Parseh Journal of Archaeological Studies

Archaeological Survey of Chalcolithic and Bronze Age Sites in Southern Jazmourian, Qal’eh Ganj (Chahdadkhoda District)

Salman Anjomrouz

Abstract
Qal’eh Ganj is situated on the south of Kerman province, on the border of Sistan & Baluchistan and Hormozgan provinces. The first season of archaeological survey of this area has been carried out in 2016. This survey resulted in discovery of 66 archaeological localities dating from Palaeolithic to Islamic periods. In the present article, we try to determine cultural connection of study area with surrounding regions and it is the reason that we can present a relative dating for the prehistoric sites (Chalcolithic and Bronze Age sites). Based on the comparative dating, chalcolithic sites encompass two periods of fifth and fourth millennium BC that introduce cultural periods of southeastern Iran, respectively, Yahya VA, Mahtoutabad I and Aliabad. The Study of surface data from Bronze Age sites indicate a cultural connection between southern Jazmurian to areas of Halilrud Basin (Konar Sandal south), Soghun valley (Tepe Yahya) and Eastern Jazmurian (Bampur Tepe) and include a time range from late fourth millennium to early second millennium BC. There were found various stone structures in Bronze Age sites which suggests different functions including graves, residential spaces and water management systems. Based on dispersal of the Bronze Age sites and their strategic location as a connection between Bampur area and Persian Gulf, It assumes that the seasonal rivers and straits have had a role in bridging the two mentioned areas. The results of this research introduce the study area as an intermediate area for cultural linking between the eastern regions of Jazmourian and Halilrud Basin at Bronze Age and Chalcolithic period.
Keywords: Jazmurian Basin, Qaleh Ganj, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age, Southeastern Iran.

Introduction
Qal’eh Ganj is located on the most southern part of Kerman province. Chāh-e Khodādād is one of two districts of the present Qal’eh Ganj county, on the border of Sistan & Balouchestan and Hormozgan.
In 2016, the first season of archaeological survey and reconnaissance of county of Qal’eh Ganj has been carried out as a part of the Iranian National Archaeological Map Project in which the authors tried to clarify the cultural status of the region in different periods.
In addition to these purposes, the present research attempts to analyze the results of this research in order to identify regional and trans-regional connections and interactions with the neighboring areas.
Geographically, this region has a strategic situation because it appears to link three significant cultural zones of southeast of Iran (Mokrān, Persian Gulf and Halīlrūd basin).
This survey resulted in the discovery of 66 archaeological localities dating from Palaeolithic to Islamic periods. The sites are morphologically influenced by the geographical factors of their places that can be categorized into two different types: plain areas and highlands (foothill and mountainous areas).
Based on the surface data, 39 sites can be assigned to prehistoric times (Bronze Age and Chalcolithic period) matching the cultural sequence of southeastern Iran. Here, we aimed to answer two following questions: 1) what were the patterns of prehistoric settlements in this area? 2) How this area interacted with the other regions of southeastern Iran?

Data and Materials
In southeastern Iran, our information about the prehistoric times is limited to the old excavations of Iblis and Yahya. Recent excavations in Jiroft (Konar Sandal sites and Varamin), Tepe Vakil Abad in Orzouiyeh, Tepe Dehno in Shahdad have revised our knowledge about the chronology of the region which made us able to form a chronological frame for relative dating of the study area materials.
Based on this comparative dating, Chalcolithic sites include two periods of fifth and fourth millennium BC including three cultural periods of southeastern Iran.
In spite of chalcolithic site locating on both of plain and highlands, no Bronze Age site was found in the plain. Bronze Age sites only dispersed on highlands and seasonal river beaches expanding from the southern Jazmurian to northern Persian Gulf shores.
The stone fences and platforms, graves and remains of great stone architectural complexes are the shared elements of all the Bronze Age sites. We can suggest different functions for theses structure including graves, residential spaces and water management systems.
Chronologically, Bronze Age in this area coincides to cultural periods of Yahya IVB and Bampur I-VI in south eastern Iran. Unlike the chalcolithic sites which are located on both plain and highlands, we found no Bronze Age site in the plain, they all were scattered in the highlands.

Conclusion
Based on the relative dating, it is realized that the Chalcolithic settlements date back to fifth and fourth millennium BC presenting three cultural periods of southeastern Iran, respectively Yahya VA, Mahtoutabad I and Aliabad.
Bronze Age sites are dispersed on highlands and seasonal river beaches expanding from the southern Jazmourian to northern Persian Gulf hinterlands.
Regarding to dispersion of the Bronze Age sites and their strategic locations, the straits and seasonal rivers are considered as the natural corridors to link Jazmurian to the northern bank of Persian Gulf.
Based on the pottery evidence, a cultural continuation is evident from Bronze Age to early second millennium BC.

New Evidence of Beveled Rim Bowls from Kale Kub, South Khorasan Province

Mohammad Hossein Azizi Kharanaghi

Abstract
During the fourth millennium BCE similar wares used to produce and use in the extended area in Near East which is so-called Beveled rim bowls. Its importance is for high quantity and similarity in production techniques. Different studies on dating, function, and the main reason for the spread of this pottery style have been done. Although beveled rim bowls were found in many sites in west, south, south-eastern, and central plateau, hereby new finding from Kale Kub seems that this pottery style was spread in the more extended area than what we expect. Kale Kub is located in the eastern part of Iran, Southern Khorasan, and Sarayan county. In 2018, two trenches were opened in order to identify the stratigraphy of the high amount of beveled rim bowls in addition to other pottery styles belong to fourth millennium BCE which are already known in southwestern Iran. The current study would be clarifying the importance of the Kale Kub site for identifying the dispersal zone of Beveled rim bowl pottery style by an endeavor firstly foe the classification and typology of the potteries and then a comparison between the pottery style in this site with other sites related to this period. Also, we attempt to trace the possible routes for this pottery style to the East and the interaction between east and west of Iran. Pottery collection from the excavation in Kale Kub includes a high amount of beveled rim bowls, Banesh tray, and some other pottery styles which are well-known from fourth millennium BCE such as nose handle and spouted wares. Beveled rim bowls are over 15 percent of the pottery collection and other styles have a few quantities in the collection. In term of production techniques and style, Kale Kub finds are similar to those from southwest of Iran.
Keywords: Eastern Iran, Kaleh Kub II, Beveled Rim Bowls, Forth Millennium BCE.

Introduction
The first season of excavation at Kale Kub aimed to identify the stratigraphy sequence of this site, which has revealed the chronological sequence from fifth to late fourth millennium BCE. Cultivation and human activities in recent years resulted in disturbance in most parts of the site. Beveled rim bowls, Banesh tray, and other diagnostic pottery styles of fourth millennium BCE are the most important finds in this site. In addition to beveled rim bowls and Banesh tray, other diagnostic styles such as nose handle, spouted wares were found in Kale Kub that shows all styles belong to this millennium would have seen in the eastern part of the Iranian plateau. In modern Iran, these pottery styles are reported from the southwest, central Zagros, central plateau, and southeast, but from east and northeast just reported from Farhad Gerd which scholars believe that the reported pottery is not beveled rim bowl. Excavation in Kale Kub shows the extension of this culture to the east part of Iran. This site is located far from the well-known sites from this period in the west part of Iran and there are two deserts, Dasht-e Kavir and Lut desert, between this site and other known sites with similar pottery style increase the importance of finding the answer for this question that how this culture found its way to the east.

Conclusion
Inter-regional interactions had a significant effect on the movement of raw material and production in the extended area. Because of the geographical situation of Kale Kub at the east of Iran and the existence of metal mine in the region, this site possibly appeared as a supplier place in the interaction networks for the southwest of Iran during the fourth millennium BCE. The pottery culture which is prevalent in the southwest in this site shows clearly these interactions. To answer the question of how they were connected, we need more excavations and more information. The nearest sites with similar cultural features to the Kale Kub are Tepe Sofalin in Pishva, Varamin in central plateau; and in the southeast of Iran, Mahtout Abad in Jiroft, that both have about thousand kilometers are away from Kale Kub. This distance shows that there are highly probable some other sites between Sofalin and Kale Kub and also Mahtout Abad and Kale Kub that have not been identified yet. These two-direction routes (first, the southern boundary of Alborz mountain and north of Dasht-e Kavir; second, the southern part of Lut desert to the Sistan region and eastern parts of Iran), are the possible routes that connect the east to the fourth millennium BCE cultures of southwest in purpose of achieving the raw material. In the highlands around Kale Kub, copper mining evidence showing that these mines were used till late Islamic periods in the region as well. Also, this region has various types of opal. Kale Kub location between Afghanistan and inner part of Iranian plateau suggests that this site was formed on the way of lapis-lazuli movement routs from Afghanistan; also, the mines of turquoise at the Neishabur is near to the site. Although, finding the role of this site in the networks of fourth millennium BCE needs more information that will be revealed by more excavations but current evidence shows that this site had an exchange and production function in the trade in this period. It suggests that beveled rim bowls and other material culture from fourth millennium BCE (about 3600-3500 BCE) extended to the east from the central plateau and southern part of Alborz Mountain as well as northern side of Dasht-e Kavir.

