Abstract
The Zab River basin contains the cities of Piranshahr and Sardasht in West Azerbaijan and parts of the city of Baneh in Kurdistan. The Zab River rises from the Northwest highlands of Piranshahr and after joining many branches passes through the highlands of Alan in Iran and enters Iraq. The extension of this basin is a relatively vertical strip along the Iran-Iraq border and the Little Zab River. Its orientation is Northwest to southeast and from west to east. The Zab Basin is located in an area with a cold and temperate mountainous climate, a Mediterranean rainfall regime, with average annual temperatures between 11.7°C and 13. 3°C and, 700 ml annual rainfall (Hojabri et al 95). This article tries to answer the question of how the cultural relations between this point and other areas of the presence of the late bronze culture have been established by studying the cultural materials belonging to the late bronze cultural tradition in Akhoran tepe. Also, what was the chronology of the stables? The results of archaeological excavations led to the identification of a late Bronze Age camp. The study of Akhoran cultural materials also indicates the presence of a late bronze pottery tradition. Studies and relative chronology of pottery showed that most of the cultural interactions and influences were with Hasanlu regions and outside the borders of Iran with Anatolia and Iraqi Kurdistan. The present study is based on archaeological excavations and then library studies and with a descriptive-analytical approach tries to introduce new pottery of the late Bronze Age.
Keywords: Northwest of Iran, Late Bronze Age, Zab Basin, Akhoran Tepe, Archaeological Excavation, East of Anatoli.

Introduction
The Bronze Age is considered to be the beginning of major social changes in the early third millennium BC. The Hasanlu VI period or the Middle Bronze Age covers from 2100 to 1700 BC (Danti 2013:332 .Table 17.1). During this period, multi-colored and painted wares were commonly used in large parts of Azerbaijan (Dyson 1969). Hasanlu VI ceramic designs were in crossed, checkered, and triangle forms (Dyson 1965). The simple painted pottery, which is the characteristic of the Middle of the 2nd millennium BC, is the same as synchronously identified dishes of Khabur from Northern Mesopotamia and South West Turkey (Dyson 1969: 43-44). Our information on late bronze age in northwest Iran is quite limited. Hasanlu V, is of great importance in this region, but the period has been given relatively little attention. We therefore selected Akhoran Tepe for excavation with the goal of closing this chronological gap in our understanding of Iranian prehistory.
As a local center, the Zab basin generally witnessed the alternation of contacts and conflicts, as is evidenced by the varying patterns in the distribution of recorded sites. Unlike what is characteristic of Mesopotamia and southern Iran in the fourth millennium BC, it has not yet produced any traces of extended settlements and social complexities. 
Previous studies have illustrated that northwest Iran maintained contacts with regions south of Caucasia and the valleys hemmed in by the Aras and Kura rivers to the north, the Central Zagros to the south, and eastern Anatolia and north Mesopotamia to the west via mountain passes. 
Recent archaeological data from the adjacent neighboring regions has corroborated this observation. Therefore, serious investigation in the region has the potential to shed light on broad cultural interactions and evolutions in the middle and northern Middle East. 
The data from Akhoran is thus of considerable importance in this respect, and can improve our understanding of regional and inter-regional interactions. A foremost purpose of this paper is to look into the ties and connections between Akhoran and northwest Iran as a whole, and to explore intra- and inter-regional interactions.
One of our fundamental problems in North West Iran was the lack of excavations, with little information about the Archaeology of the region. The current paper focuses on Akhoran Tepe since we have had a little knowledge about the late Bronze Age in the Little Zab River. 

Archaeological Background
North West Iran has a particular Archeological importance since it accumulates different prehistoric periods. The area is also important from the point of view of Archeological literature since it is at a crossroad facilitating the passing of nations and trading. With regard to the history, the basin is among those that attracted the attention of domestic and foreign scholars at the dawn of professional Archaeology in Iran (Motarjem Sharifi 2014: 50).
A long-lasting Hasanlu Project started by the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania in 1956 under the guidance of Robert H. Dyson, is the most significant work carried out in this basin (Dyson, 1968; 1969). On the other hand, the work at Yanik Tepe, the Northeastern basin of the lake began in 1960 by Charles Burney that furnished important details, among them the identification of the Trans-Caucasian culture’s infiltration into Northwestern Iran (Burney 1961; 1962; 1964). Indeed, earlier excavations conducted by Burton-Brown at Geoy Tepe, in the same basin, had uncovered evidence of the Trans-Caucasian culture at Level K (Burton Brown 1951). Later excavations by Burney at Haftvan Tepe brought to light further aspects of the Bronze and Iron Age cultures.
This region experienced the Middle Bronze culture known as Urmia ware with monochrome and polychrome pottery. Danti divides the Middle Bronze Age into three periods (Danti 2013: 332).
We also know about the Urmia ware in Haftavan VIB. Investigation and recognition of the Urmia ware was carried out by Edwards (Edwards 1983).

Conclusion
Akhoran can well supplement the limited dataset at hand for Hasanlu V. An important point about this site is the absence of the middle bronze material culture. Tepe Akhoran is one of the sites with deposits of the Late bronze age within the prospective reservoir of the kani sib  Dam. The main objective of this excavations is to establish the cultural sequence of the site. Other aims include dating the most important settlement attested at the site, and pinpointing the subsistence system of the late bronze age community that occupied it. The nature of the settlement and material culture of the Hasanlu VI period in Dinkhah Tepe and the limitation of the Khabur pottery to the southern areas of Lake Urmia strongly suggest that during this period, people from Mesopotamia migrated to the Ušnu- Solduz valley (Danti et al 2004.584).  In the Piranshahr area, excavations at Akhoran Hill provided evidence of a new bronze tradition in the Zab Basin.
The most important cultural material of the Akhorn  in  late  bronze age is  potteries, which is produced in a simple and painted sherds. The pottery from Tepe Akhoran is comparable to the material coming from the, Azerbaijan and the Anatoly. 
The pottery is decorated with geometric patterns. The shape of the dishes is more inclined to closed-mouth dishes. Also, what the data of Akhoran excavations show indicates the cultural relations of this region with other parts of the Urmia Lake basin, including Hasanlu, and outside the borders of Iran, the areas of Anatolia and Iraqi Kurdistan. This area may be geographically more inclined to Anatolia. 

Abstract
The Chalcolithic Age is one of the most important prehistoric periods in Iran. The transformations of this period in the Central Zagros have emerged in continuation of the Neolithic period.  One of the important areas of Central Zagros, which had many settlements related to the Chalcolithic era, is Silakhor plain in the north of Lorestan. Despite the cultural richness of the Silakhor plain during the Chalcolithic Age, no purposeful study has been conducted to clarify the Chalcolithic status of this area. In this regard, in order to clarify the settlement models of the Chalcolithic era of Silakhor plain, this study is presented, which is a summary of Ahmad Parviz’s archaeological studies and purposeful studies by the researchers, In the present study, the authors have tried to find the answer to the following questions: What were the settlement models of Silakhor plain in the Chalcolithic era? How can the changes of settlement models in the old, middle and new periods of the Chalcolithic era of Silakhor plain be analyzed? It seems that several factors including water resources, altitude of Silakhor plain and state’s roads have been effective in the formation of settlements in this area during the Chalcolithic age. Studies conducted in this plain so far have shown 80 ancient sites related to the Copper Stone Age. Some of these sites involve all three periods of old, middle and new Chalcolithic era. The spatial data collected in this research have been studied by GIS science studies method and implemented in ArcGIS 10.3 software. The basis of these studies is the distance of each settlement area from the nearest river and its altitude level from Silakhor plain. These maps have been implemented in all three periods of old, middle and new Chalcolithic Age of Silakhor plain. 
Keywords: Central Zagros, Silakhor Plain, Chalcolithic Age, Settlement Models, GIS.

Introduction
The Chalcolithic Age (mid-fifth millennium to late fourth millennium BC) is one of the prehistoric periods which has witnessed important transformations such as population growth, enhancement of the quality of pottery, the use of copper metal, improvements in the quality of settlement construction and so on.  Some scholars consider this period to be a continuation of Neolithic transformations and some consider it as being independent of other periods. Archaeological studies conducted over the past few decades in the Central Zagros region have shown that this area has seen an increase in population during the Chalcolithic period. This increase in population is inferred from the number of archaeological sites recorded in this period compared to the previous period (Neolithic). Of course, the studies indicate that archaeological studies conducted in connection with the Chalcolithic Age of the Central Zagros, have focused mainly on the Gamasiab River Basin.
Silakhor plain has a suitable situation geographically and climatically.  The flat plain and fertile soil along with sufficient water resources have caused us to see a large number of ancient sites from the Neolithic period to recent centuries. Despite the conducted studies, so far no purposeful studies have been conducted to analyze the residential and settlement situation of the Chalcolitic era of Silakhor plain. In this regard, the researchers, while exploring the studies conducted in this plain, have re-examined the ancient sites of the Chalcolithic era of this plain. Since the area of Silakhor plain is located in Boroujerd and Doroud counties and covers a large part of the north of Lorestan province, in this research, this plain is divided into two parts, north and south, the northern part of which is in Boroujerd and the southern part is in Dorud city. In order to study the situation of the settlements of Silakhor plain more accurately, its northern part in Boroujerd city has been chosen. 

Findings
The chronology of the Chalcolithic age of Silakhor plain and the east of Lorestan is also influenced by the chronology of the Gamasiab river basin and the Kangavar valley. The study and identification of the archaeological and historical monuments of this area has been done recently by Ahmad Parviz in 2006 and the review of the researchers in line with this research has been done in 2016.  In this study, according to Godin chronology, areas related to the chalcolithic age during three periods of old, middle and new era are studied. Sites are evaluated by the ArcGIS 10.3 software after being located on elevation maps through their Universal transverse Mercator (UTM).  In this evaluation, the altitudes of the area compared to the average altitude of the northern half of Silakhor plain and also their distance to the nearest rive, are examined. In the studies performed, it has been determined that 80 sites are belonged to the Chalcolithic age of the northern half of Silakhor plain, some of which include all three periods of old, middle and new Chalcolithic era.
 Of all 80 Chalcolithic Age sites in the study area, 25 sites are related to the old period. These areas are mainly distributed in the central parts and in the plains.  Most sites are at altitudes between 1,500 and 1,600 meters above the sea level.
Of the 80 Chalcolithic Age sites in the study area, 31 sites are related to the Cenozoic Ages. These sites, like the old period, are mainly distributed in the central parts and in the plains. Most sites are at altitudes between 1,500 and 1,600 meters above the sea level.
Of the 80 Chalcolithic Age sites in the study area, 42 are related to the Cenozoic period. These areas, like the old and middle periods of the Chalcolithic Age, are mainly distributed in the central parts and in the plains. Most sites are at altitudes between 1500 and 1600 meters above the sea level.

