The geochemical information of the old mines such as lead isotopic ratios has a crucial role in understanding the origin of minerals, especially the evaluation of metal sources. This study was conducted to obtain a pattern or map of the geochemical information of Iran's lead, zinc and silver reserves. The previous studies on the provenance of Sasanian silver vessels from Quri Qaleh cave, showed the lead isotopic ratio of these vessels conformed to Nakhlak mine, but since these examinations were not done on other old silver mines, it was not possible to make a definitive conclusion. Today, in the archaeometallurgical studies and the determination of the origin, multicollector- inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (MC-ICP-MS) is used. And since these studies are done on a global scale and the obtained information is recorded in the world wide database, it is necessary to use a similar method to carry out these experiments until the obtained information can be compared with each other. As the measurement of isotopes of elements has many applications in various sciences, especially in geological studies, the analysis of lead isotopes is used for dating of ores, provenance of metals and defining a geotectonic environment for ore deposits. Therefore, the results obtained from these studies on the desired mines could be used to calculate the isotopic ratios of lead for provenance and the source determination studies. In this study, the lead isotopic ratios of some of the ancient silver mines in Iran were compared. Comparing the results of analysis of lead isotope ratios for a number of ancient silver mines in Iran showed that the difference in lead isotope ratios of lead, zinc and silver reserves in the zone and geological axes of Iran is such that it can be used in the origin of ancient metalworking sites that mainly contain lead, zinc and silver minerals.
It is a study of the microstructure of ancient materials that will be investigated using catholuminescence microscopy. The importance of
this method is in the identification of historical materials based on the observation and analysis of structures that are not observable in other
methods of microscopic studies. The cathodoluminescence properties of materials and their microscopic observation can be used both in the analysis of production technology and concerning the historical origin of materials. This study examined several samples of prehistoric and historic ceramics from Haft Tappeh, ChoghaZanbil, Persepolis and some stones from the Pasargadae foundation. The thermal regime and temperature of the pottery are determined based on the type of crystalline material in the pottery matrix and the phase changes during cooking, to interpret the technology and origin of the pottery. On the other hand, identification of the luminescence characters created by the minerals in the carbonate rocks of the Pasargadae and their similarity to the possible mineral rocks in the area (Abolverdi Mine), can provide useful information in identifying the origin of the rocks used in this building. To determine the microscopic applications of catholuminescence, all the materials studied were first studied using standard laboratory methods, such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal studies to determine the phase changes of crystalline and mineral phases and determine the firing temperature of the pottery. Complementary results based on catholuminescence microscopy indicate the observation of the process of crystalline changes and the heating of the pottery matrix based on the type and quality of the raw materials used and their similarities and differences in the pottery texture. Also, the observation of the microstructures of the rocks based on their mineralogy and microfossils which were contained in it and are not normally visible, provides useful information about the similarity of the types of stones used in the construction of Pasargadae with the rock outcrops from the mines around Pasargadae.