Godin VI Painted Pottery in the Eastern Central Zagros

Sirvan Mohammadi Ghasrain

Abstract
The 4th millennium BC is one of the most important periods of the history. During the 4th millennium BC, the first urban societies were established in southern Mesopotamia and south-western Iran. Even southern Mesopotamia and southwestern Iran are among central regions of urbanization, but adjacent areas, particularly Central Zagros in western Iran, have played the main role in this process. Godin Tepe is one of the most important archaeological sites during the 4th millennium BC in western Iran which has main role in the urbanization studies. The excavation of this site and Seh Gabi in Kangavar shaped the cultural sequence of Central Zagros until now. Even this site has close cultural interaction with northern region such as Urmia basin during 5th millennium BC, but later in the 4th millennium BC, this interaction has changed from north to east and to the Central Plateau. The most significant characteristics of the interactions between Godin and the Central Plateau, is some fair painted buff pottery (Godin VI painted pottery) which is reported from the late chalcolithic period sites of the Central plateau (Sialk III6-7b). Regarding the existence of this painted pottery throughout chalcolithic period ( not only late chalcolithic) in the Central plateau and the absence of this ware in preceding period(Godin VII) in Godin sequence, it should be noted that the Godin VI painted buff ware is not local in Kangavar area. It has a foreign provenance that should be looked after in Central Plateau. Our methodology in this paper is comparison of this fine painted buff pottery from Godin VI period with the previous coarse ware of Godin VII, and with same ware of late chalcolithic period sites of the Central plateau. We do not believe in immigration hypothesis about this intrusive ware in Godin sequence. Obviously future studies will be needed.
Keywords: Prehistory of Central Zagros, Late Chalcolithic, Godin VI Pottery, Sialk III Pottery.

Introduction
The 4th millennium BC is one of the most important periods of the history? During the 4th millennium BC, the first urban societies were established in southern Mesopotamia and south-western Iran. Even southern Mesopotamia and southwestern Iran are among central regions of urbanization, but adjacent areas, particularly Central Zagros in western Iran, have played the main role in this process. Godin Tepe is one of the most important archaeological sites during the 4th millennium BC in western Iran which has main role in the urbanization studies. The excavation of this site and Seh Gabi in Kangavar shaped the cultural sequence of Central Zagros until now. The focus of our studies is on Godin VII-VI strata which overlapped somewhat with Uruk period in Mesopotamia. About this period and particularly those well-known Godin V rounded building, many papers were published. Our goal is to study the buff painted pottery of period VI (VI1). Comparing to the previous period (Godin VII) characterized by coarse and plain chaff tempered pottery, the fine wheel made pottery of period VI is an intrusive one. Noted that the same painted buff pottery was reported from the late chalcolithic period sites of Central plateau, Sialk III6-7b and Ghabristan IV (Fazeli et al 2013, Majidzadeh 1978, 1981). In contrast to Central Zagros where this buff painted pottery was introduced in period VI abruptly, in Central Plateau this pained ware was reported from the previous period (Sialk II-III). Also the Central plateau wares have more divers shape and motif comparing to the Central Zagros so our evidence showing that the original provenance of this painted pottery is in the Central plateau and not in Central Zagros. Noted that east of central Zagros and Central Plateau of Iran during the fourth millennium BC had a great interaction with each other that as a result such painted pottery was developed from the Central plateau to Kangavar.
Question, Research Method: As mentioned, the focus of this paper is on the fourth millennium BC and on the chalcolithic period strata of Tepe Godin and particularly Godin VI painted buff pottery (Levine and Young 1987, Young 2004, Rothman and Badler 2011, Moghaddam and Javanmardzadeh 2012, Wiess and Young 1975, Young 1969, Young and Levine 1974, Badler 1995, Mattews 2006). Godin tepe reached its maximum level of social complexity in the fourth millennium BC and has great interaction with neighboring areas and particularly the Central plateau of Iran.
This painted buff pottery is reported from the late chalcolithic period sites of the Central plateau of Iran. Our methodology in this paper is comparison of this fine painted buff pottery from Godin VI period with the previous coarse ware of Godin VII,and with same ware of late chalcolithic period sites of the Central plateau. Introducing this painted pottery in the Godin sequence abruptly, the occurrence of this ware not only in late chalcolithic period sites of Central Plateau but throughout the chalcolithic period and diverse shape and decoration of this ware in chalcolithic period sites of Central Plateau, demonstrated that this ware is related to the Central Plateau. It was considered as an intrusive ware in the eastern Central Zagros area such as Godin Tepe. Godin Tepe has solid cultural interaction with neighboring areas during the prehistory. During the middle chalcolithic period, this interaction was toward the north and particularly the lake Urmia basin. But in 4th Millennium BC this interaction was changed from north to east and to the Central Plateau.(Roustaie and Azadi 2017). This painted buff pottery is considered as a main evidence of this interaction. Future studies will tell us more about the eastern Central Zagros- Central Plateau interaction.

Conclusion
Introducing this painted pottery in the Godin sequence abruptly, the occurrence of this ware not only in late chalcolithic period sites of Central Plateau but throughout the chalcolithic period and diverse shape and decoration of this ware in chalcolithic period sites of Central Plateau, demonstrated that this ware is related to the Central Plateau. It was considered as an intrusive ware in the eastern Central Zagros area such as Godin Tepe. The main question regarding this fine painted pottery is about the sudden emergence of this pottery in the sequence of Godin and how it developed from the central Plateau and reached the eastern Central Zagros in the west of Iran?
We do not believe in immigration hypothesis about this intrusive ware in Godin sequence as those theory explained for Godin VII Plume ware at Central plateau. As noted at fourth millennium BC, Godin tepe at west of Iran reached its maximum level of social complexity and is one of the most important trade centers which has great contact and interaction with neighboring areas and particularly the Central plateau of Iran. This trend was started at Godin VII period and those plume wares of Zagros were reported from the Central plateau of Iran. noted that before Godin VII period and during the fifth and sixth millennium BC, west of Iran had great interactions and contact with the northwest of Iran. With the beginning of Godin VII period and specially Godin VI period, the direction of communication was changed from north to the east and the areas like the Central plateau become the main commercial partner of the western Iran at fourth millennium BC. Consequently, this fine painted ceramic was evidence of this interactions and communications. Obviously future studies and excavations will tell more about this fine painted ware in western Iran.

The Study of Petrography of the 4th Millennium B.C. Pottery of the Narjuiyeh in Jiroft

Yassin Sedghi

Abstract
The site of Narjuiyeh III is located on the eastern natural mounds of the Narjuiyeh village, from the west overlooking Halil River. Scattering of the fourth millennium BC, especially typical Aliabad type are visible on these mounds. Traces of illegal excavation are also available as pits and holes all over the site. Aliabad ceramics are pottery dating back to the fourth millennium BC (Chalcolithic) in the southeast of the Iranian plateau, first excavated and reported by Caldwell from Aliabad in Bardsir of Kerman, and then have been found and reported from fourth millennium layers of Tell Iblis (Iblis IV) which eventually became known as Aliabad Culture (Caldwell, 1967). Ali-Abad culture potteries (Chalcolithic age) dates back to the 4th millennium BC in southeast of Iran which the distribution of its potteries include the regions of Kerman, Balouchistan and Pakistan. Aliabad pottery in the south-east of the Iranian plateau is one of the most important and prominent pottery types in the Chalcolithic period (Eskandari and Mollasalehi, 2017), which for more detail understanding about this culture in addition to archaeological studies, requires scientific archaeometric analysis and methods; therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate, study and further understand the fourth millennium BC pottery of Aliabad culture from Jiroft’s Narjuiyeh III site and understanding the expansion of this culture by using structural and technical studies of pottery of this period. At the same time, it has been attempted to use the method of mineralogy (petrography) to get information about how to process the paste, clay type and used temper, conditions, heating and temperature of baking in the furnace, as well as the understanding of the origin of pottery of this area. Archaeological studies show that Aliabad culture in the southeast of the Iranian plateau was the dominant culture of the region in the fourth millennium BC. In this study, it has been attempted to obtain mineralogical information regarding pottery (Aliabad pottery) using library and thin section petrography studies. The polarized binocular microscope JamesSwift made in the United Kingdom at the Petrographic Laboratory of the Institute for Restoration and Conservation was used for microscopic study of the studied pottery.
Keywords: Archaeometry, Petrography, Aliabad Culture, Narjuiyeh in Jiroft, Southeast of Iran.

