaining sites. Four clusters were determined through cluster analysis and classified the sites to have been acted as temporary settlements with the animal husbandry and limited farming.  subsistence economy.

Abstract Central Zagros and its eastern regions have relatively a favorable environmental condition for the formation of ancient settlements. One of these regions is Malayer intermountain plain that is located in the vicinity of Hamadan, Nahavand and Boroujerd. According to archaeological evidence, beginning of the setteling in this plain is Chalcolithic period. However, recent studies have identified several sites of the Neolithic in the region. The present study examined the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age settlement pattern in the southwest of the region. The research is based on the study of archaeological data obtained from the fieldwork of the region. For achieving considered goals, we have used and analyzed geographical information, using Arc GIS 9.2 software and then, for interpretation of data, Excel software was applied. By establish a data bank for the study, which is in the form of geographical information system, we carried out analysis on spatial distribution of the sites. Study of the neighborhoods cultures impact based on archaeological data is the other issues in this research. According to the comparison of data it can be said that cultural interactions have been between the central Zagros region and Kangavar plains. Analysis of the data has also revealed a linear model of sites distributed along the rivers and irrigation canals.

Abstract The present paper intends to highlight excavations on cemeteries and the situation and condition of burial corpses to figure out the social behavior of the human past in the south-eastern civilization of Iran during the third millennium B.C. The tradition of burying the dead bodies in the ancient region of south east of Iran is not clearly determined. It is due to the limited number of excavated cemeteries and their distribution in this region. However, the Shahdad's excavations, Mahtoutabad, Khaje Askar, 14th Bampur Graveyard, and especially the Shahre Sokhta as a world heritage site cantina the most complete reports enable the writer to investigate ancient cemeteries in the region. Statistical data provided from the Shahre Sokhta cemetery between 1999-2009 field seasons were used as baseline information and analytical framework to study the burial traditions of the past millennia in the South East of Iran.

Abstract One of the main goals of Harsin archaeological survey in the Gamasiab River Basin has been to understand the cultural relations of the basin with the adjacent plains and areas during the Chalcolithic period. For which, during a survey season a total of 23 Chalcolithic sites were identified. The existence of different pottery remains from early to late Chalcolithic in the area indicated various settlements distributed across the plain which can be regarded to have had suitable condition for human occupation migrated from western Mahidasht during the 5^th to 3^rd millennium B.C. Moreover the eastern Basin of Gamasiab River in the Central Zagros Area itself has formerly been in use by the ancient societies due to its special natural and geographical features such as high mountains, flat plains and irrigated valleys. This paper attempts to investigate the cultural changes of Harsin area during 2500 years of cultural process by introducing and analyzing the archaeological data of Harsin plain in the chalcolithic period.

Abstract Shah Abbas Safavid period can be known as the golden age of textile industry-art in Iran. During his government, he provided the necessities for growth and development of textile in Iran more than ever by supporting the artists and also inviting them to develop the textile workshops in different cities such as Isfahan, Yazd, Kashan and Qom. At this time, the cooperation of painters and weavers led to create fabrics such as brocade, woven wire, Cashmere and Calico fabrics that are masterpieces of textile art. Two famous styles in the textile of Safavid period were formed under the leadership of Khwaja Ghiyāth al-Dīn Naqshband Yazdi, and another one by the help of Reza Abbasi. The analysis shows that the most important score in this period compared to other periods is the high proximity of art painting with textile industry and changes in painting design compared with previous periods. Accordingly, this research which its aim is practical and also descriptive-analytical in method, is trying to examine and analyze the causes of development of textile in this period, its characteristics and its features by using historical resources, meanwhile the study of a number of remaining samples.