Conclusion
In this study, it was found that the number of old, middle and new sites of the Chalcolithic Age in the northern half of Silakhor plain (Boroujerd) are 25, 31 and 42 , respectively. This indicates that the Copper Stone Age in this area has developed in a growing trend (in terms of the number of settlement sites). Increasing the number of settlements in this area paves the way for future transformations in the next period (Bronze Age).  Therefore, the beginning of urbanization in this area has had a strong and evolving introduction to the Chalcolithic era.
On one hand, the study of maps prepared in ArcGIS software shows that the vast majority of sites in all three periods in the Chalcolithic Age are located at an altitude of 1500 to 1600 meters (average height of Silakhor plain is 1500 to 1600 meters) and in the area of Silakhor plain.  On the other hand, the analysis of the distribution map of the Chalcolithic sites of this area shows that the settlements of this period have been formed depended on the water resources (rivers).

Abstract
In determining the boundaries of Qara Tappeh Sagzabad and Tappeh Qabristan in July 2016, evidence of a cemetery in the east of Qara Tappeh and southwest of Tappeh Qabristan belonging they revealed to the Iron Age 2 and 3 under sedimentary layers. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons of excavations, we got valuable findings in trenches 13 and 12 on the site. Among these findings are two tablet-like objects, one of these two objects, made of stone with a rectangular shape and light gray with a length and width of 12.5 × 18 cm and a thickness of 2.8 cm with circular blind holes, The holes made in four vertical rows and nine horizontal rows to a depth of 1.4 cm on one side of the object. We found the object in Grave No. 8 of Trench 13. Another example is a broken part of a gray rectangular clay object measuring 5.1 x 5.86 cm long and 2.81 cm thick with six circular blind holes 2.2 cm deep. We excavated this object from Trench 12. The two objects in question are comparable to the specimens found from Kul-Tarikeh, Haftavan Tappeh, and specimens unearthed from the neighbors of the Uzbeki archaeological site and the Sialk cemetery in the first millennium BC. This article examines these objects in terms of morphology and compares them with other similar findings, and it is likely that these findings, based on other examples and examples from older periods, are a kind of tablet for counting games; First by placing the findings in the archaeological context and comparative comparison with contemporaneous sites and then measuring the results with earlier examples of these findings in other archaeological sites, a preliminary proposal to use a counting game or board game for objects provided.
Keywords: Iron Age, Sagzabad, Qara Tappeh, Numerical Tablet, Boardgame.

Introduction
Since the first archaeological excavations in West Asia to the present day, thousands of types of objects have been discovered from archaeological sites, and researchers have proposed various approaches for the functional interpretation of each object. Among these approaches has been a comparative comparison of the findings with other similar findings and an understanding of the functional concept of the object in the archaeological context. Examples of objects found over a long period from the Late Neolithic period to the Achaemenid period and later in various areas from Egypt to Central Asia have been called game boards. In the excavations of the 2018 and 2019 years seasons in the Qara Tappeh of Sagzabad, similar findings were obtained with these samples. Initially, the findings were assumed to be a common type of board game in ancient West Asian cultures. Further study in this field revealed that unfortunately, no correct definition of the board has been provided in the archaeological literature of West Asia and different these forms from the Neolithic period to the first Islamic century (7th century AD) in this region known or registered. Therefore, the samples were compared with objects called board games, and a suggestion was made to use them. Thus, first, the desired findings and the texture of the place of their discovery are described, and then a brief review of the type of cultural materials called game boards done, and finally, the desired materials analyzed and we make comparative conclusions. Based on this, these findings can be near-certainty examples with the use of counting games. The two morphological objects found in the Qara Tappeh excavations can be like the examples from the findings of the West Asian sites, which are known as game boards in the archeological cultures of the region. For this issue, the two fundamental questions of this research will be in the following order.
1- What is the use of the previous samples in terms of morphology that are like the findings of Qara Tappeh Seghzabad?
2- What kind of Function can the two objects found in Qara Tappeh Sagzabad represent?

Identified Traces
Qara Tappeh is one of the key sites of the Iron Age in the center of the Iranian plateau. Two special findings have been obtained, which are like ancient game boards. The relative and absolute chronology show that these two objects belong to the first millennium BC. Game boards are among the archaeological finds found in large geographical and cultural areas of West Asia and North Africa and the Indian subcontinent, simultaneously with the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, and the Mesopotamian Dynasty, Egypt up to the Achaemenid period, Perhaps the oldest examples of this are, for example, what introduced by Hole (1977: 215) from the Neolithic site of Choghasefid and Kirkbride (1966: 34) of Beidha and Rollefson (1977) of the Ain Al Ghazal. Various other types of game boards with The Game of 20 Square, The Game of 58 Holes, Senet, Mehen, Mankala, Nine men’s morris, Backgammon, and Chess have been introduced from ancient cultures. With certainty, examples of Qara Tappeh can be one game of 58 holes. This game Rule is less well known, but the overall morphology of the game shows that this board Has been a kind of racing game, pieces like pins could be inserted into the holes of the board and move along a certain path according to the number of dice poured, the name of the game is a description of the appearance of the game but always the number of holes on the board Not equal, it thought that this game invented in Egypt during the ninth to twelfth dynasties (2100 BC) and has been widespread in Egypt since the late third millennium BC. Has found. This game was common during the second millennium BC of Mesopotamia and among its close neighbors. Archaeologists have not found examples of this game in various areas of the region after the 6th century BC. (de voogt et al., 2013: 1718-1719). The samples found from Qara Tappeh can be considered as a type of game of 58-hole based on the morphological comparison.

Conclusion
What is found in the trench of 13 Qara Tappeh with 36 blind holes and a passing hole in the highest part of the tablet can be among the types that are known as the game with 58 holes, the closest example in terms of the number of holes on the find, sample Is introduced in the surface survey of the Kul Tarikeh. Another example that is similar in shape to the two aforementioned examples is the example introduced from the Haftavan. This finding, however, unlike the two aforementioned findings, has 3 horizontal rows and 8 vertical rows. If we accept that the tablet found in Trench 13 is a kind of board game, we must say that there are no special rules for the type of use. On the other hand, the presence of an all-round hole in the upper part of the find can indicate that the tablet could hang from somewhere. Finally, according to the relative comparisons, the object found in Trench 12 can be considered as a broken piece of a game 58-holes. But in the case of Trench 13, this must be considered more carefully. Only according to the appearance of the object can be considered as a preliminary use of the game of 58-holes for it.

Abstract
Perhaps painted rocks are the oldest surviving artifacts of prehistoric humans. Man has painted before the letters would create.  This art has a very ancient history in Iran and especially in the west of the country (Lorestan). This article studies the motifs of newly discovered petroglyph of Bauki village, Azna county in Lorestan. So far, no measures have been taken to record this site. Therefore, the record and study of petroglyph Bauki has the great importance in completing the archeological map of the country and the petroglyph studies. In particular, these motifs are variety and have narrative themes which is different from the style of human or animal motifs of other Iranian petroglyphs. The main study questions are: What motifs has designed on Bauki petroglyph and what style and method have used in designs of motifs? What areas are these motifs comparable to? What was the aim of creating the designs? What historical period do the Bauki petroglyphs belong to? The research method of this article has been did both field and desk study that documentary method were applied on comparative of motifs, anthropology and chronology of the newly discovered area. The research results show this The number of Bauki motifs is 74 which is on interconnected rocks and includes the motifs of human, animal, geometric, plant, and instrumental. According to the studies done, it can be said that in quantity and quality, the motifs of this area are similar and comparable to the petroglyph motifs of different regions of Iran, such as petroglyph of Timura (Khomein), Sungun (Arasbaran), Zarrineh (Qorveh) and abroad with Qobustan (Azerbaijan) and Gagama (Armenia). According to the obtained information from the motifs and the pottery evidence from the area and its surroundings, the surveys of the settlements around the site, comparison of motifs with other dated sites in Iran, pattern style and other historical data, subject to caution, is dated to Iron Age motifs.
Keywords: Petroglyph, Motif, Iron Age, Bauki.

Introduction
Petroglyph is one of the oldest living art traditions in the world, which has lasted for thousands of years. It seems bedrock have been the first surviving surface that man has chosen to record his artworks (Qasimi, 1399: 25). The subjects of petroglyphs are influenced by the geographical, cultural, and environmental conditions of each region. Until 1967 rock carvings were considered insignificant not only in Azna, but in all of Iran, and archaeologists made only minor and transient references to them in reports, but so far many studies have been done and there are many reports on the petroglyph motifs in different parts of Iran. The cultural and historical infrastructure of Lorestan province is so pristine and rich that in any field, especially point of view archaeology, it allows researchers to survey and to study and obtain valuable results. In addition to other archaeological data (pottery, buildings, etc.), other signs, such as the petroglyph motifs left on the rocks are specially worth considering from the point of view of archeology and the cultural-artistic interaction of the ancient tribes living in these areas with the surrounding areas, which points to the necessity and importance of the archaeological position of petroglyph in this part of Iran. The present research has been done both method: a desk study and field. The main objectives of the research include: introduction and study of Bauki petroglyph motifs, classification of motifs based on the type and style of petroglyphs, comparative study and similarity of motifs with other parts of Iran and abroad, the proposed chronology is based on the evidence of the relative chronology of the existing motifs.  In this regard, the authors of this study try to answer the following questions: What motifs has designed on Bauki petroglyph and what style and method have used in designs of motifs? What areas are these motifs comparable to? What was the aim of creating the designs? What historical period do the Bauki petroglyphs belong to?

Discussion
Each of the Bauki petroglyph motifs has a meaning and most importantly, and most importantly, the existence of ancient habitats and hills related to different periods and around the petroglyph are the important and determinative factors to justify the historical and cultural position of these motifs and the time of their creation. Therefore, for this basis, we can say that:
1- About the semiotics and meaning of the selected motifs were pictography and ideography and a limited number of psychography have high concept and were directly related to ethnic-religious faith, beliefs, and environmental conditions which are rooted in the myths and beliefs of the people about animals.
2- The motif of a goat is a symbol of seeking rain and abundance and has long been hidden and preserved among the motifs like a spell. For this reason, the motif of the goat in the rocks was abundant and varied
3- Motifs found in the area include horses, leopards, dogs and deer. The variety of motifs is directly related to animal species in the region. 
4- Some of the animal motifs were native to the area, but today there are no motifs such as leopards in the area. Since the engraved artists of these motifs could not engrave their motifs or paintings except by observing reality. So there is no doubt that in the past, these animals lived in this area.
5- There is a relationship between the method of engraving and the position of the motifs and the variety of motifs in the petroglyph of the study area. In terms of workmanship, they are of the petroglyph type and have used smoother rock surfaces to create motifs, the material of which is composed of hard rocks. 
6- Regarding the style and manner of presenting the motifs from the point of view of artistic representation (aesthetics), it is simple and abstract and only 4 realistic (animal) cases have been mentioned.