Introduction
From the textural point of view, the pottery was divided into two main categories of fine-grained and coarse-grained specimens. In fine-grained specimens, the components are less than 0.5 mm in size, and the components are finely crystallized in the texture of pottery. A group of pottery has immature silty texture. In the texture of these potteries, there are fragments of different sizes next to each other, and there is some clutter and disarrangement to the size of the minerals in the pottery. In terms of composition, all available pottery has the same composition and their difference are in the percentage of pieces in the pottery texture and their size. In all available ceramics, there are several minerals, including quartz, in the form of monocrystalline (monocrystalline) and polycrystalline, which are more abundant in monocrystalline form. This mineral has angular to semicircular margins indicating that quartz fragments have been added as secondary to the primary source. In some samples, minor amounts of plagioclase, pyroxene and amphibole with mica are observed. Mica minerals are mostly muscovite grains that are orange-colored, but sometimes orange-yellow muscovite grains can also be seen in the samples. This reaction is due to the change in the optical properties of the grains at a temperature of approximately 1000 degrees Celsius, which can be partially detected the temperature the pottery tolerated on during the heating process. In some samples igneous rock, chert and quartz rock fragments were used as fillers. In some pottery, calcite minerals can also be observed and used to detect its temperature range. Therefore, it can be concluded that due to the geology of the region and the presence of calcium carbonate in the sedimentary deposits of the region, the absence of calcite mineralization in some samples indicates that the temperature of the ceramics is higher than 800 °C, and in calcite-clay ceramics, the baking temperature of the clay is less than 800 °C (Reedy 2008; Riederer 2004). The two N9 and N7 specimens differ in composition from the other specimens. In these two samples calcite minerals are associated with the clay texture, whereas in the other samples this is not the case.

Conclusion
Based on the petrographic study of the pottery, it can be deduced that the source of the pottery studied was identical and their source material was from the same region in Kerman. However, the origin of manufacture and extracting of soil mines cannot be determined definitely, because the geology of the Kerman region is very large and vast especially the studied areas are in volcanic formations, which, the mineralogical composition and sequence of some of them are granite, granodiorite to quartz. Metamorphic, plagioclases, clinopyroxenes, and mica minerals and igneous and metamorphic rocks are within the geological family of the area, which exactly similar compounds can be found with the minerals in the pottery. There are also three different groups for these pottery: 1) Pottery with homogeneous texture. In this type of pottery, fragments and minerals are seen floating and scattering in the texture. 2) Pottery in the texture in addition to clay and fine minerals, phyllosilicate minerals (mica) exist in combination with the texture. 3) In these ceramics the combination of the texture of mineral carbonate calcium (calcite) together with the clay texture is visible, a situation not seen in the other samples. This indicates that the pottery used has different manufacturing techniques, therefore, several pottery makers have been involved in preparation and procurement of early paste and clay of the pottery. Pottery samples N5, N6, N7, N8 and N9 contain calcite minerals. It can be suggesting that the baking temperature of these pottery was less than 800 degrees Celsius. In the samples containing muscovite minerals, some of the grains show changes from orange to yellow, indicating that these ceramics have been sustain a temperature of approximately 950-1000 °C. Based on the results and even the buff-orange color of the ceramics, it should be noted that the analyzed pottery were baked in an oxidation condition and in a closed furnace. The type of baking and precision used in baking the pottery in high quality, especially the 4th millennium BC pottery, is very high, indicating that the technique used in baking pottery was also very professional. Some ceramics, such as (N1, N8, N9) have porphyry texture and in their texture quartz mineral, chert stone and igneous rock have been used as filler and temper. In most cases, the edges of quartz minerals are edged and sharp, which, indicates the use of primary soil and its paste processing and resultant of grinding of core and ore extractive mining because all fragments and sherds have sharp and angular angles as well. It should also be noted that there is no evidence of the use of organic materials as temper in pottery making.

The Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture The Formation a Concept: Khorasan

Mohsen Dana

Abstract
The Bronze Age Greater Khorasan culture is one of the most important protohistoric cultures of the Western Asia. This culture is characterized with its architectural remains with a pre-designed plan, stamp seals, compartment seals, chlorite statues, combined figurines, precious jewelry of gold and silver and so on. For the first time, the remains of this cultural complex were obtained from the sites in the Bacteria and Margiana. For this reason, these lands were introduced as its origin and this cultural complex became known with this name. However, some researchers place the origin of this culture in Khorasan, Iran. However, due to the fact that until recently no site of this culture had been identified in Khorasan, it remains arguable. The primary purpose of this study is to study, summarize and classify the works on this culture in the Iranian Khorasan that have been published in the last two decades. The results of this study, along with other findings of this culture, will be taken in the wider area of West Asia until the cultural world of the Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture became more widespread in the future. On this basis, it is necessary that the monographs and the small number of publications in this area be collected together and in the form of a collection and in this way, a new look will be taken at the issues related to this period. This research is based on the research of solid libraries. It has been assumed that the works obtained from the Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture in Iranian Khorasan, have some deficiencies compared to other regions, such as: the south of Turkmenistan and the north of Afghanistan.
Keywords: Greater Khorasan, Bronze Age, Bacteria and Margiana Archaeological Collection, Greater Khorasan Culture.

Introduction
The Bronze Age Greater Khorasan culture was first identified and introduced by Victor Sarianidi from the Dashli site in Bactria, northern Afghanistan (Sarianidi 1977). At about the same time, artifacts from this culture were found in the southern Turkmenistan from Margiana oasis (Hiebert 1994:165). The similarity of the material culture of these two regions has led some scholars of Bactria and Margiana to be considered as the nuclear of the formation of this culture. For this reason, the term Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex was given to this culture (Sarianidi 1990, Hiebert 1994). This culture is also known as the Oxus Civilization (Francfort 1989, Lamberg-Karlovsky 1994). Recently, artifacts of this culture have been obtained in Iranian Khorasan (Biscione & Vahdati 2020, Lunou 2018). Bactria, Margiana and Iranian Khorasan all are defined in the territory of a land that is close to two millennia known in historical sources as Greater Khorasan (Dana 2017). Cultural cohesion of Greater Khorasan is acknowledged by researchers (Yarshater 1997). Evidence of cultural integration in this land has been documented since pre-Achaemenid times (Vogelsang 1992); to the extent that D’yakonov believes in the existence of a kingdom in the eastern part of Iran, the center of bacteria in the pre-Achaemenid period (D’yakonov, 1954).
Objectives and Necessity of Research: The objective is to study, summarize and classify the works done on the Bronze Age of Iranian Khorasan in the last two decades. On this basis, it is necessary to gather the monographs and the publications on this area and this period so we can have a better understanding of this specific period in this region.
Questions and Hypotheses: What image of this culture can be presented in Iranian Khorasan, compared to other regions of this culture? It has been assumed that the works obtained from the Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture in Iranian Khorasan, have some shortcomings compared to other regions, such as: the south of Turkmenistan and the north of Afghanistan.

The Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture in Iranian Khorasan
Many sites in Khorasan Iran have been identified and a small number have been excavated. The excavated sites include Karim Abad of Neyshabur (Labbaf Khaniki 1381), Yusef Abad of Firuze town (Nishapur P) (Hiebert & Dyson, 2002; Lunou, 2018), Tappe Yam of Faruj (Venco Ricciardi 1980: 57-58), Shahrak- Firuze of Neyshabur (Basafa & Rahmati 2011), Tappe Damghani of Sabzevar (Francfort et al. 2014, Garazhian 2014), Ferizi site of Sabzevar was surveyed (Sabori et al. 1393), Challow Site of Jajarm (Biscione & Vahdati 2011, Vahdati et al. 2018), Tappe Eshgh of Bojnord (Vahdati 2014), Raze site of Darmian (Sorush & Yusefi 2014), Gavand site of Ferdows (Farjami 2014), Bakanda site of Tabas (Farjami 1394, Annani 1398). Also, many sites from this period were identified during the regional surveys including 15 sites in Atrak Basin (Venco Ricciardi 1980), 15 sites in Darregaz Plain (Kohl & Heskel 1980, Yusefi Zoshk & Baghizade 2012), 2 sites in Kal-e Shur Basin in Esfaryen (Vahdati 2015), 9 sites in Kal-e Salar Basin (Rezaei et al. 2018).