Abstract Ancient metallurgy is one of the technological processes were seen from discovered natural native copper in Tappeh Zagheh (6^th millennium B.C.). It was continued progressively in Tappeh Ghabrestan (5-4^th millennium B.C.) by melting, molding and alloy-making followed by Iron technology in Tappeh Sagzabad (1^st millennium B.C.). This research aims to investigate the archaeometallurgy of Qazvin Plain in Iron Age II period through studying the metal samples discovered from the Iron Age burials of Sagzabad. Analytical approached such as ICP-MS, SEM-EDX and metallography were used for alloy identification and provenance studies as well as microstructure analysis and metalworking technology. Chemical and microstructure analysis of the samples demonstrates the presence of basic copper alloy with high percent of nickel, cobalt, Iron and some other elements which reveals an uncontrolled technology. It also shows that samples have been treated with hard-working followed by annealing. Results of trace element analysis of burial samples revealed that there could be a same provenance for most of them, but a notable point is the presence of two metalworking technologies with different metallurgy level and different provenance in the late 2^st millennium B.C. and early 1^st millennium B.C. (Iron Age II) in Qazvin Plain.

Abstract Unlike the king himself, the identity of other figures carved out of Sassanid reliefs has mostly been controversial. This study attempts to resolve one of such controversial discussions on the identity of two Sassanid equestrians depicted on the Fīrūzābād I relief and thus on other Ardašīr I's reliefs. In a bid to cast light upon obscured Sassanid genealogical topics, the heraldic concept has been taken to the better understanding of Sassanian’s descent in the course of investigations. To the best of the present author's knowledge, historical texts (mostly Arabic sources), numismatic evidence and visual analysis of ornaments probably related to ranks were all employed for this purpose. In some cases, however, the author was forced into an argumentum ex silentio against his will due to a lack or shortage of historical evidence. There are two premises central to this investigation: first, the fact that the early Sassanids followed the lead of the late Arsacids in several political and cultural aspects, and, second, the existence of a sort of a heraldic system in both early Sassanid and late Arsacid periods.

Abstract In the fourth Millennium BC, as the societies became more complex and with the formation of Uruk culture and the sophisticated social and economic mechanisms behind it, we are confronted with the different forms of cultural, social, political, and economic interactions among societies in the southern and northern Mesopotamia as far as Anatolia and Syria. Despite varied hypothesis, the precise mechanism of Uruk material dispersal and the intercultural impacts or influences in this period are still unknown to us. On the other hand, contemporary with the final phase of the distribution of Uruk period’s material in Syria and Anatolia, another waves of movements with different mechanism were happening in the southern Caucasus and northwestern Iran. Interestingly, between theses waves of movements, in some geographical spots such as eastern Anatolia or western Iran, the interaction or collide of theses traditions are demonstrated. Study and examination of the dissemination mechanism of Uruk culture, and its interaction with Kura-Araxes cultural tradition in theses interaction spheres are the issues that we address in this article.

Abstract This paper demonatrates an Epistemological approach to the concept of material and meaning in archaeology. The starting point and the basic objective of this article is briefly concentrated on the epistemological analysis of very key concepts of material and meaning in archaeological studies. The interpretations and inferences of archaeological studies in this way have been based on material cultures as “archaeon” and production of meaning as “lost logoi” and “Lost or absent archai”. Archaeology in this respect as the inferential discipline in a very inevitable way is engaged with both material and meaning in their particular sense: Material as Cultural material or any material those could help archaeological interpretations as well as archaeological inferences to production of meaning introduced here as lost and absent meaning.

Abstract Considering the boom in the agricultural productions in the plains of Susiana, it seems that the proto-Elamite economic system is similar to that of feudal societies. In such a system, chiefdom organization and religious power had maintained a large part of capital resources such as land and water. But there have been evidence indicated that the exploitation of these resources have been awarded to other peoples. At the beginning of the Proto- Elamite texts some signs are visible but they may not convey a specific meaning, most researchers describe them to have been symbols for the economic enterprises. Firms that were related are partly to the system of production, distribution, service and trading systems. Some economic texts contained documentary signs indicating that economic activity is evidence and signs might be implemented by the above mentioned financial authorities. This may parallel with governmental institutions of Proto- Elamite, but as were witnessed from the texts in the beginning of this period these institutions coordinated the economy of the society. In this paper, the economic texts of Proto-Elamite on the tablets were studied and the evidence of corporation’s activity is investigated by providing some related examples.