Conclusion
The Bauki petroglyphs are very simple and a limited number of realistic motifs. This area contains 74 motifs: animal, human, plant, symbolic and instrumental motifs, most of which are related to animals and humans. The most common method of creating Bauki petroglyphs is engraving and the creating style of the studied motifs has been mostly in an abstract style. All animal motifs are engraved in profile. Ritual dances performed while collecting agricultural products as well as asking for rain. Also, the exaggerated deer antlers are symbolically a symbol of herding and agriculture. Goats are still very important in the lives of people in the region today.
The chronological basis of Bauki motifs in terms of morphology with other Iranian petroglyphs and other motifs has been database tools, method to dig stone, engraving tools for these types of motifs. Therefore, these motifs are based on animal motifs, tools found and the smashing type of impact on the rocks, with caution and condition, it has no history beyond the Iron Age and belongs to the second millennium BC. In terms of quantity and quality, the studied motifs, based on carried out surveys can be examined and analyzed with other motifs found in other parts of Iran such as petroglyph of Timura (Khomein), Sungun (Arasbaran), Zarrineh (Qorveh) and abroad with Qobustan (Azerbaijan) and Gagama (Armenia).

Abstract
The landscape formed by the holy places of the pilgrimage cities is considered a central element in recognizing their physical and semantic indicators. These landscapes unite their affiliated religious rituals and ceremonies in a useful framework while developing an integrated whole in temporal and spatial aspects. The spirit of these landscapes is the human soul. Therefore, what causes disruption and chaos in this relationship disrupts the authenticity of these holy places and the integration of their immediate fabrics and will have undeniable negative effects on the pilgrimage. Since the residents have always considered these spaces, pilgrims, and even tourists, their written and illustrated documents can be examined to represent the subjective and objective aspects of the mentioned landscapes. In this regard, by raising the question, what aspects have the physical and semantic structure of the stated landscapes included throughout the past ages? The current research aimed to find the apparent and latent aspects of this subject to represent the central features of the landscape of the pilgrimage cities of Shiite religion and the role of their holy shrines. To this end, the derivation approach was selected based on inferential-historical and thematic analysis methods, and the texts and images of 29 travelogues reported in the interval of 6th to 14th AH were studied. The findings indicate that as symbols and indications of the pilgrimage city and individual and unique in their surrounding area while having an integrated cohesion in the natural context of the city, the stated places arranged the landscape in the form of a united complex, including all the relations, events, and its related local customs and rituals. The result shows that the sacred landscape of these places was a semantic network and a series of tangible and intangible values and elements requiring increasing attention to conserve their visual sanctity zone and review the current plans and measures. 
Keywords: Sacred Place, Ritual Landscape, Pilgrimage Landscape, Sacred Landscape, Visual Sanctity Zone.

Introduction
Religious landscapes reflect ritual beliefs and thoughts, and the sacred landscape of a pilgrimage city is considered its inseparable element. The sacred places create privileging landscapes in the urban landscape and, as a known indication, contribute to determining the cultural changes of their related historical-geographical fabrics. However, nowadays, claiming the uniqueness of these places due to having prominent spiritual values and deep religious roots in the related culture and religion, the visual sanctity zone of these cultural properties has faced numerous irregularities and disorders. The conservation of the visual sanctity and the landscapes formed by these places will significantly affect the organization of the mental image of their audiences to recognize them besides its significant role in protecting the authenticity and identity of its affiliated cities. Thus, according to the stated necessity, by raising the question, what aspects have the stated landscapes included in the interval of 6th AH to the early 14th AH? the current research aims to represent the central and influential indicators in the structure of the scared landscapes of the Shiite pilgrimage cities through which it can obtain rethinking and developing the practical principles in the plans.
It is noteworthy that the main focus of any previous research was not on the sacred landscape of the famous pilgrimage cities of Shiite religion, and the current study analyzed the narrations of the travelogues from a new perspective. Since the current research had a qualitative-interpretive paradigm based on the analytical induction and required analyzing the text and illustrated data, the applied method was the historical-inferential and thematic analysis method.

Discussion
A landscape can include the cultural history of a place with legibility capability and message, and since the effect of the belief insights and religious beliefs is obvious thereon, it is considered a religious landscape. Primarily, this landscape includes all the cultural and social activities in its related religious area, and then, it is considered an area of the civil and structural territory of a city. Beliefs related to the spaces formed by the previous two areas, the scale and how it is related to a particular place, a region, or the integrity of a city according to the worldview system that governs it, are manifested and in concepts and titles such as “ritual landscape”, The “pilgrimage landscape” and the “sacred landscape.”
A sacred landscape of a pilgrimage city cannot be perceived correctly, disregarding how the sacred places play a role in its prospect. In other words, the indications of the spatial separation between the holy shrines and their surrounding and external spaces are considered the elements of the sacred landscape. For instance, in Khorasan Travelogue, while mentioning a place in the suburb of Mashhad called “Tappeh Salam”, Houtum-Schindler states that “Mashhad city with its sacred dome of Imam can be seen from this hill”.
Thus, the observation, imagination, and even thinking about how these landscapes were created varies based on people’s worldviews.
Considering the abovementioned and based on the narrations recorded by the travelers, it can be deduced that the sacred landscape was one of the central bases of travel writers’ subjective structure map so that it began from the historical core of the city, which included the shrine and its surrounding areas and extended to the suburb. Their first descriptions before reaching the entrance of the city were the description and explanation of a landscape that indicated the religious and pilgrimage identity of that city, and can be divided into two main groups as follows:
1. Representing the visible and tangible structures of the holy shrines and their immediate surroundings,
2. Expressing the intangible and latent aspects of their affiliated landscapes. 
Others indicate the importance of a sacred place as a focal landmark and valuable element of the pilgrimage city that all the visual attention led to that. The integration with the natural elements is one of the cases that extended to these places’ core and internal zones.
The extracted propositions indicate that the interaction of the religious values, natural context, and the residential fabric neighboring the holy shrines with a network of the cultural systems, such as pilgrimage behaviors, local beliefs, and customs, human interactions, Etc., formed an integrated network of communications besides the sacred place as the central core the results of which was the formation of the integrated sacred landscape in the physical structure of the pilgrimage city.

Conclusion
The obtained result shows that the sacred landscapes of the stated holy places included a perfect and homogenous complex in the aesthetics background role and displayed a multifaceted manifestation for the viewers’ thought and perceptions like a communicative-social system. In other words, these scenes are a manifestation of the coexistence and synonymy of structural-semantic elements in the observer’s mind so that the hole formed in their dependent context represents the importance of the quiddity of the holy shrines.
Therefore, the values of the sacred landscape and its related meaning were entirely dependent on the cultural aspect of a context, which has been integrated with traditions, rituals, and beliefs over time. It is related to a relationship between the human, sacred place, and immediate environment. These landscapes were related to the sense of a metaphysical presence and lived through the religious symbols and rituals, such as pilgrimage, because the feelings experienced by the pilgrims and viewers, such as travel writers in the current research, were under the influence of a set of features of the sacred shrine. The high visual quality that integrated the sense of place and sense of sanctity zone surprisingly in the audience is proved by the high visual quality that integrated the sense of place and sense of sanctity zone. Therefore, it can be concluded that these landscapes indicate the attributes, context, and background of the holy shrines. Thus, one cannot disregard the two-way and inseparable relationship between two tangible and intangible cases linked with their related landscapes in today’s development plans of these places.  

Abstract
In explaining Iron Age archeology, the study of metal artifacts is of particular importance because of the hidden technical values. The study of metalworking methods enhances our understanding of the industrial centers of metallurgy, stylistics, and available mines. The purpose of this study is to identify the methods of construction and elemental analysis of “ornaments” discovered from “Iron Age” sites in northwestern Iran, using metallographic experiments and an SEM-EDS elemental analysis device. In the Iron Age, the making of metal objects, especially those with many ornaments, flourished. Therefore, knowing the manufacturing methods and the type of alloy used in them is one of the essentials of this research. This research responds to the question, what methods used to make the discovered ornaments from the Iron Age sites in the northwest? Or what were the most used elements in the construction of these objects? In these areas, the current research hypothesis is that most of the “ornaments” made by hot hammering and casting methods and have a large amount of tin in their structure, which uses for greater strength and flexibility of copper and tin (bronze) alloys. In this study, several samples of ornaments discovered from Iron Age sites in northwestern Iran, which were geographically very close to each other, were tested by metallography and elemental analysis. In this experiment, using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an SEM-EDS element analyzer, making these metal objects and their constituent elements were determined. This study shows that the main methods of making these metal objects have been hot hammering, but those objects that had a large volume made using the casting method. Also, the most used element to increase the strength and flexibility of objects is the element of tin. 
Keywords: Iron Age, Northwest of Iran, Bronze Objects, Metallography, SEM-EDS.

Introduction
In the Iron Age areas of the northwest, metalworking was done at an advanced level. The expansion of the tradition of metalworking in the northwest can be seen in other Iron Age areas of Iran. (Talaei, 2001:77-83) One of the reasons for the development of metalworking in the Iron Age areas of northwestern Iran has been the abundance of copper and iron ore mines in this region. During the excavations of the Hasanlu area in the south of Lake Urmia, founded a large number of iron and bronze objects. The large volume of metal objects discovered in the Hasanlu area indicates the prevalence of metalwork in this region of the Iranian plateau. (Pigott, 1989: 67-79) According to the studies, the residents of Hasanlu have supplied their required copper ore and iron ore from the mines that probably existed around this area. The development of metalworking art in this region, in addition to the existence of metal mines and fuel reserves, has been the development of furnaces and metal smelting molds, which in some Iron Age sites such as Hasanlu, obtained a large number of these metal smelting molds. The main reasons for the development of technology and style of metal products in northwestern Iran in the Iron Age could have been powerful governments such as Urartians and Manas. (Aliun and Sadraei, 2011) They were skilled metalworkers in the vicinity of Iron Age sites. One of the signs of this effect is discovering a bronze bracelet discovered in the Toul Talesh cemetery in northern Iran, which shows the expansion of Urartian territory in this region. There is a Urartian cuneiform inscription on it. This inscription shows that Argishti II, King of Urartu, gave this bracelet to Khaledi God. This person could have been a prince or a military person. (Tahmasebi and Masoudi Nia, 2015) The main issue of this research is to know the construction methods and the constituent elements of the jewelry discovered from the northwestern region of Iran. In the Iron Age, especially the Seldouz valley, these sites are primarily located in the Seldoz Valley and are geographically very close to each other, which can help understand the methods of construction and elemental analysis of the metal samples tested. The present research has been done by analytical-experimental method and based on scientific and laboratory studies. The purpose of this study is to identify the methods of construction and elemental analysis of “ornaments” discovered from “Iron Age” sites in northwestern Iran, using metallographic experiments and an SEM-EDS elemental analysis device. This research responds to the question, what methods used to make the discovered ornaments from the Iron Age sites in the northwest? Or what were the most used elements in the construction of these objects? In these areas, the current research hypothesis is that most of the “ornaments” made by hot hammering and casting methods and have a large amount of tin in their structure, which uses for greater strength and flexibility of copper and tin (bronze) alloys.