Conclusion
Unfortunately, the sites related to the Bronze Age of Greater Khorasan Culture in Iranian Khorasan have been little explored. It is very difficult to get into the socio-political organization and the relationship between these sites, as the archeological excavations in this area have not been carried out on a large scale and only a few activities have been carried out. It is not even possible to answer the question whether the graves uncovered with the cultural materials of the Greater Khorasan civilization belong to nomads or to the sedentary societies. Some scholars consider the works related to this culture in Iranian Khorasan are rare. However, unlike Hiebert and Lamberg-Karlovsky (1992), it should be emphasized that these sites are not rare and Khorasan of Iran should be included in the world of culture of the Greater Khorasan. The sites in the Greater Khorasan introduced in this article, are different from in eachother based on their function. These areas were cemeteries (Shahrak-e Firuze, Challow, Tappe Eshgh, Raze), residential (Shahrak-e Firuze, Challow, Tappe Damghani, Ferizi) and workshop (Shahrak-e Firuze and Challow) and of course, the use of some of these areas is also unknown (Karim Abad, Gavand and Bekanda).
With an overview of the 14 sites and areas introduced in this article, it is possible to imagine a core of the sites of the culture of Greater Khorasan within the modern city of Neyshabur. The core includes the areas of Karim Abad, Shahrak-e Firuze and Yousef Abad. If the boundaries of this border extend, the existing areas within the city of Sabzevar (Tappe Damghani and Ferizi) can also be added to this complex. In this view, Neyshabur is not considered as a city, but a geographical area and a land known as Neyshabur. With such a view, the remarkable point is the formation of an image that later in the Islamic era is known as the four divisions of Greater Khorasan. These four parts (quarters) are Marv, Neyshabur, Balkh and Herat. Each of these sections was the cultural and sometimes political center of the Greater Khorasan during the Islamic era and played a very important role in the cultural unity of Khorasan. Other sites discovered such as Raze, Bakanda, Gavand and Tappe Eshgh are more indicative of cemeteries and trade stations. As a result, the Bronze Age culture of Greater Khorasan in Khorasan Iran is a combination of one of the main cores of this civilization and trading stations with the western regions (Mesopotamia). The Desert marginal areas such as Bakanda and Gavand are located on the main trade route north-south and east-west which connected the main cores of the culture of Greater Khorasan to the western regions of the Zagros and Mesopotamia through areas such as Shahdad and Tappe Hesar.

Typology of Parthian and Sassanid Forts in Northern Khorasan and Determining the Position of the Region Based on its Cultural Interactions

Azita Mirzaei

Abstract
Greater Khorasan, which is now divided into six countries, in addition to its geopolitical importance, have great historical importance due to the formation of the Parthian State and then the powerful presence of the Sassanid Empire along with the expansion of territory and protection of borders against the invasion of the Eastern nations. Despite these reasons, there is little information on past events in the area in the historical and archaeological sources. Iranian Khorasan occupies a large part of the northeast and east of the country. Archaeological survey in the middle part of the Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh corridor in northern Khorasan has identified various sites from the Parthian and Sassanid eras. Among the identified ancient sites, sixteen architectural structures were identified in the form of a fort. Recognizing the differences and similarities between the architecture of the forts with each other and then comparing them with other similar examples inside and outside the borders of Iran, led to a better understanding of the fort-building styles and their grouping in this region. In this research, in addition to identifying forts and recognizing their architectural features, using remote sensing, ecological studies and the type distribution of forts from each other. This article emphasizes the socio-political role of the study area as the last border access to the central plateau of Iran.
Keywords: Northern Khorasan, Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh Corridor, Tappe-Ghaleh & Forts Parthian, Sassanid.

Introduction
To understand the cultural developments of the Parthian and Sassanid communities in the northern region of Khorasan, it is important to know the nature of the settlements of this period. In written sources, Greater Khorasan is often depicted on the northeastern edge of the civilized world. This region has always played a dynamic role in ancient times due to the function of the pathway and the connection of the East to the West in the field of population movement with the entry or invasion of nomadic tribes and cultural exchanges. The origin and emergence of the Parthian state, the development of eastern territories and the control of borders and communication routes, and the monitoring of trade were other reasons for the importance of this region during the Parthian and Sassanid eras. These subjects had caused the geographical-political-administrative boundaries of the two governments in Khorasan to be constantly changing.
Aims and Necessity of the Research: Typology of forts of Parthian and Sassanid historical periods in the middle part of Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh corridor is part of the purpose of writing this article, in addition to the identification of architectural styles and their comparison with other simultaneous examples in the territory of these two governments. The function of forts and their role in the socio-administrative structure presents their historical context and also highlights the importance of the studied geographical area in the political-governmental structure of the Parthians and Sassanids.
Research Questions: What are the architectural features of the forts during the Parthian and Sassanid eras? Is it possible to provide a relative chronology for forts based on architectural features? Did the form and shape of the forts affect their functional role? What was the position of the studied geographical area in the Parthian and Sassanid historical governmental structure?
The middle part of the Kopedagh-Aladagh corridor is located in the northeastern part of Iran and northern Khorasan and is based on the political divisions include the cities of Farooj and Shirvan in North Khorasan Province and the city of Quchan in Khorasan Razavi Province.
The first systematic survey was conducted in 1977 in the Upper Atrak area (from the western part of Quchan to Shirvan). Archaeological studies have been re-conducted by the author in the last two decades in the middle part of the Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh corridor. These studies led to the identification of various sites from the Parthian and Sassnid periods. These studies led to the identification of various sites from the Parthian and Sassanid eras. Sixteen architectural structures were identified in the form of forts. Recognizing their architectural features, differences, and similarities with each other and then comparing them with other similar examples inside and outside the borders of Iran, led to a better understanding of forts construction styles and their categories in this region. By studying the characteristics of forts, they can be divided into two groups according to their geographical location. 1- Mountain fort: Two mountain forts are located on the northern and southern slopes of the Middle Mountain Valley. The position of these two sites is very significant because they had complete control over the opposite plain and the surrounding area. 2- Plain forts: As it is clear from the title, this group of forts is in the plain but based on their physical characteristics, they are divided into three subgroups: a) single forts. b) a fort with a non-enclosed settlement area. c) enclosed settlements. All the structures introduced in the three groups of plain forts, despite the differences, also have common points with each other, which indicate the existence of a common style of architecture and its continuation from the Parthian to Sassanid period, and the differences can indicate the different functions of these structures.
The eastern borders of the territory of the Parthian and Sassanid governments have been one of the main gateways for the invading tribes such as the Scythians, Khyuns, Heptalians, etc. These attacks often occurred from three entrances. 1- Merv route to Mashhad-Neishabour, 2- Herat route to Taybad-Neishabour, and the third route was crossing the northern margin of Kopeh Dagh and entering from Gorgan to the central plateau of Iran. But in northern Khorasan, the Kopedagh mountain range, as a natural wall, has been part of this defensive system. The Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh corridor in the east-west direction has been a geographically enclosed and closed area between two wide areas, namely the Akhal plain in the north and the central plateau of Iran in the south. Therefore, due to this natural feature, it has played a deterrent role against the direct attack of the invading tribes on the central plateau of Iran.

Conclusion
By studying all the conditions affecting the subject of political-administrative, economic-social and military structures in the middle part of Kopeh Dagh-Ala Dagh corridor, it can be concluded that this region, in addition to having relative military security, economically meets the needs of the region’s inhabitants (although it was independent, but politically it had to be under the tutelage or part of one of the satraps of its time. Perhaps it can be argued that due to the density of Parthian and Sassanid castles and sites on the southern slope of Kopeh Dagh, especially their density in front of a passage in the north of Farooj city, was due to a political and administrative relationship with a city in the north of the region. According to archeological excavations and historical sources, the two important cities of Nisa and Merv from the Parthian and Sassanid periods in the north of this region have been the political center of the region. On the other hand, based on the interregional route, the northern and southern parts were interconnected, so the region may be politically subordinate to one of the two states of Parthia or Merv, depending on the time and government.

