The conservation and restoration of artifacts, including textiles, depends on understanding the characteristics and properties of the artifact. By increasing information about the artifact, decisions can be made with greater confidence and certainty about how to handle and preserve the artifacts. Fibers, as the main constituent of textiles, are an important part of the study of historical textiles, and answering the questions raised in the field of fiber technology and pathology can pave the way for the next steps in the conservation of a historical textile. The more and more accurate the information obtained in this field, the more accurate and reliable the conservation measures will be. In the study of fibers, a large part of the information is obtained using various laboratory methods and instrumental analysis and examining the surface and structure of the artifact. The diversity and multiplicity of these methods have made recognizing the advantages and limitations of each of these methods a key factor in study planning and experimental design. In this study, a woven flag belonging to the Onchi Meydan neighborhood in Ardabil city was subjected to laboratory studies. Despite the large number and diversity of samples, the identification of the fibers of this flag was carried out using flame and microscopic examination methods.
The Karim Khani Castle is a monument from the Zand era in Shiraz. In this building, a wall painting is one of the decorations, which unfortunately was hidden under a layer of plaster during the Qajar era, so many studies have not been conducted to identify pigments from the Zand era. The aim of the study is to understand the structure of pigments in the Zand period wall paintings in the Karim Khani Castle. The question raised is what kind of materials are included in the composition of these coloring materials.For investigation, FT-IR, SEM-EDS, and RAMAN instrumental methods were used. The findings indicate that the red pigment compositions included lead oxide (syringe) and possibly iron oxide (late), the blue pigment included ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli), and the green pigment included malachite (mountain green), which were applied on gypsum substrates and an oil-based compound was used as a binder.The pigments have a mineral structure and are durable, and despite the introduction of European oil paints in Iran, these color compounds have not been used in mural painting.
Over the past two decades, paleoparasitological research in Iran has expanded significantly in both scale and scope. Despite this progress, investigations across the Iranian Plateau have faced ongoing challenges, and relatively few findings have been published. One major limiting factor is the extensive degradation of biological micro-remains caused by the region’s prevailing climatic conditions, which are generally unfavorable for preservation at most archaeological sites. Notably, the most significant discoveries have come from exceptional preservation contexts, such as the Chehrabad salt mine in Zanjan, renowned for the discovery of the Salt Men mummies, has yielded a wealth of well-preserved biological materials. The high salinity and stable temperatures at the site have created ideal conditions for the survival of delicate micro-remains over millennia. These rare cases emphasize the importance of focusing excavations in environments more conducive to organic preservation. More recently, excavations at Shahne-Pushteh an Iron Age burial site revealed human skeletal remains, presenting a rare opportunity to analyze soil sediment samples microscopically from around the bones. The goal was to detect parasitic remains as indicators of health, hygiene, and diet among the site's ancient population.
Although no definitive internal parasite remains were found, several nematode larvae, mites, and a single palynomorph resembling an Ascaris sp. egg were observed. While not conclusive evidence of intestinal parasitism, these findings highlight the taphonomic processes that affect micro-remains. They also underscore the crucial role of environmental and soil conditions in the preservation of biological material in archaeological contexts.