Materials and Methods 
In this research, the first eight metal samples from different Iron Age sites in northwestern Iran were collected through the reservoir of the National Museum of Tehran and sampled in the same place, and then sent to the Materials and Metallurgy Laboratory of the Sharif University of Technology for metallographic testing.

Discussion
Laboratory analysis and elemental analysis of metal samples using the SEM-EDS method show that a small amount of arsenic was founded in the alloy composition of the samples Because most copper metal ores before extraction and smelting contain amounts of arsenic. Therefore, there is a possibility of the unintentional existence of arsenic in the composition of these metals. Another element that a large percentage obtained in the composition of these metal samples is tin. Metallographic images of the ML-98-7 and ML-98-8 specimens show that these two specimens have a branched or dendritic structure in their body and are made by casting. Also, tiny cracks on the metallographic images of ML-98-2-ML-98-3 and ML-98-6 samples formed due to stress and fatigue caused by continuous hammering work on these metal works. The dark spots seen in most of these microscopic images indicate oxygen, carbon, and a lack of copper and tin, which have caused corrosion and sulfidation of these metal objects.

Conclusion
The results from the images obtained by scanning electron microscopy equipped with an SEM-EDS device found that the metal samples have a relatively large amount of tin. A small percentage of arsenic found in the metal samples tested. Considering the amount of arsenic in these samples can be concluded that metalworkers of this period may not have noticed the harms of using arsenic at that time and therefore used this element to improve the properties of bronze alloy. Ancient metalworkers used tin, arsenic, and antimony elements in the composition of bronze alloys to increase the hardness of the work. The items in the category of jewelry need to pay more to get the right shape. Another possibility is the unintentional presence of arsenic. The presence of large amounts of tin in these samples indicates that arsenic may have been naturally present in copper ores and Ancient metalworkers used tin to lower the melting point of copper and increase its strength and flexibility. Microscopic studies of bronze objects show that many copper sulfide compounds are present in metal samples. The presence of copper sulfide inclusions dispersed on the surface of the metal matrix and stretched in the longitudinal direction of the microstructure of ancient copper alloys may indicate the use of oxide ores along with some copper sulfide ores for extraction. Most of the ornaments found in the northwestern Iron Age sites, such as bracelets and collars, were made by hot hammering, subsequent hammering or forging, and objects with larger volumes and decorations molded by casting. In general, the objects discovered from the Iron Age sites in the northwest, especially the Hassanlou site, are more complex in terms of technique and construction style than the Iron Age sites in other parts of Iran, where existed local and indigenous governments. This issue has been due to the proximity of northwestern Iran to powerful governments such as Urartu and Manna.

Abstract
The beginning of the Iron Age on the Caspian Sea coast and the adjacent areas on the Iranian plateau and the neighboring lands was accompanied by extensive social, political and cultural changes that led to the collapse of urban centers and exchange economics, the formation of scattered and rural communities, which were often followed by livestock or nomadic economics. Changes in the social structures in the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, for whatever reason, caused extensive changes in the cultural material of the Iranian plateau and the Caspian Sea and formed settlement patterns from which only the associated cemeteries have often been identified and excavated. However, the residential structures, the spatial organization of the settlements and their relationship with the cemeteries are not well known. Excavation on the Parija Tepe, 3 km from Qaem-Shahr-Kiakola road on the low shores of the Caspian Sea, resulted in the identification of two stages of settlement from the Iron Age and the Early Islamic period. The Iron Age finds include pottery, metal objects, stones, bones, animal remains, and the remnants of architectural structures. According to the obtained evidence, the largest volume of cultural layers in the Parija Tepe is related to the Iron Age. The present study indicates that the Parija Tepe has an important place not only in better understanding of the pottery traditions of the Iron Age in the Caspian lowlands, but also in identifying mud-brick architecture and the pattern of sedentary life in this region. Further archaeological excavations of the site will undoubtedly give a clearer perspective on the social organization and settlement patterns of the Iron Age in the coastal areas of northern Iran.
Keywords: Mazandaran, Tepe Parija, Iron Age, Mud-brick, Pottery.

Introduction
One of the characteristic features of Iron Age sites of Mazandaran is the lack of settlement sites with visible architecture, the abundance of cemeteries, special funeral rituals, as well as a distinguished pottery tradition. During the Iron Age, the majority of dead people were buried in simple pit graves, Mud-brick lined graves or Pithos burials. The dead were often buried in a curved or flexed position, and in limited cases in supine or stretched position. A variety of burial-goods often placed next to the dead, a tradition which was also common in the preceding Bronze Age and that became more prominent during the Iron Age. In addition to the large number of pottery vessels, a good variety of tools such as swords, daggers, knives, spears, and other objects made of bronze and sometimes iron, as well as jewelry such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, plaques, and seals of bronze, silver, iron, bone, faience, stone, and rarely gold have been reported alongside the skeletons. While results of archaeological research in the Iron Age sites of Mazandaran suggests the influence of local Bronze Age cultures on the later Iron Age communities but, it appears from the available evidence that the Iron Age settlements are smaller albeit larger in number compared to the Bronze Age sites. 
The present article introduces the results of excavation in Perija Tepe in the Caspian Sea shores. Results of excavations suggests the important role of Parija Tepe not only for a better understanding of the Iron Age pottery traditions in the coastal lands of the Caspian Sea, but also for the identification of permanent settlements through examination of mud-brick architecture and the pattern of sedentary life in this region. Archaeological excavation at Parija Tepe can provide a clearer perspective of the social organization and settlement patterns of the Iron Age in the coastal areas of northern Iran.

Discussion
Parija Tepe is located in the central part of Mazandaran plain, some 3 km to the northwest of Ghaemshahr, next to the road from Ghaemshahr to Kiakola (Simorgh) and among the paddy fields of Kolagar village. Recent excavation at Parija Tepe has led to the identification of two phases of settlement belonging to the Iron Age and the early Islamic period. The main settlement phase and the majority of cultural depositions at Parija Tepe dates back to the Iron Age which is divided into Iron Age II and III. 
Typologically, most pottery forms of Prija appears to reflect the characteristics of Iron Age II. In addition to the pottery vessels, significant cultural materials such as a tanged bronze spearhead and a stone stamp seal were also excavated. One of the most remarkable findings of this excavation is the discovery of remains of mud-brick architecture that possibly shows a sedentary lifestyle rather than a nomadic way of life. Bio-archaeological studies on the faunal remains of the site demonstrates that all animal bone remains belong to mammals, and no fish, birds, rodents or reptiles have been identified. Throughout the occupational period, sheep, goats and cattle are the dominant species, followed by boars. Very rare remains of red deer have also been seen. Thus, it seems that the subsistence economy of the inhabitants of Prija has been diverse and based on livestock activities, agriculture and hunting patterns.

Conclusion
The cultural material discovered from excavation of Parija Tepe represents the cultural traditions of the Iron Age and indicates cultural links between this area and other Iron Age sites in the northeastern and north-central regions of Iran. Although some rich cultural materials such as a tanged bronze spearhead and some pottery forms have their roots in the Bronze Age cultures of the Northeast and the Gorgan Plain, the production of these type objects has continued throughout the Iron Age and striking analogies could be seen in large areas of Gilan and Mazandaran and the southern slopes of Alborz. It seems that the main volume of pottery and other cultural materials retrieved from Parija excavation indicates to Iron Age II and II period occupation with the material cultures resembling those from contemporary cultures in the north and northeast of Iran. The results of preliminary studies of Parija Tepe indicates that this area, like many of its contemporaries in Mazandaran, is formed near the river and in a flat and fertile land, and in terms of architecture, similar to other Iron Age sites in Mazandaran, has wooden and mud-brick architecture. Therefore, Parija, along with other Iron Age sites of the region, indicates to the uniformity of the Iron Age material culture in the lowlands of Madandaran, which, while similar to the Iron Age cultures of the southern slopes of Alborz, has particular local features.

Abstract
Varamin-Pishva plain is one of the most important cultural areas of the southeastern part of Tehran plateau in different historical periods. Taghabad Tepe with two western and eastern elevations and consisting of different rich layers of Iron and Bronze Age is located in this plain. This site has been studied and archeological research in 1397. In this study, it was found that this area has different deposits from the Iron Age one and two in the upper layers and traces of late bronze in the lower layers along the horizon with the common western traditions on the plateau. The aim of this study was to analyze the mentioned findings and compare it with the findings of other areas of Varamin plain and other neighboring areas. The questions of this research are as follows: based on the archaeological findings of the cultural developments of Taghiabad Tepe, what kind of cultural traditions dose the Iron Age have? What is the influence of regional and trans-regional cultures of the common Iron Age cultures of Varamin plain due to the Taghabad findings in the type of pottery and architecture? Accordingly, the Iron Age 1and2 of Varamin plain and especially Taghiabad Tepe to some extent shows the regional actions in Varamin plain and the proximity and convergence of the trans-cultural region with neighboring areas. 
Keywords: Iron Age, Varamin-Pishva Plain, Iron Age Settlements, Taghiabad Tepe, Architecture, Pottery.

Introduction
Varamin-Pishva plain, having a suitable geographical position in the slopes of Alborz mountain range and Damavand peak and having a suitable height, has provided suitable ecological conditions for the presence of human communities for a long time. This plain is one of the areas prone to the formation of Iton Age settlements in the north-central part of Iranian plateau. During the archaeological study of this area in 1391-1392 AH. Has identified 27 sites belonging to the Iron Age (Figure1), as a result of studding the findings of this study, only a few sites have been introduced and identified. In this research to analyze and study the pattern of establishment and distribution of sites as well as cultural stages of the Iron Age of Varamin plain by analyzing cultural findings identified from  Iron Age sites based on archaeological studies and cultural traditions of this plain by case study, especially pottery, and the architecture identified from workshop A in the eastern ridge of Taghiabad area as well as the surface findings obtained, classified and then the location of this area in Varamin-Pishva plain next to the Iron Age settlements in the center of Iranian plateau, in a general view, reviewed, evaluation and analysis are included. In this review, understanding the Iron Age communities, especially the Varamin plain will be accompanied by re-reading various theories.

Research Method
The present research is structurally one of the basic researches with a comparative-analytical approach, the method of finding is to exploit the findings of an archaeological excavation chapter based on historical analysis of the findings of Taghibad Tepe. According to the research topic and the variables studied in it, the method of collecting information in the field and data collection tool in this research will be based on archaeological excavations and related reports and articles. 