Ancient Mining and Metallurgy Activities in Mazayjan District, Fars Province

Hosseinali Kavosh

Abstract
Bavanat county, in Fars province, is very important in terms of mining activities, most of the active mines of Fars region are located in this county. Although various studies have been done by geologists in recent years in order to develop new mines as well as the role of mines in sustainable development, but in terms of archeology and ancient mining has been neglected, the only exception is the work of Emami and Bamshad in introducing only two mines. In 2015, an archaeological survey was conducted on Mazayjan and Markazi district which resulted in the identification of 200 sites from Neolithic to late Islamic period, in which 4 mines and 4 slag sites were identified. Since the survey of Bavanat county has not been fully done, more sites can be recognized by a comprehensive survey in this county by focusing on the identification of mines and sites related to ancient metalworking. The role of the ancient mining in the formation of settlements during different periods can also be investigated. The study of the relationship between natural resources and how they are extracted, used, exchanged and traded by ancient peoples will be fundamental and vital in archaeological studies. Recognizing the process of the metalworking industry will lead to clarification of the relationship between different stages in this cycle and a better understanding of the socio-economic effects of this industry in the context of cultural and historical developments in the Bavanat region. The current study tries to identify the evidence related to the cycle of metalworking industry by focusing on the results of the archaeological fieldworks in the Mazayjan district. What are the extracted metals and how was the extraction cycle? It seems that most of these mines were used to extract copper and iron metals. In this regard, the questions are about the background of the metalworking and mining industry in this area, what kinds of metal were extracted in this area, and how was the cycle of extraction and smelting process in the region, that appears the most of the mines have been exploited for copper and iron ore. Although little surface evidence has been found to date, a few pottery finds indicate the history of the Islamic and possibly Sassanid period.
Keywords: Fars, Mazayjan, Mining and Ancient Metallurgy, Smelting Technology.

Introduction
Bavanat county is located in the northeast of Fars province and consists of two Districts: central and Mazayjan. From the north and east, Bavanat is bordered by Abarkouh and Marvast in Yazd Province, by Sarchahan County in the south, by Safashahr County in the northwest. Khataban Mountain, with a height of 3482 m above sea level, has the highest altitude in the region, while the lowest altitude location is in the Marvast Plain with a height of 1670 m above sea level. Overall, the region has high altitudes and several water resources and drainage basins, such as rivers, springs, and streams. The most important water source in this region is the Bavanat River, which has a main role in the formation of the settlements. The Bavanat River flows from the northwest to the southeast. Two mountain ranges are located along other sides of the basin, and their arête is the water division line of this and other adjacent basins. The width of the valley is narrow, around 5 km, in the northwest, but widens to more than 10 kilometers in the southeast near Monj Village. In terms of geographical location, as this region is the border between the mountainous regions of Fars and desert regions of Yazd, the border separates two landscapes, making it particularly important. The first season of the survey was conducted in April and May 2015. It is attempted to determine the studied region according to natural geographical range without considering new political borders. To this end, Bavanat River Basin which is located in two central and Mazayjan parts of this county was fully investigated. Archeological research was carried out in a survey and intensive way to identify all sites and relics that reflect the activities of past human societies in the region.Four ancient mines and several places that the existence of metal slag indicates metallurgy extraction were identified as well.
The study of the relationship between land resources and how they are extracted, used, exchanged and traded by ancient peoples will be essential in archaeological studies. In this regard, the study of metal exploration, extraction of ore in different periods is of particular importance. The increasing development of new mining activities will lead to the destruction of a large part of the ancient mines, in this instance; almost the ancient mines of Jian are destroyed and the Rubang mine is being destroyed, in this case, with proper documentation and introduction of mines, this ancient heritage can be protected as much as possible. Due to the importance of paying attention to ancient mines, the present study was conducted in order to identify and understand the production cycle of ancient mining and metalworking in the Mazajan district of Bavanat county.

Identified Traces
Stein conducted brief surveys and exploration in Bavanat (Stein, 1936). Furthermore, Helwing and Askari investigated a number of sites in Monj as part of the ICAR survey in the Marvsat Dam basin (Helwing, 2007). The importance of this issue motivated us to conduct archaeological surveys in the central district and Mazayjan Rural District of Bavanat in 2015. During the research for this survey, 200 sites that dated from the Neolithic period to the late Islamic era were registered. These sites include mounds and ancient sites, historical castles, historical places of worship, mosque, bridge, cemetery, mill, petroglyph, ancient mines, and slag site. Four ancient mines and several places that the existence of metal slag indicates metallurgy extraction were identified as well.
Today, economically, mining-related activities in the Bavanat region have given it a privilege to be considered as a center in the country. Archaeological studies show that in the past, mining and metal mining have played a significant role in the economic and social structures and the formation of settlements.

Conclusion
Bavanat county has always been considered in terms of mining due to its geographical location, but so far it has not received much attention in terms of archeology and ancient mining. Archaeological survey conducted in 2015 and led to the identification of four mines and four slag sites, the main identified mines are related to copper and iron.
Extraction from mines includes two methods of underground extraction through tunnel digging and surface extraction through tracking of mineral lode in the ground. In Bavanat region, we only see surface extraction, so that miners have found natural lode on the ground and followed in a mine like Rubang, it has become a tunnel or the volume and width of the veins, such as Kan Gohar cave, are high, and by extracting them, today we are witnessing a change in the topography of this part of the mountain.
At the end, it should be noted that archaeological surveys in this area have not been completed in full, certainly with a comprehensive and targeted survey can identify many more mines and industrial sites in this area.

Southwest of Iran in the Sassanid Period (Based on the Left Groin Vaulted Buildings and Historical and Geographical Documents and Writings, 3rd to 9th Centuries)

Abbas namjoo

Abstract
Khozestan and Ilam, the two geographically important provinces have always been under consideration by all reigning powers of all history in Iran. The attention was not limited to one or two governments and the fortune was with them even written history due to the suitable geographical situation and the shared borders with Mesopotamia. Because of political, religious, ethnic, etc. reasons, the power epicenter stayed out of the southwestern part of Iran’s plateau in the time of Sassanid and Achaemenian for example. Sassanid, over four centuries of power in a vast area in west of Asia, had an especial interest toward the Persian territory. Significant cities of the time, such as Estakhr, Goor and Shaporkhoreh were established in this very region. The extra ordinary number of reliefs, common wealth buildings and fire temples (Chartaqi/ groin vaulted buildings) existing in the area is a witness to Persia’s distinct status. In this paper, based on historical and geographical documents and writings (inscribed between the 3rd to 9th centuries), groin vaulted buildings (Chartaqi) and many fire temples of this area, the mentioned attention has been taken under study. The research method is historical descriptive and through studying the literature and archeological documents (groin vaulted fire temples) and the study on the progress of groin vault buildings from south to north approaching the ancient Mesopotamian borders, and the references in most of historical documents to numerous fire temples of the area, it can be concluded that this piece of land had the equal value of the whole country to Sassanid and this field needs more excavation as far as the Sassanid are concerned.
Keywords: Sassanid, Groin Vaults, Fire Temples, Khozestan, Ilam, Peshtkooh in Lorestan.

Introduction
The biggest part of attention of the ruling perspective, spending huge budget of improvement, building magnificent cities, designing and building roads and buildings in Sassanid era, was devoted to the central territory, meaning Fars province. Founding big cities such as Goor (Firuz Abad), Shapurkhoreh (Bishapur next to Kazerun) and Estakhr signifies that the special attention being paid from the administrations to this area. Their predecessors, Achaemenian, had made their home and place to stay in Persepolis and Pasargadae. The area under study was taken to consideration with following Achaemenian but such causes such as keeping the throne away from western borders to maintain more safety, keeping more control over Persian Gulf and religious, racial and tribal motives were the main reasons of this attitude.
In the following study, the two sites of Khozestan and Ilam are scrutinized geographically and archeologically because of being situated in the same geographical crest. Although two zones of Islam Abad Qarb and Gilan Qarb, both located in Kermanshah province were forgone in order to establish a locale. Examination criterion has been set due to political divisions of the country. The study time expand is the Sassanid period and the population expand is the groin vaulted buildings (Chartaqi) as a practically religious structure.

The Fire Temples and Groin Vaulted Buildings in Khozestan
Sim Band Chartaqi: situated in north east of Masjed Soleiman and on the road to Shahid Abbaspour dam.
Keikavus Chartaqi: located in North West of Behbahan within 20 kilometers distance in a village of the same name. The exterior and interior (dome) had been about 12 meters in height. The building’s height is about 10.5 meters and the walls’ thickness –being made of stone and mortar- is 2.40 meters.
Kherabad Fire Temple: situated in east of Behbahan by 15 kilometers, it is overlooking the vast field of Behbahan. The bridge over the river is not visible from the distance.