Taghiabad Tepe
Taghiabad area is located in Javadabad rural district and between Taghiabad villages, Khajoo Qaleh and Ajorbast counties in the agricultural lands of Taghiabad village in Varamin city. This site was considered in the framework of joint cooperation between the Institute and the University of Berlin in 1397 AH to collect samples of ancient climate studies from ancient deposits and according to the surface findings of the Iron Age and Bronze Age and according to the situation. The demolition of the site was speculated. The site is located in the west and near the Ali Kharat River. Cultural and settelement findings of this research have been identified in Taghiabad Tepe from workshop A in the ridge No1 of Taghiabad Tepe (eastern ridge) and in the northern side of this Tepe in the area that was excavated with an area of 1/5×2 meters (Figure5). From this Tepe, seven settlement phases with two historical periods from Locus have been identified, which include artifacts from the Iron Age 2 and 1 to the late Bronze Age. The cultural materials of this Tepe are all kind of pottery covered with red, cream and brown mud, gray, architecture (walls and thermal structures) plaster, pounded floor, stone tools such as pounding stone, abrasive stone , burnt plant seeds (in terms of appearance similar to wheat or barley) it has formed a bony specimen, goat horn and clay tokens, etc., which will be described below

Conclusion
The results of the study of Varamin plain settlements from its archaeological of Iron Age communities, based on Taghiabad Tepe excavation, this area and site as an important area and indicators in the study of Iron Age cultures and chronology of the Iranian plateau. One of the most important topics in the archeology of the Iranian plateau is how the tradition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age and its sequence, one of the important features of Taghiabad Tepe is the presence of communities from the Iron Age and their cultural connection with the Bronze Age which is of great importance in the studies of the tradition from the Bronze Age to Iron (Age)., an area where settlement began in the Iron Age and continued until the Bronze Age . Accordingly, in this study, questions were raised that can be evaluated in this way. The first question was asked about archaeological findings, cultural developments of Taghiabad Tepe and how the cultural traditions of the Iron Age. The urban complex and evolution of later cultures with cultural establishment has been one of the actions of the neighboring horizon in the type of architecture and pottery, especially Gholi Darvish. The second question was asked about the interactions and influence of regional and supra-regional cultures of the common cultures of the Iron Age of Varamin plain due to Taghiabad findings in the type of pottery and architecture, which according to the surface findings of 27 sites recorded in studies, archaeological as well as various excavations in Sofalin Tepe, Chalnasian and other areas, this plain to some extent shows intra-regional activities with the center of Taghiabad Tepe, with cultural trans-regional affinity and convergence with adjacent areas in the southern and northern parts of the central plateau of Iran. Therefore, it can be considered that the Iron Age sites of Varamin-Pishva plain, especially Taghiabad Tepe, are the product of an advanced society with a cultural establishment of adjacent horizon actions in the type of “architecture” and “pottery”. Based on the types of pottery and the type of architecture the cultural sequence of Taghiabad Tepe can be introduced with 7 phases of establishment in two historical monuments. Finally, it can be said that based on the relative and comparative dating of Taghiabad Tepe, it can be dated to the late bronze period of the transition period and the Iron Age of one and two.
pe. 

Abstract
Cylinder seals usually were used on clay objects, especially tablets, as a symbol of individual’s identity and administrative centers of the ancient East. While, rare potteries sealed by cylinder seal are a new case for archaeologists. Based on the small number of sealed pottery fragments found, archaeologists are dealing with several main questions: Why cylinder seals used on pot-tery? What is the usage of sealed pottery? And whether it is possible to provide an exact chro-nology for these potteries? A sealed pottery fragment from the site of Qal’eh Asrār in South Khorāsān is an example which is also our subject matter in this present study. The area of Qal’eh Asrār is located 1800 meters southeast of Barandood village and 800 meters northwest of Zarbarandood village of Ghohestān section of Darmiān city. This area is currently located on top of a natural hill at a height of about 200 meters above ground level. Analysis of potteries found on the surface of site shows that the occupation of it belongs to Late Iron Age and Achaemenid period, although there are also small numbers of pottery belonging to the late Is-lamic centuries. In this paper we try to study a fragment of a sealed pottery found from surface of site. Firstly, we deal with the issue of sealed pottery with regard to the context and the prob-lems and challenges of its study, then we try to analyze sample pottery of the Qal’eh Asrār in terms of typology, style and its legend. This study shows that the sealed pottery of Qal’eh Asrār is locally produced and its legend is a local style with the common motifs of first half of the first millennium BC. As this site is probably a garrison, this container could be used for bearing commodities to the construction.
Keywords: Qal’eh Asrār, Sealed Pottery, Iron Age, Achaemenid period, Local Style.

Introduction
In ancient near East, the stamp and cylinder seals have been used on diverse clay objects such as bullae and tablets to sealed administrative documents, but use of seals on pottery is rare. Since 3rd millennium B.C Fragments of sealed pottery have been found in sites from north Iraq and Syria (Collon, 1987: 13; Oates, 2001), Levant (Amiet, 1975: 425-426), west and south western of Iran (Caldwell, 1976), Shahr-e Sukhta in south east of Iran (Baghestani, 1997: 34- 43; Hakemi & Sajjadi, 1989: 145) and central Asia (Sariandi, 1986; Heibert, 1994a). Several fragments back to the Iron Age I and II were found from Bahrain in Persian Gulf (Olijdam, 2008) and Central Plateau of Iran in Tepe Sialk (Malekshahmirzadi 1381: 25) and Gholi Dar-vish in Qom (Sarlak 1386: 193- 194). Most of these sealed potteries are small fragments that have been found mainly as single fragment on the surface of sites. A small number, such as the Gonur Depe fragment in Turkmenistan (Sariandi, 1986: fig.123) or the Tell Brak in Syria (Oates, 1985: 257), have been found from archaeological excavation. 
In archaeological survey of Qal’eh Asrār in South Khorasan, Iran, one fragment of sealed pot-tery with a cylinder seal impression was found in archaeological survey. There are several questions raised here. Is it possible to provide an accurate chronology for the sealed pottery of Qal’eh Asrār? Why the pottery sealed, specifically with cylinder seal? Are these sealed pottery have an administrative function and were used as a kind of administrative-economic object or tool? Or here seals just used as decoration? In this paper, which is a descriptive-comparative and analytical approach, firstly we examine the challenges related to chronology and recogniz-ing the function of sealed potteries in archaeological studies, then we focus on study Qal’eh Asrār fragment and its seal impression.

Chronology and Usage of Sealed Pottery
Archaeologists have two different approaches for chronology of sealed potteries. If these frag-ments are found from excavation, they propose site stratigraphy to date it. But, most of the sealed pottery has been found on surface of sites, so dating will be complicated. In fact, archae-ologists use two methods to date sealed potteries, such as Qal’eh Asrār case; they propose the chronology based on typology of pottery or the style and image of seal impression. 
Function of sealed pottery is under debate too; there is no consensus on why sealed potteries are made and how it has been used. In general, the proposed suggestions can be divided into three groups, although, there are many doubts about each of these three views. 
1- The image of seal on pottery was for decoration.
2- The seals are the sign or signature of the potters who identifies the ownership and identity of his handicrafts.
3- Sealed pottery has an administrative function and has been used for storing or moving com-modities.
The style and image of the cylinder seal impression of Qal’eh Asrār sealed pottery
The image of Qal’eh Asrār seal does not show a unified theme and its upper part is broken. In part of the image a human is standing, bending one hand from the elbow and holding a cane, his other hand is not clear, it had stretched body with broad shoulders and arms, the proportion be-tween the upper body and the legs is not observed and the upper body is taller than the legs. It seems he have a dagger in his waist. On both sides of the human image are two birds. On the left side is design of the quadruped (donkey?) and in front of it is a horse, both are upside down. Of course, the horse’s head is broken. Between the two images are a small bird at the top and probably a sitting human at the bottom. The style of Qal’eh Asrār seal is a local style which focusing on the outer lines, not paying attention to the details. 

Conclusion
Studies on sealed potteries in diverse sites, despite different time and cultural periods, shows the following common features can be observed:
1- All fragments of sealed pottery are locally produced.
2- The seals that are used on these potteries also have a local and indigenous style, and this in-dicates the locality of their production.
3- Sealed pottery fragments indicate they should mainly belong to medium and large jars.
 4- In most of fragments seal was mainly used at the area between the neck and body of the ware. 
Given the common features mentioned, it can be argued that these potteries had an administra-tive aspect. However, they used locally which both the pottery type and the seal originate from the local culture of the same region, and there are no examples that show their displacements or dispersion in a wider cultural context.
A comparative study of Qal’eh Asrār sealed pottery shows that this pottery is locally produced and cylinder seal used on it also has local style of the 1st millennium B.C. Due to pottery type and the presence of architectural remains, this area is suggested to be a garrison to protect the road in the late Iron Age - early Achaemenid period, and the style and image of the seal on the pottery also confirms the proposed chronology. 

Abstract
Among the collection of findings from the archeological excavations of the Iron Age cemetery of Lefour, in Savadkuh, there is an engraved a two-humped camel on a bronze belt buckle, skillfully made through molding method. According to the studies of physical anthropology, in terms of morphology of the skulls, it shows that the excavated dead bodies were different from the previous inhabitants, and the grave goods also indicate they were cattle breeders and nomads. The most prominent object found is a bronze belt buckle with the engraving of a western two-humped camel on it; this animal is definitely not native to the southern region of the Caspian Sea, and may belong to the plains of Central Asia; the southernmost habitat of this type of camel is in the north of Gorgan plain and in the south of Turkmenistan. In the Achaemenid period, two-humped camel is also shown with groups of gift givers who came from Central Asia and the east of the Caspian Sea. In the memorial stone carvings of Shalmaneser III, the King of Assyrians, there are also people carrying two-humped camels, along with the inscriptions seem to be belonged to a far distant country in the east. The most important questions in this study are: Were the human remains found in this cemetery are native or migrated from other areas? Whether the obtained grave inputs were made on site or imported, and to what extent were they influenced by the artistic and industrial techniques from near or far areas? And is it possible to reconstruct the migration route of these groups in the fertile and foothill areas of Mazandaran by studying the findings of this research? In this article, in addition to comparing the form and nature of the bronze belt buckle with other findings of Lefour Cemetery, the authors analyze and interpret it regarding historical documents and sources to provide more accurate answer to the questions. The result of the research reveals that this object was produced in another place and entered the region through immigrants.
Keywords: Iron Age, Bronze Belt Buckle, Lefour Cemetery, Savadkuh.

Introduction
The study and interpretation of the cultural characteristics of past societies and the study of the evolution of cultures based on the cultural relics left by these societies constitute the main framework of archaeological studies, the most important evidence in this regard is material and tangible effects. It is complex and difficult to know more accurately the cultural relics of past societies by relying on purely material evidence. The deep connection of religious beliefs with social customs and economic activities is one of the characteristics of past cultures. Therefore, one of the most important sources for understanding the religions, culture and functions of its predecessors is the study of ancient formulations and cultural materials. In this method, researchers usually consider one or more formative features such as objects placed inside the grave, adaptation of the grave or the general plan and location of the cemetery, and then, based on that class or social status of the buried people, adapt to the form, and compare the nature of objects. Despite the importance of accurate and scientific analysis of objects and graves from the Iron Age to explain religious beliefs, no independent research has been done so far. 
Research Question: The most important question that arise as a result of the two chapters of excavation of Lefour Cemetery is that according to anthropological studies  and comparison of ancient date, the graves of the deceased were relatives who migrated to this place from other areas and due to the similarity of form and was the nature of the particular object in question imported? And to what extent has it been industrial practices from near and far?
Research Method: In archaeological research, in addition to printing and disseminating data from field activities of an area, it is possible to analyze and compare the form and nature of an object with the data of regional and supra-regional sites to analyze the origin of a culture. In this article, focusing on the role of the bipedal camel on the bronze belt discovered from data from the Iron Age, Lefour and the similarity of this or that with the role of the western camel of the Persepolis donors, as well as the memorial stone of Shalmanser III it reinforces the hypothesis that it was intended to be imported and that its origin was in east and north of the Gorgan and Turkmenistan plains. 

Belt buckle with the Motiv of Balkhi Camel
The most prominent object of this burial was a unique Bronze belt buckle with the image of a Balkhi bipedal camel, and it is made by casting and embossing method and is reminiscent of desert and arid regions of the east of the Caspian Sea and the steppes of Central Asia

Conclusion
The plain and mountainous regions of the south of the Caspian Sea due to their suitable biological and climatic conditions are very important in studying the settlements of the Bronze and Iron Ages, but unfortunately no independent and complete research has been done on the origin and end of this period. It is done on a case-by-case basis and separately from each other in terms of time and place. Leford Savadkuh Cemetery is no exception. Regarding Leford Cemetery, it should be noted that according to the knowledge of cemeteries and settlements in the center of Mazandaran, it is clear that the cemeteries of nomads in mountainous area, unlike the plains, are often small and limited, and each cemetery probably belonged to a specific group or tribe. The nomads, whose main occupation was herding, spent most of their time in the highlands, migrating animals from one place to another in search of pastures throughout the year and the works obtained also show that in this sense it is economics and small works have on animal husbandry.

Abstract
The Iranian house is full of structural units. The cohesion of the units creates more complex patterns, which, as a result of their location in different parts of the building, also form its physical structure and functional and cultural characteristics. Since the combination of these patterns in the home is always a reflection of the customs and lifestyle of residents and local conditions, knowing each of the patterns allows them to be used on a larger scale in the design of new homes. The content of structural patterns and the extent of their impact on Iranian-Islamic residential architecture is the basis of research inquiry. The research intends to take a physical approach to express the structure of the architectural language of the house in the sample buildings of the Qajar period; and in this way provide the basis for restoring the architectural values of the past. The research method is descriptive-historical and the method of finding research is a combination. The basis of observational studies has also been done through the presence of buildings that have a relatively complete architectural composition, and citation of existing maps, images and texts. The abstracted contents with the help of AutoCAD software introduce the basic units in geometric shapes and check their applicability in 50 houses of historical-cultural value. One of the important results of this search is the generalizability of the logical order of the initial units identified in various combinations and the production of more complex spatial units than the initial units of 5040 patterns. The results show that the patterns participate in various proportions from 0.06% to 27.16% and 42 in selected houses. Among these, pattern number 8 has the most (453) presence; while Patterns 12, 33 and 42 have the least (1) applications.
Keywords: Iranian-Islamic Architecture, Architectural Model, Architectural Physical Order, Language of Architecture, Qajar House.

Introduction
Due to the common economic and social prosperity, the residential houses of the Qajar period define a rich language in architecture that can be extended to Iranian-Islamic houses in the contemporary and future periods. Field studies show that there are a variety of patterns in residential homes that are physically part of a sequential structure and order. From the coherence of these initial units, more complex patterns emerge, which, according to their location in different parts of the building, express the physical structure and functional and cultural characteristics of the building. Since the combination of these patterns in the home is always a reflection of the customs and lifestyle of residents and local conditions, knowing each of the patterns allows them to be used in the design of new homes on a larger scale.
Housing construction in the contemporary era of Iranian architecture and urban planning, especially in recent decades, has found significant differences with the previous era. Field studies and observations indicate a significant reduction in physical-cultural values arising from new housing methods. For example, the gradual obsolescence of the middle fabric of cities is an issue that easily causes their instability. 
This study tries to identify the past methods in housing architecture and highlight the points of emphasis in its structures and concepts, and then shaping those features into a new format, introduce the most important effective spatial patterns in order to improve the physical and quantitative structure of modern house.
According to historical background of home architecture in Iran, and the need to review the structure of modern home architecture, research seeks to find answers to these questions: 1- What are the basic spatial units in the architecture of the Iranian-Islamic house? 2. What patterns does the spatial order of the units create? 3- What is the frequency of these patterns in the existing samples?

Survey of Basic Spatial Units
The research has summarized the data using a descriptive-historical method. A review of studies conducted by researchers and experts in Iranian and non-Iranian architecture and urban planning confirms the similar and sometimes different points of view of the linguistic structure of Iranian-Islamic architecture. Each of the statements has somehow emphasized the characteristics of Iranian-Islamic architecture; and they are summarized at the crossroads of the world of meaning and the world of matter and are located in six directions (Falamaki, 2012, 194).
In the Iranian- Islamic culture, it is believed that matter or the material world is opposite to light or the spiritual world (Holy Quran, Esra: 70). In Iranian-Islamic architecture, the spatial arrangement of the body shows that, in its spatial organization, attention is directed from light to matter. In fact, “it is a journey from pure light to the depths of matter” (Holy Quran). Although architecture is shaped by the combination of matter and space, form is created by the domination of space. Therefore, the form depends on the arrangement of the initial units that make up the architecture of the building. These units include a closet, room, living room, hall, porch, Platform, courtyard and basement.
Examination of the frequency of practical application of patterns in sample houses shows that out of a total of 42 patterns used, pattern No.8 has the highest presence among the 42 units; Patterns No. 12, 33, and 42 have the least presence in the composition of houses. Among the most complex patterns, pattern No. 1 with 15 times the company had the least and pattern No. 18 with 40 times had the most use. The results also show that the patterns contribute in various proportions from 0.06% for patterns No. 12, 33 and 42 to 27.16% for pattern No. 8 in the sample houses.

Conclusion
The seven structural foundations of house architecture in Iranian-Islamic, including: basement, room, living room, hall, porch, platform and courtyard are clearly recognizable. Each of these seven primary units is distinct due to its purity and structural simplicity. The reason for the differentiation of the primary units is their placement in a successive series from darkness to light. For this reason, these units are turning points in marking the evolution of syntax and syntactic language of Iranian-Islamic housing architecture, and their location in the series of units generates patterns that allow them to produce a significant variety in housing architecture. In order to accept this theoretical view, field observations on houses of historical-cultural value make the existence of diversity correct. Based on factorial 7 mathematical calculations, there are 5040 possibilities for the logical arrangement of the initial space units and the production of a pattern; while according to field observations, only 42 possibilities have been used in sample houses so far. Primary units, in part or in whole, can communicate with other units in four directions. Studies show that the two directions of north-south and east-west are the most important patterns in terms of complexity and the extent of their use in Qajar period houses. Patterns together create a large, controlled space that joins together in hot conditions to create a larger space; while in cold conditions, these spaces separate from each other and create small and independent single spaces.
The coherence of the patterns in both longitudinal and transverse directions shows that the design language of the Iranian house, based on the flexibility of the constituent patterns in practice, has the ability to create newer examples. The flexibility of the patterns is affected by the integrity of the initial units, which is provided by adding and subtracting some initial units in the form of order.

Abstract
Gray pottery is one of the most significant and important cultural artifacts discovered from the Bronze Age sites in the southeast of the Iranian plateau. This style of pottery has been obtained in a very large amount from the Chagardak Asr-e-Faraghi site of Chah Hashem Plain in Baluchistan, which has so far been far from the views and studies of archeology, archeology and artistic history of the southeast of the Iranian plateau. The main question of this research is about how to make and decorate these pottery. It seems that pottery making was developed in this area and they had different construction methods. The present research has been done by analytical-experimental method and based on laboratory studies. The studied objects belong to the Museum of Southeastern Iran. Measures such as documenting the condition of objects as well as sampling necessary for laboratory tests have been performed at the restoration workshop of the Museum of Southeastern Regions of Zahedan. Then, using thin section petrographic studies (OM) and instrumental analyzes with SEM-EDX and XRD methods, the data are analyzed in order to achieve the research objectives. In this study, 11 samples of gray pottery related to Chegardak area, which were obtained from emergency excavations in 2018, were performed. All pottery was wheeled and gray in dark to light and with different thicknesses but in the range of thin pottery. Archaeological studies on pottery suggest a similar composition, but show that different production methods were used. The pottery in question was pottery produced in high heat furnaces and advanced methods such that precision in construction, elegance and strength were considered by the potters. The results show that pottery in this area has been a very advanced industry that has used iron and manganese-based minerals to decorate the pottery.
Keywords:  Archeology, Petrography, Bronze Age pottery, Chegardak, SEM-EDX, XRD.

Introduction
Southeastern Iran is one of the most important and prominent regions in terms of human evolution in the Bronze Age. Evidence of this is the dispersion and existence of numerous ancient sites and hills related to the third millennium BC in this area. Significant sites such as Burnt City (Tosi, 1976; Biscione et al., 1977; Piperno & Tosi, 1975; Tosi, 1968) ¬, Bumpur (DeCardi, 1968; Mortazavi, 2004; 2006) 2018), Speedge (Heidary et al., 2019), Khorab (Stein, 1937) and Domain (Tosi, 1970) as well as Chegardak area (Heydari et al, 2015) are prominent and prominent examples in Sistan and Balochistan, all of which have been studied and various archaeological studies to date Chagardak Archaeological Site (27 ° 5’14 ‘’ N; 59 ° 7’8 ‘’ E) is located in Delgan city and Dasht-e Chah Hashem village, 10 km northeast of Chagardak village (200 km west of Iranshahr city). This area takes its name from the nearby village, namely Chagardak. This area is located in a flat and low plain. The ancient site of Chagardak in the plain of Chah Hashem Jazmourian includes a hill and two cemeteries related to the Bronze Age of Balochistan. This area has been in turmoil and damaged in 2005 due to extensive destruction and looting by traders. During the salvage excavations carried out in 1397, the Archaeological Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Sistan and Baluchestan Province discovered a variety of artifacts, including pottery painted in pea, gray and red. Gray pottery is one of the most important finds from the lesser-known Chagardak site in Balochistan. Therefore, these findings have been analyzed and studied in this pilot study using petrographic, SEM-EDX and XRD methods. In the first stage, petrographic analysis was performed on all pottery. In the study of pottery petrography, a very important issue is the materials added to the pottery paste. All the pottery is wheeled and gray in the range of dark to light and with different thicknesses, but within the fine pottery of this region. Samples were named based on the first letter of the name of the Chagardak site in Latin (CH) and the sample number from 1 to 11. Among these specimens, numbers 1 to 8 are broken and small pieces of pottery obtained in the excavations of this area, and numbers 9 to 11 are pottery that is much more complete and with Ability to perform restoration operations (Table 1). Gray painted pottery is one of the types of pottery that has been obtained in many areas of southeastern Iran. Their designs are taken from the ecology of the region and the culture of the people of that period. Scanning electron microscopy analysis equipped with X-ray fluorescence analysis (SEM-EDX): for microscopic examination of the pottery matrix, identification of minerals as well as melting and vitrification stages of the pottery, as well as identification of the chemical composition of the matrix and minerals. SEM-EDX method was used. The SEM device used is the MIRA3 model made by Tescan, an American product. Also, to identify the composition of pigments used in painting ceramics, the EDX elemental method and the VEGA / TESCAN-XMU model made in the United States, which was coupled to the above SEM machine, have been used. The resolution was 1.5 mm at 15 kV and 4.5 nm at KV1 with BSE detector. Also, the method used in this research is point analysis. The mentioned experiment was performed in Razi Metallurgy Laboratory of Tehran. X-ray diffraction (XRD): X-ray diffraction method has been used to identify crystalline phases and mineralogical studies in the desired pottery. The model of the device used is X’spert Prompd Panytical made in the Netherlands, which has been done in Razi Metallurgical Laboratory of Tehran. The samples were analyzed at 30 Ma current and 40 Kv voltage. Information on the identification of crystal phases based on PDF2 database was reviewed and obtained by Xpert High Score Plus software version 2010. Therefore, how the art of making and recognizing the pottery industry in this region can be one of the most important questions and goals. Therefore, in this research, we have tried to answer some questions such as the following questions by using some common methods of analysis in the archeology of ancient pottery. A) What kind of mineralogical composition does the pottery discovered from Chegardak have? B) Structural and archaeometric studies of ceramics show what kind of process shows in the way of making and baking pottery?