The Fire Temples and Groin Vaulted Buildings in Ilam
Dare Shahr Chartaqi: In Seimareh valley, west of the archeological site which the locals call Plaster hills which is the progressive form of ancient buildings. (Lakpour, 2005: 86-127)
Julian Chartaqi: The remains of the ancient city, known as Julian in the mountain sides of Abdanan, one of the southern cities in Ilam.
Siahgal Ivan Fire Temple: It is located with a distance of 25 kilometers away from Ivan in Zarfeh, near the river Gangir and among the farming fields of the local people.
Moshgab (Sarableh) Fire Temple: in the ancient city of Sirvan or Shirvan in Moshkan Sarableh within 3 kilometers distance of Sarableh city.
Molab Chartaqi: This building which has been registered recently, is located in the east of Molab viledge with 5 meters in height.
Qajar fire temple in Dare shahr: This is one of the ruined buildings of Ilam which Wandburg introduced for the first time in 1977 in an article called the Chartaqi in Poshtkoh Lorestan in Iranica Antiqua and covered some more groined vaulted buildings of the region as well.
Tablkhaneh Chartaqi or Naqarkhaneh or Posh Erisht: This is built in a manner that the angels are oriented to agree with the compass. In 20 meters distance of the north east, the remains of some platforms are visible which can be signs of fire temples and holy fire.
Mayee Mah Chartaqi: Pashtil, is what remains probably from a compliment to a chartaqi. The dome and ceiling are almost gone and very little of the columns are left.
Koshk Qanifar Chartaqi: This one, also called Chahar Kaleh or Chahar pa is located within the distance of 12 kilometers Imamzadeh peer. It is in the form of square with the upper side of the dome, completely destroyed is currently now with 3 meters of height. The total height is about 7 meters.
Mehr-Varpeel Fire Temple: This construction was analyzed and studied in 1969 by Wanderburg during the fifth archeological excavations. It is situated on top of a hill, in 8 kilometer distance to the south of Mehr village.
Changineh Fire Temple: It is located in the center of a village in 22 kilometers of south east of Ilam, called Chahnjiha. It is not a complete square and each side has a dimension of its own.
Se-pa Fire Temple: Wonderburg studied Ivan from Sartang to Daruneh in his studies in 1970 and found a fire temple called Sepaa.

Conclusion
The present study has been conducted and compiled base on a rather lengthy report on historical data and the remained buildings with groin vaults from the Sassanid period known by many writings as fire temples. The aim and purpose was to change directions in Sassanid studies from Fars province to other directions. West of Iran, especially the southern parts as centers of gravity for the Sassanid with other reigning classes of the west and this area was constantly and seriously threatened by them. The Sassanid could not ignore nor neglect the destructions from the west and insult on its total authority. Thus, the use of religious buildings and related ones was taken into consideration as a serious measure. This is just but some of the existing monuments left in the area and the more western provinces such as Kermanshah are added, the more significance is added to the area during the Sassanid period.
But the west and south west, located in the western borders of the kingdom, also enjoyed an imperative and strategic state as well. The area that is today called the provinces of Khozestan and Ilam in south west and Kermanshah in the west witnessed a great deal of constant upheaval between Iran and West (Greece and Rome) in a manner that just with the two kingdoms of “ASHKANI” and Rome in this area the conflict lasted about 300 years. That is why they (the Sassanid) could not ignore this very area. Constructing the fire temple in Izeh which is mentioned in a lot of historical and geographical documents is one significant example of such. If from the southwest crest to northwest, one can be taken into consideration and study, the Chartaqi built in Poshtkoh in Lorestan to Iran and Dare Shahr, to south and Khozestan, denotes the geopolitical importance of the region for Sassanid.

Archaeological Investigation at the Urartian Sites of Bastam Castle Using Magnetics Method

Bita Sodaei

Abstract
today, the non-destructive geophysical methods such as Magnetometry used to detect the archaeological discoveries without harmful environmental effects that only use natural properties of the subsurface material. The 80 hectares Urartian Bastam Castle is one of three large castles in Urartu in northwestern Iran. Therefore, determining the actual boundaries of the castle can determine its location in the east of the empire. This study aims to better understand Urartian sites using new knowledge and new methods of studying archeology without the slightest interference with the site. Using magnetic methods, the study identified the subsurface structures of the ancient site of Qala-e- Bastam. For this purpose, magnetic data in a rectangular square grid were regularly collected in the desired range and after the necessary corrections of the data, topography and map of magnetic anomalies were prepared. The results show that there are regular and high-density architectural structures in the residential area. Architectural spaces have expanded in a West-East direction and along each other, and large and medium stone pieces with mud mortar have been used in the construction of architectural spaces. On the south side of the lower part of the castle, the remains of ash layers as well as the sidewalk floor can be seen, which indicates the existence of settlement layers in this area of the castle. On the western side of the castle and along the Aghchai River, part of the remnants of the water canal can be seen. This indicates that the people who occupied the castle, used the Aghchai River to provide their water needs. The castle was built by constructing a water canal made of stone and mortar.
Keywords: Urartu, Bastam Castle, Magnetics Method, Residential Area.

Introduction
The kingdom Urartu were destroyed around the middle of the 7th century BC, during or shortly after the reign Rusa Argisti. Rusa Argisti the last king of Urartu of any importance, had started a building and cultivation program not experienced in Urartu since the days of king Menua. It is visible in places like Karmir Blur, Basam Casle, Kerfkalesi/ Adilcevaz or Ayanis. Rusa Argisti’s empire many have covered Eastern Anatolia, large parts of Armenia, all of Iranian Western Azarbijan and large parts of Eastern Azarbijan.
Research and exploration of the remaining relics from the past has special importance in identifying the date, history and the identify of a country. Development and advancement of human knowledge have offered new methods for detection archaeological sites that by using them without the need for excavation and destruction of antiquities can be found useful information. Archaeologist need to investigate and explore the archaeological sites in order to find some evidence of human being living in ancient time, but we know the fact that exploring is destructive. On the other hand, exploration necessitates high expensive, and need many human sources. Now a day, a variety of sciences have helped archaeologist’s in discovering past cultures. These sciences that are formed by combining different sciences with archaeology are called inter disciplinary sciences. Archaeogeophysics is one of these sciences that is formed as a combination of geophysics and archaeology. Population growth and subsequently development of villages and cities, industrial life improvements and developments in agriculture has caused an increasing threat against cultured heritage. Anyhow doing swift investigations in order to obtain the pas cultures before industrial advances is an urgent need. One of the ways, that can help archaeologists in this way is archaeological prospecting. On the other hand, as archaeological prospecting methods are called drilling without drill, by using these methods archaeologists are able to obtain the needed data from below he earths surface without causing any destruction and mess in the site. Also these methods assist archaeologists in determining the priority of exploring location before a wide spread exploration. Using methods reduces he expense of archaeological actives and archaeologists can explore an archaeological spending a very short time and low expenses.
In this paper to investigate the subsurface structures of an architecture at the Urartian site of Bastam Castle in northwestern in Iran. The magnetic data were used. In order to this work, the magnetic data measured in a regular grid in the desired area and then after do corrections such as instrument drift correction, free air and slab Bougure, latitude and terrain corrections on gravity data and the daily correction, and reduction to pole (RTP) correction on the magnetic data, magnetic anomalies map were obtained.
Questions Research: 1.Using the magnetometer method can be identified the structure of architectural complexity in residential area of Bastam Castle? 2. what was architectural structure in the eastern part in of Bastam castle?
Aim Research: This research was aimed to identify and investigate the subsurface structures of architecture in residential and eastern part of the Bastam Castle archaeological site in Azarbaiejan, the magnetic data were used.Using magnetic methods, the study identified the subsurface structures of the ancient site of Qala-e- Bastam. For this purpose, magnetic data in a rectangular square grid were regularly collected in the desired range and after the necessary corrections of the data, topography and map of magnetic anomalies were prepared.
Method Research: A magnetometer measures the fine divergences in the terrestrial magnetic field causes e.g. by subsurface walls or archaeological structures. These divergences are diagrammed in grayscale pictures. For the present researches, in order to execute geomagnetic prospections, fields need to be defined, measured and staked off. Each of these fields are then walked off and measured with magnetometer in lines with as offset of.2.5 m to each other. After measuring, the data were exported, corrected, processed and converted in grayscale pictures with the software Magneto by Sensys. These grayscale pictures were hen exported as georeferenced geotif’s and were collected in QGIS, an open source GIS. In the same QGIS-project all data like the measurements were collected and put together to one project.

Councusion
The results show that there are regular and high-density architectural structures in the residential area. Architectural spaces have expanded in a West-East direction and along each other, and large and medium stone pieces with mud mortar have been used in the construction of architectural spaces. On the south side of the lower part of the castle, the remains of ash layers as well as the sidewalk floor can be seen, which indicates the existence of settlement layers in this area of the castle. On the western side of the castle and along the Aghchai River, part of the remnants of the water canal can be seen. This indicates that the people who occupied the castle, used the Aghchai River to provide their water needs. The castle was built by constructing a water canal made of stone and mortar.
As expected, the grayscale piture of the geomagnetic prospection shows wall structures in almost every filed, except the fields in the far north of the research area. The geomantic prospection completes the visible structures and show not only single walls or pars of walls, but furthermore connects single walls to complete ground plots of different houses. In some cases, even doors and therefore the way the houses were used visible in the grayscale picture of the geomagnetic prospection. Over the whole area, small but also bigger disturbances are visible.