Conclusion
These experiments showed that the pottery has a very dense, hard and non-porous texture, which shows that the prehistoric potters of the Chagardak area five thousand years ago were very precise and skilled in the type of drilling and processing method. So that no emptiness or signs of improper weaving can be found in the pottery. This point should be considered as one of the most important features of gray pottery in this region, especially in the southeast of Iran. On the other hand, the resulting studies show that the soil used in the manufacture and production of pottery paste is very desirable, washed and free of any additives. As their strength is so high after firing that they can not be easily broken, this can be seen well in the type of sintered and semi-glass texture of pottery. Also in XRD phase analysis, the presence of high heat phases was detected. It is very likely that high heat furnaces using regenerative conditions were used in the construction of the pottery. On the other hand, in the archeological excavations and emergency excavations carried out by the archeological group of the area under the supervision of Mohammad Heydari, the architectural remains of a pottery kiln, molten pottery and kiln were discovered, which shows this. This industry has been an art and native production of the people of this area. The last stage of producing a pottery was the methods of polishing and decorating it to produce a magnificent work of art. Elemental studies showed that the prehistoric painter and craftsman of Chagardak used iron-based minerals such as hematite and red recently to record red colors, and a combination of iron-oxide and manganese-based materials to produce black and dark colors.

Abstract
Archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of the remained material culture. The prerequisite for the development of archeological knowledge in the country is access to equipped laboratories, hiring experienced specialists, and expanding national, and international cooperation. Due to rapid advances in instrumental analysis, relevant people in the fields of art and archeometry should be aware of the advantages and limitations of different types of instrumental analysis. In this paper, facilities and research opportunities in analytical archeometry using natural science in Iran are presented and discussed. To introduce the technical capacities of the country in this field, the available equipment and facilities for performing nuclear analysis techniques and their related data analysis are investigated. Moreover, to identify the materials used in the cultural heritage samples and to determine their origin, characterization of some of these samples has been done using nuclear analysis methods. The activities performed in this research include X-ray and neutron imaging of the structure of an ancient jar belonging to the early Qajar period, elemental analysis of miniature in an ancient manuscript using elemental analysis method, investigation of the golden threads in the precious carpet belonging to the Safavid period using elemental and structural, and elemental analysis of luster tiles belonging to the Kashan using elemental analysis. The results of this research show that the existing technical capacities in the country can provide new opportunities for archeologists to understand the nature of the cultural heritage samples in more depth and to provide more accurate analysis of the investigated samples.
Keywords: Analytical Archeometry, Cultural Heritage, Elemental Analysis, Structural Analysis.

Introduction
Archeology is an interdisciplinary science that studies ancient artifacts using analytical methods of various sciences and provides a deep insight into biological, social, cultural, and economic processes, and technologies used by humans throughout history. From the 20th century, cultural heritage researchers used the experts of all sciences and their new methods for the comprehensive reconstruction, biological and cultural transformation of humans, and knowledge of ancient artifacts and previous civilizations. As a result of this synergy, the recognition of cultural findings from archaeological excavations went beyond their mere description and classification, and more detailed analyzes of them were presented. Today’s archeology can be seen as the result of chemical studies in archeology since 1795 in Europe (Pollard, 2007: 5). These studies included preliminary investigations regarding metals, minerals, glass, and some organic remains. In 1853 A.D, in the archaeological reports, the first appendices related to chemical analysis were presented by the archaeologist Austen Henry Layard, which was the beginning of the scientific and systematic cooperation in the two fields of chemistry and archaeology (Layard, 2018: 9).

Materials and Methods
Neutron and X-ray radiography: A jar sample from the Qajar period has been used for radiographic images. Figure .1 shows the results of the experiment. 
PIXE analysis of the miniature: The PIXE analysis of the miniatures from the 15th century is measured in this work. Figure 2. Shows the setup of the experiment. 
Micro-PIXE and RBS of the gold fibers in the Safavid carpet: Figure 3 shows an exquisite carpet from the Safavid period from the Iran carpet museum. The elemental analysis of the fibers used in this carpet is performed by micro-PIXE and RBS. The detail of this experiment is presented in (Torkiha, 2010: 17).
PIXE-PIGE analysis of the Zarrinfam tiles: Figure 4 shows the ancient Zarrinfam tile related to the Tapehsilk shrine in Kashan. To check the presence of the Azure pigments in the blue color, the PIXE-PIGE analysis of the carpet is performed. The detail of this experiment is presented in (Ghadiri, 2015: 9).

Data
The elemental map of the fiber of the carpet obtained by micro-RBS and PIXE is shown in Figure 5. The PIXE and PIGE of the Zarrinfam tiles are presented in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. 

Discussion
The structural investigation of a jar from the Qajar period by the X-ray and neutron radiography showed that neutron radiography can show the detail of the sample. The PIXE analysis of the blue pigment in the miniature shows that the origin of this pigment is Lazorite stone (Kakuee, 2014: 124). The presence of the characteristic element of the mercury in the pink pigment shows that the origin of this color is the mineral Shangerf, which was also used to make red color in the Iranian ancient times. The bright pink color is also due to the green malachite pigment added to the main pigment of Shangerf (Kakuee, 2012: 178). The composition of the elements in the yellow pigment also indicates the use of gold in this pigment in order to increase its brightness. The use of gold to decorate the paintings in this form is still used. Regarding the black color, due to the presence of the characteristic element Mn in this pigment, its origin can be attributed to the mineral Pyrolusite (Clark, 2002: 7).
The micro-PIXE and RBS of the gold fibers in the Safavid carpet shows that there are large amounts of the sulfur element in the composition of all 3 fibers which is related to the silk thread used in making the fibers. The elemental distribution map of all 3 samples shows that gold, silver, and copper were used to make and decorate these fibers. In other parts of the fibers, no other characteristic element indicating the presence of pigment in the fibers was observed. Therefore, the silk used in making these fibers is raw and without dyeing. Micro-PIXE elemental analysis also shows that in the old samples of Golabatoon fibers, a thin layer of gold is covered on silver wires.
The PIXE analysis of the ancient Zarrinfam tile related to the Tapehsilk is performed by WinQxas (WinQxas, 2009) and the PIGE analysis is done by Fitzpeak software (FitzPeaks, 2011). Elements with an atomic number greater than aluminum have been detected using the PIXE analysis and elements F, Na, and Mg have been detected by PIGE analysis. The characteristic element for identifying lapis lazuli is Na, which is detected in large quantities in the samples 2 and 3. The amount of Na element in the sample 1 is very small and sample 4 also lacks this element. To confirm the results, all the 4 samples were exposed to the proton beam. In this case, induced light emission was detected only from the samples 1 to 3. Therefore, we can safely say that sample 4 is not lapis lazuli. Moreover, as shown in Table 2, the high amount of Co element in Zarrinfam tile distinguishes it from lapis lazuli stone. In fact, the combination of Co element with a glaze of Na alkaline elements in the sample is the origin of the azure color in Zarrinfam tile. The results of this research provide a suitable solution for determining the origin of lapis lazuli in the ancient samples and can be a suitable solution for monitoring of the economic and cultural relations of the past.

Conclusion
In this article, the scientific and technical capacities of the country and the active centers in the field of archeology, the state of analysis and software related to the data analysis are presented. To identify the active laboratories in the field of analysis of ancient artifacts, several active laboratories in the field of the analysis of archaeological samples and cultural heritage were introduced in this paper. Moreover, the results of the analytical archeology using several techniques were presented and discussed. 

Abstract
The Iron Age in the Middle Asia and an important part of it that called Khorasan is a Transitional period between prehistory and historical period. This period always has many ambiguities and questions; Especially in Khorasan, where the lack of archaeological studies is strongly felt. In this area, the Neyshabur Plain has a special position in terms of archeology and is undoubtedly influential in understanding the cultural components of the Iron Age in the region. In the current study, Milad Tape, which is located almost in the middle of Neyshabur Plain, was sampled as a systematic survey. The purpose of this work is to obtain information that can be used to advance the long-term goals of interpreting the Iron Age in Khorasan, especially Neyshabur. In this regard, the most important question is how Iron Age in the perspective of recent studies of Khorasan cultural field. In Milad Tape, whose surface is flat and smooth, sampling of cultural materials has been carried out in the framework of a systematic survey in order to study the Iron Age in a comparative approach with the typology and classification of pottery. Also, by using the settlement pattern of the area and other settlement components of Milad Tape, it is possible to fully examine and read part of the unknown structures of the Iron Age of the Neyshabur Plain and, accordingly, Khorasan. According to the research results, Milad Tape, which has a settlement sequence in the Iron Age, can be interpreted in the framework of the Early to Late Iron Age of the region. Pottery typology studies, also show similarity with the Central Asia Iron Age, which is known as Yaz I to III based on the material cultural of Yaz Depe area. In general, in the comparative approach, Milad Tape samples are closely related to Yaz pottery tradition.
Keywords: Iron Age Khorasan, Neyshabur Plain, Yaz, Milad Tape.