Stucco Decorations at Bishapur Based on the Ninth Season of Excavations

Mosayeb Amiri

Abstract
Using stucco as decoration in buildings has a long precedent. Scrutinizing the surviving edifice from historical periods shows that the art of plastering has been methodical and has a special style since the Parthian era. These methods evolved in the Sassanid era and continued with nuance in the Islamic era. Our knowledge of the art of stucco decoration of the Sassanid period is mostly based on the excavation of several important sites of this period, including the historic city of Bishapur. Bishapur is the center of the Shapur-province which was considered to be one of the cities or the state of five states of Persia and it was established during the reign of Shapur I, the second Sassanid emperor. Manifold artworks have been found in Bishapour’s excavation such as unique mosaic paintings as well as plastering and painting on plaster, especially in the part of the royal citadel. Many of these findings which are some important artifacts and features, exploring in the ninth season of excavation such as the revelation of architectural spaces in the south of the mosaic porch in the part called “Royal Citadel” and stone objects such as mortars, Xunak: stone table, stone statues made of marble and decorative beads, glass kilns and pieces of glassware, pottery and metal. The most important architectural works revealed in the excavation are the corridors on the south side of the mosaic porch, rooms with plaster works’ niches, while some of them are painted and decorated with red ocher clay, plaster of the walls, and plaster of the floor of architectural spaces have been found in these rooms as well. The plaster artworks are mostly included the parallel strips that are used at the edges of niches and entrances. Gypsum mosaic porch decorations include plaster coating and painting on the plaster, as well as plaster works and remains. Considering that all these pieces belong to the Sassanid period, the main question in this research is: How were they made? The method of data collection has been done in two ways, fieldwork and by researching in the library in this article. Besides, the tendency in this research was to introduce and analyze these findings in the context of the plaster art of the Sassanid period in this historical city
Keywords: Sassanid Period, Bishapur, Architectur Decorations, Stucco.

Introduction
The city of Bishapur, with an area of about 155 hectares, is an enormous area where comprehensive exploration is impossible in a short time. The ninth season excavation program started on 22/05/2011 and lasted until 6/07/2011.
The most important objects found from the excavation were: Three pieces of human sculpture of a man as well as a piece of human sculpture of a woman, both made of marble. A significant number of archaeological findings in the ninth season of the excavation of the historic city of Bishapur were metal fragments. The metal findings based on the type of metals are iron, copper, and silver, in order of frequency respectively. In addition to these findings, several earthenware jars and pots of different dimensions are among the main objects of the ninth season of the excavation of the historical city of Bishapur. For the first time, in the same excavation season, all the pottery pieces founded in the excavation, have been collected, washed, and classified. The first category includes decorative objects such as statues and precious and semi-precious stones, which include ring agate stones and necklace beads, as well as turquoise stones; and the second category, including oil trays, mortars, and stone tables which is known as “Xunak” by the locals. There were also recovered many pieces of broken glassware along with a glass kiln during the ninth season of excavating the historic city of Bishapur. In the same season, manifold remnants of glass-making furnaces and mosaic pieces were discovered. The most important findings of architectural works include the corridors on the south side of the mosaic porch, rooms with bedside niches, which are sometimes painted and decorated with red ocher mud. Another finding in this season was plaster pieces which is the purpose of writing this article, is to introduce and classify these plaster findings.

Identified Traces
The ninth season of the excavation in the historical city of Bishapur focused on the south and west sides of the mosaic porch, and although in the development of the excavation and the pursuit of walls and spaces, the scope of the excavation was extended to the eastern boreholes; But most of the findings come from southern boreholes, especially the D-3, D-4, and D-5. In terms of plastering and decorations, these three boreholes were richer than the other boreholes.
In general, there are two types of indicator hypotheses about the construction of gypsum decorations; In the first hypothesis, it is believed that the plaster decorations in this area were drawn on the walls at once, and then the artist created his desired designs on the plaster with a tool similar to a scraper; But in the second hypothesis, it is believed that the plaster’s decorations were made in the form of molding and then installed in place. Given the available evidence, it is not wise to simply accept or reject any of these theories. Applying and combining these two methods was certainly not impossible, and the artists of the Sassanid period could create innovative and new methods in this field; Because it seems that in some cases the designs have been prepared by molding method and in some cases, the plasters have been applied on the wall at once; Thus, in Bishapur, the two methods of in-situ shaping and fabrication using mold can be considered as the main methods in performing plastering techniques. In the in-situ shaping method, after applying the gypsum paste on the desired surface, such as a wall or ceiling, etc., and the expiration of the gypsum setting to a suitable level that does not cause the gypsum to fall, the gypsum master forms the gypsum mortar. In the method of using the mold, it is done in two ways: in situ and prefabricated. In the in-situ method, gypsum mortar is poured into a one-piece or multi-piece wooden mold that has been pre-made, and in some cases, it is injected and after setting the plaster and kneading it, it separates the mold from it and the masterworks on its joinery. In the prefabricated mold method, all the parts are pre-made and the master connects them and after joining all the parts, he pays them. Gypsum pieces with geometric designs found from the ninth season of excavation in Bishapur are usually mold-making and do not have various shapes, and are usually spoon-shaped, in other words, tube-shaped. It seems that all these parts have been used to cover around the ledges, corners of walls, windows, and doors. Parts of this type of plastering around a ledge have also been found. Another example of stucco is “shell designs”. These pieces represent a bunch of bivalve mussels. The use of these parts is all as fillets next to the dome and porch as well as the corners of the rooms. These pieces were also made by molding and probably did this on the spot.
Other parts are plaques that are found in the form of broken pieces. These parts usually belong to the edge of the plate and are only one part of the center of the plate. The plaques sometimes have human motifs depicting kings, princes, princes, and gods, and provide valuable information for researchers in the analysis of political history, art, and archeology. The face of a king or prince was found inside a plaque in the Bishapur, the preliminary stages of which have been completed and the results will be published in the future. The designs of these gypsum boards are usually geometric and floral. The geometric patterns are mostly related to the square border of the plate. Several pieces of red and black colored plaster are also obtained, which are related to flat walls.
The artists of the Sassanid period could create innovative and new methods in the field of plastering; Because it seems that in some cases the designs have been prepared by molding method and in some cases, the plastering has been applied on the wall all at once; Thus, in Bishapour, the two methods of in-situ shaping and fabrication using molds can be considered as the main methods in performing plastering techniques, which are usually prefabricated parts made in two sizes; One of them is 12 x 12 cm and the other is 18 x 18 cm.

Conclusion
From all the discovered artifacts, little information can be figured out from the plastering around the ledges. Upper back injuries are more common than lower back injuries. These plasters consist of two categories; The first category is plastering that is prefabricated in parts that have been molded due to mass production and the findings of this category are more. The second category is plastering which is built on-site and this category has a greater role. From the first category, most of the stucco is found with a cross and spoon design, and from the second category, there are a little number of gypsum plates. In terms of shape and role, it can almost be said that role limitations are observed in the discovered samples and the designs are not very diverse. These parts had the least similarity with the parts discovered from other Sassanid sites.

Comparative and Aesthetic Analysis of form and Decoration in the Tomb of Abd al-Momen Habibabad; A Manifestation of Safavid and Qajar Wall Paintings

Abassali Ahmadi

Abstract
The Imamzadeh of Shahzadeh Abd al-Momen is located in Habibabad, 18 km northeast of Isfahan. This unknown tomb deserves attention because of its construction period, architectural features, and decorative arts. Decorative arrays, especially wall paintings, are of special importance, according to the time period, the existence of inscription, themes, the method of drawing, and the creators of art. In this article, considering chronology, plan and structure of the building, the decorations are presented, and as much as possible, content, and aesthetic analysis are discussed. The present study benefits from a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative approach, in addition to the field interpretations of the building. As the results of this study show, the Imamzadeh building was probably built during the Ilkhanid period. During the reign of Shah Abbas II Safavid and Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, repairs, constructions, and decorations were conducted in it. The main activities carried out in the Safavid and Qajar periods were the creation of decorations such as murals, moqarnas, and karbandi, among which the murals are significant. These designs are based on oil painting, and watercolor techniques and consist of a variety of geometric knots, Coffee-house (Qahvehkhaneh) motifs, flowers and brids, bush and flowers, and the Western views. The themes of the motifs and inscriptions of the building have been directly related to Shiite thought and the symbolic concept of the exaltation of the deceased soul.
Keywords: Ilkhanid, Safavid, Qajar, Tomb of Abd al-Momen, Wall Paintings.

Introduction
Architecture is one of the important features of art and civilization, which human groups has always been a great effort in the development of various aspects of that. Among the architectural subdivisions, tomb architecture has a special place and includes a special and significant part of the architectural remains of the past periods. Meanwhile, the tombs of the great men of religion and politics, especially the tombs of the Imams and their descendants, are of great importance in the Islamic architecture of Iran and the growth and expansion of decorative arts, architecture, applied arts, urban spaces. Similarly, in the origin of some towns and villages, have been important and influential factors. However, some of these monuments, which have mostly appeared in the building of Imamzadegan, are still unknown, and the need to identify and study. The Imamzadeh of Shahzadeh Abd al-Momen is one of such buildings that, despite the existence of various decorative arrays, the type, and the artistic value of them, has been neglected. Hence, this research introduces the building and studies the architectural forms and the evolution of architectural decorations. In addition, there is not any proper chronology for this building, as a consequence of the original building destruction, numerous repairs and constructions of especially the contemporary period. To properly understand the context of the studied decorations, chronology, and the evolution of the architecture of the building has been taken into consideration.
Abd al-Momen’s tomb consists of a courtyard, a mausoleum room with surrounding rooms and porches, a columned nave, and three openings on the north and northwest fronts of the courtyard. The courtyard has been used as a cemetery from ancient times to the present day, and there have been crypts as the house dead bodies. The decoration of the building in the outer part of the dome includes tiles, which have been done in recent years, but as mentioned, the outer covering of the dome had been decorated with tiles at the same time as the construction period. Another decoration of the outer space of the building, which was described earlier, is the muqarnas of the upper part of the western entrance of the dome. Interior decorations include murals and carbandi. Painting decorations according to the inscription belong to the Safavid and Qajar periods. Safavid motifs include knotted motifs under the dome, which contain various names of God, some verses and hadiths. According to the inscription, these motifs are related to the time of Shah Abbas II Safavid. Qajar murals are more diverse. These motifs include motifs of flowers and plants, flowers and birds, Hazrat Ali and Hasnain, and noon of Ashura and belong to the period of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar. The artist of these designs was Seyed Hossein Emami, one of the famous painters of Isfahan.

Conclusion
Considering the plan of the dome chamber of the building and its adaptation to the examples of the Ilkhanid period, it is possible that the building of Abd al-Momen was one of the constructions of the Ilkhanid period. As usual in many holy shrines and shrines, during the Safavid period (Shah Abbas II) and Qajar (Nasser al-Din Shah) repairs, construction and decorations were done in the building. Due to the destruction, the lack of archeological excavation, and the impossibility of peeling the walls of the dome chamber, accurate diagnosis of how the physical changes and how the components of the building in different periods, especially the shape of the dome chamber of the Ilkhanid period, is not possible. However, as it turned out, the dome chamber was one of the Ilkhani components of the building, and in the Safavid and Qajar periods, due to the special religious requirements of these two periods, other spaces of the complex have been added to it. The existing decorations belong to the Safavid and Qajar periods, and among them, murals constitute the main decorations of the building. Considering the concept and content, the use of these motifs, along with the decorative inscriptions of the building, has been directly related to Shiite thoughts like the depiction of heaven, and the symbolic concept of the exaltation of the deceased soul. In the meantime, the motifs depicting the event of Ashura along with Imam Ali’s tales, which was one of the most effective ways to transfer religious beliefs to the public, as one of the topics of interest to Qajar painters. These widely used motifs in the decoration of holy shrines and Imamzadegan of the Qajar period have a special effect in comparison with other existing examples of Iranian tombs, especially the examples in the tombs of Gilan which has the highest quantity. In one hand, the high artistic quality, the existence of the painter’s signature, the existence of the inscription, and subsequently being considered as the oldest example with the inscription of this type of motif in the tombs of Iran, shows the artistic importance of the motifs related to the Ashura of Abd al-Momen’s tomb, and on the other hand, it shows the influential role of Isfahan Qajar painters in the growth and expansion of such motifs.

Examining the Formal and Decorative Components of Safavid Arches as Evidenced by Contemporary Paintings and Miniatures

Mitra Shateri

Abstract
Arrows and arches are among the weapons of the Safavid period that, in addition to battlefields, have a special place in courtier and hunting ceremonies .Therefore, it is undeniably important to identify the arches of this period. A small number of remained arches and the scarcity of relevant resources have made them difficult to study, but to study Safavid arches, one of the most important documents of this period namely Miniatures ,can be used; Because Safavid period Miniatures were portrayed in a very realistic way in addition to aesthetic values. As a result of the war, various sites, including the arch, can be followed well. In addition to the introduction; classifying all kinds of bows and related tools, such as bow case and quiver, as one of the oldest and most important tools in the Safavid period is one of the main goals of this study. What are the types of answers to questions such as the arch and related tools in this course? What is the connection between their appearance and their function? And what decorative designs have been applied to the bows of this period? In this research, which has been done by the descriptive-analytical method and by collecting data as a library, comparison, analysis, and classification of arches are performed through 70 figures and the effect was drawn from the beginning to the end of the Safavid period. The results showed that at least four types of arches and six different types of quivers were used in different Safavid periods. Among them are the arches that were sunk in the center and had corners to the outside; more widely used and simple arches have been less useful. Among the types of motifs engraved on arches, commonly written inscriptions have played the most important role on the surface of arches, mostly in order to stimulate morale and the use of divine forces to defeat the enemy. Also, the role of bow or instrument related to it, such as archery ring, shows the importance of these objects in showing the authority of the Iranian court in foreign relations and its position as the official array of court men of this period.
Keywords: Bow, Bow Case, Quiver, Safavid Period, Safavid Miniatures.

Introduction
The bow and arrow was considered as one of the royal weapons in the Safavid period. Due to the nature of the bow, few examples of this weapon remain, making it difficult to study bows and other related devices. In this study, in addition to emphasizing the position of the mentioned war tool in the army and Safavid society, the bows attributed to this period were studied and classified, and the information was obtained through a review of historical sources and related travelogues; Moreover, a comparative study was conducted between 20 paintings and 3 index murals with the role of bows and related tools in the Safavid era, which were selected from 70 collected samples.
The purpose of this study was to introduce and classify different types of bows and related devices and to answer the questions: What types and patterns of use the bows and related devices in this period had? And what decorative motifs were used on the arrows of this period?
Research method: The information required for the research has been collected in the form of documents-library research and the data have been studied in a descriptive-analytical and comparative manner. The bow was one of the weapons with the string in the Safavid period. This toolkit has been used in wars and chases. The bow had a special place in the court structure of the Safavid period what we will examine in the following.

Safavid Period Bows
The bow had a special place in the military structure of the Safavids, and like the sword, it was one of the basic weapons. Carrying this weapon has also been an honor for the upper classes of society, and it has been part of the rituals in the homes of people from different regions.
Until the reign of Shah Abbas the Great, the weapons of the Ghezelbash were mostly bows and arrows. He made changes to the organization of the army to improve it, and one of the consequences was that the importance of using bows on battlefields diminished.
Bow and related devices: To use this weapon in addition to a bow, one needed arrows and supplies such as archers or shrapnel and the box.
Types of bows: Examining the drawings and comparing the shapes of the bows showed the image of the four types of arches in this period.
Bow decorations: Most bows were gilded with bright colors. Sometimes the bow was covered with Saghari leather. These measures also protected it from the effects of weather and heat.
The bow case: Due to the negative effect of moisture on wood, bows were kept in special containers called “the bow case”.
Quiver: Among the paintings of this period, six types of arrows can be seen.
Tailpiece: One of the most important and common tools related to the bow is the tailpiece ring also known as the tailpiece. This group of rings has become common since the 9th century AH.

Conclusion
Although there are few surviving examples of bows and related tools in the Safavid period, the study of historical texts and documents and drawings, answers many questions about this warfare. The importance of the role of paintings and drawings of this period in responding to the types of bows and related tools is clearly visible. Studies on the works of this period found that the classification of bows into two types of hunting and war is incorrect about Safavid bows.
Regarding the appearance of the bow and its related instruments, the studies performed showed four different types of bows and six different shooting patterns. Variety in the shape of bows raises the question of whether there was a connection between their appearance and their function. In response, it should be said that the different shapes of the bow were by no means the reason for its different uses, and the comparison of the bows depicted in the scenes of war, hunting, and court showed no distinction between the bows.
In the decoration of the bows, the colored colors and the painted Saghari leather had a special place and in this way, they were protected from the effects of weather and heat. As mentioned earlier; the handles and corners of the bow of “Shah Ismail I” were gilded with plant elements and two inscriptions were written on the surface of the bow, mentioning the date of construction and the name of the builder and religious verses and phrases. This is true of the decorations of the arrow box and fragments, and with more emphasis on the tailpiece rings, so that their presence, even in non-combat images, indicates their existence as part of the official accessories of the Safavid court men.