Introduction
Among the archaeology and cultural periods of Khorasan, there is a lack of studies in the second and first millennia BC.  Although the first study of this region that led to the recognition of the Iron Age, dates back to the 1980s (Riccardi, 1980). In recent decades, archaeologists have tried to make the knowledge of this period more complete (Vahdati, 2015, 2018; Basafa, 2021, 2020, 2015, 2016). The most important archaeological investigations consist of Atrak River project in North Khorasan (Dana, 2015 and 2019; Vahdati, 2016), Daregaz Plain (Basafa & Hedayati, 2020), Neyshabur Plain (Basafa, 2017), Roshtkhar Plain (Rezayi, et. al., 2018), Gonabad Plain (Basafa, 2021) and Birjand Plain (Dana, 2014).
From the mentioned researches, it can be understood that neighboring cultures are very important, such as the ancient Dahistan culture in the northeast of the Mazandaran Sea, which can also be seen in the plains of Gorgan and North Khorasan (Lecomte, 2005) and Yaz culture (Kohl, 1984: 193).
In completing the archeological information of Khorasan Iron Age, Neyshabur plain sites are very important because of the location of Neyshabur plain and its environmental potentials (Rezaei & Basafa, 2019). Milad Tape (Fig. 1) is located in this geographical environment, which belongs to the Iron Age. Milad Tape and other sites like Se Tape can show new evidence of local cultures and cultural interactions with Central Asia.
Materials and Methods: This research relies on the material cultures that collected from the systematic survey of site. It’s most important cultural materials are potsherds, were first studied in a statistical approach and then analyzed comparatively in comparison with neighboring cultures.

Data 
In the sampling conducted in Milad Tape, were obtained various stone tools such as blades and chips, metal melting slags, furnace welds and a significant number of potsherds. A total of 1586 pieces of potsherd have been sampled from the surface of the site, and among the three general categories of rim, body and floor, the most abundant pieces belong to the body. From the total samples that can be dated in Iron Age I, the rim has a frequency of 1%, the body 93% and the bottom 6%. In the Iron Age II and III, the rim and the bottom with an abundance of 3% and the body with 93% of the total have the most parts. Among the examples that can be dated in this site, where a comparative approach was used, three periods can be distinguished from the Early to the Late Iron Age. 

Discussion 
Looking at the most important cultural material of Milad Tape, we can say that its pottery components are closely related to Central Asia. In the Early Iron Age, in this site, an important phenomenon is low-quality handmade pottery, which is considered one of the main characteristics of Yaz I. In the middle and Late Iron Age, the previous statements also apply, and its morphology also shows that similarities in terms of construction and form can be seen in Milad Tape pottery in these periods as well. In this context, double-lobe pottery, which is defined as the most important characteristic of Yaz II and III cultures, was produced in a wide range with minor changes in the Neyshabur plain.
In completing the studies, environmental factors are very important, and based on this, Milad Tape is located in the range of 900 to 1200 meters above sea level in terms of height, and in terms of the settlement pattern, it is located in the lowlands of the Neyshabur plain (Fig. 7), which has suitable land for population development. The study of Milad Tape water resources, which undoubtedly played an important role in choosing the location of the sites, shows that there is a direct relationship between the water resources and the location of the site, so that its small distance from the water sources has caused it to grow well in terms of dimensions. Milad is located near Kale-Shure in the center of the plain (Fig. 8) where many waterways and streams flow into it, the most important of which flowed a short distance from the site. This satellite has been able to facilitate access to water resources for agriculture and livelihood. The study of land use (Fig. 9) also shows that Milad is in a good agricultural position and probably suitable water sources have caused agriculture to be carried out by hydroponics in this area. Based on this, the location of the settlement surrounded by suitable pastures has provided the conditions for animal husbandry and livestock breeding for the livelihood of the population of the area. Based on the mentioned materials and in the general view, Milad Tape has created suitable conditions and platform for the use of agriculture in the region. On the other hand, the existence of pastures has provided the grounds for subsistence economy based on animal husbandry. 

Conclusion 
Due to the strategic location of access to water resources and the use of fertile soil, Milad Tape is one of the important sites and settlements in this area, along with other sites, especially Set Tape. By analyzing the cultural materials, a settlement sequence from the Yaz I period and its continuation to Yaz II and III was observed, which shows that it was of special importance in the Neyshabur plain and was efficient in drawing chronological horizons and presenting cultural components along with other sites. The few analyzes of the settlement pattern of Milad Tape also show that suitable water sources were available and the agricultural land was ready. This location selection pattern is also observed in Central Asia. Based on biological patterns, fertile soil, and agricultural use in the effective use of land in the Milad Tape area, it shows that there was a permanent settlement with a livelihood based on agriculture in its settlement area, which may have been three hills. The influence of the cultural characteristics of Central Asia and Yaz culture in Milad Tape, according to the typology of pottery, shows the influence and cultural interactions. 

Acknowledgments
We would like to gratitude and appreciation to the respected of the cultural heritage department chief of Neyshabur city, Mr. M. E., Etemadi, for his support in the field activity.

Abstract
The concentration of activities and sites Iron Age excavations carried out in Iran in the quarter-northwest Iran. It covers the west, northwest, north of the center, and the west bank of the Caspian Sea. The important point is that the chronological basis of the Iron Age in Iran is also based on the excavation of several sites in a small part of the northwest and its extension to the whole of Iran. Thus we see the Iron Age archaeological activities at the eastern part of Iran and especially North East is very unknown. Iran has long been the entry point for people without a nomadic component steppes of northeastern North Asia region is the Iranian plateau. According to written sources the oldest nations that have entered the Iranian plateau, known as the Indo-Iranian or Aryan tribes from the steppes of northern Asia to the south and in the land of the Pamir Mountains to Anatolia widely dispersed. Many scholars consider the gradual movement of these tribes to be from the second millennium. A period that is almost synonymous with the Iron Age in the region. But our knowledge of the Iron Age northeastern Iran today virtually all North Khorasan Province and the northern part of Khorasan Razavi province involved is negligible. This paper is based on the latest research picture of the Iron Age northeastern part of the country, with emphasis on the upper basin Atrak be provided. According to the study and identification carried out in this basin, the Iron Age of the upper Atrak basin is part of the Yaz 1 culture.
Keywords: Northeastern Iran, Iron age, Upper Atrak basin, Yaz 1 Culture, Archaic Dehistan, Settlement Patterns.

Introduction
It has been less than a decade that steps have been taken to understand the Iron Age in Northeastern Iran through surface explorations and excavations. Based on this, it seems that some parts of northeastern Iran are in the cultural area of Archaic Dehistan and another part is in the cultural area of Yaz I (Basafa 2017, Dana & Hejebri Nobari 2019, 2021, Vahdati 2016, 2018). The upper Atrak basin is an almost rectangular valley with a length of 90 km and an average width of 20 km. This region is one of the most important regions of northeastern Iran in terms of population movement because it connects the north of Kopet-Dagh to the interior regions of Iran and the center of the Iranian Plateau (Fig.2). Northeastern Iran has long been the place of entry of nomads from the northern steppes to the inner regions of the Iranian plateau. Due to the geological feature, Kopet-Dagh act as a barrier between the Karakum desert in the north and the fertile areas in the south, which cannot be crossed except through a few natural passages. 
More than 500 sites were identified in the archaeological surveys of the upper Atrak basin, among which 23 sites were dated to the Iron Age (Fig.3).

Iron Age Sites in the Upper Atrak Basin
The 23 Early Iron Age sites identified in the upper Atrak basin are listed in Table 1. In the surface survey of these sites, the only available data was pottery. In all Iron Age sites of this basin, the dominant pottery is Yaz 1 hand-made pottery. These pottery are poorly made, rough and in the range of buff and bright red, and the motifs are usually drawn geometrically with ocher and jujube red colors, and most of them are mixed with grog. 9 of the identified sites can generally be attributed to the Iron Age, and traces of Yaz I painted pottery were not found in the surface surveys. The pottery of these 9 sites are similar in form to the pottery of the Archaic Dehistan culture, but unlike them, they are in the buff and red spectrum.

Location based on ٍlevation Factor
The Iron Age sites of the region are located at an altitude between 1007 and 1718 meters above sea level. The size of the smallest site is 0.01 and the largest is 10 hectares. Examining the Pearson correlation coefficient regarding the area of the enclosures with the height factor shows -/299 (Table 2), which indicates a negative but moderate correlation. This means that as the height above sea level increases, it is expected that the size of the enclosures will decrease due to the limitations of natural factors.

Water Resource Factor
The distance of the Iron Age sites in the region from permanent water sources, including rivers and other running water sources, ranges from 0 to 6395 meters, and their average distance is 1441 meters. Pearson correlation coefficient/313. (Table 2) states that this figure shows the relationship between the direct and average level of significance between the size of the sites of the region with the factor of distance from permanent water sources. 

Land Use Factor
Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the size of the sites of the region with the soil type factor of the location of the sites shows -.054 (Table 2). This figure is weak and small. It is expected that there are large sites in the sedimentary plains and smaller sites on the edge of the plains and mountain slopes, and this is not the case in this area.

Slope Factor
Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the sizes of the sites of the region with the slope factor of the location of the areas is 0.72. (Table 2). The figure shows a very weak relationship between the size of the sites and the degree of slope of their location. 

Slope Direction Factor
Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the size of the sites of the area with the slope direction factor of the location of the areas shows -240 (Table 2). This phenomenon shows that some of these sites have not been used for a long time or that the different slope directions were not so important for the residents of this site in different seasons.

Communication Routes Factor
The sites of the region are located at a distance between 0 and 15355 meters from the main communication routes today. The Pearson correlation coefficient shows -114 (Table 2), this figure shows a very weak and small and inverse relationship. In other words, as we move away from the main communication routes, we should expect the size of the enclosures to decrease and become smaller.

Distribution of Iron Age sites in the Upper Atrak Basin
In this research, in order to obtain the distribution pattern of settlements in the region and to better analyze and understand the distribution of archaeological sites in the region and to find a pattern that fits environmental variables, the statistical method of cluster analysis has been used. Based on statistical analysis and their clustering, three patterns were obtained (Table 3, Chart 1).
Settlement distribution pattern 1: Settlement distribution pattern 1 includes 6 enclosures (Chart 1, Table 3). Due to the location of these types of sites in the landscape of the region and according to the distribution of these settlements on the level of the plain and the highlands, their small size, which is less than half a hectare, the economic method of these habitats can be assumed as temporary and seasonal settlements.
Settlement distribution pattern 2: There are 14 enclosures in this pattern (Chart 1). Due to the location of these types of sites in the landscape of the region and according to the distribution of these settlements on the level of the plains and the highlands, their small size, which is less than two hectares, the economic method of these habitats can be assumed as agricultural and livestock settlements.
Settlement distribution pattern 3: There is only one site in this group, and the reason for their placement in a cluster or separate pattern is its very large area compared to other sites. The size of this site is 2.2 hectares. The characteristics of this site, especially being located at a high altitude and a long distance from water sources and communication routes, and other characteristics show that it is similar to model 1, and only because of the difference in the size of this site, it is placed in a separate group.

Conclusion
The largest sites in the upper Atrak basin (except the IUA03 site) are located almost in a vertical line and very close to each other, Tappe Yam with 10 hectares, Tappe Ja’far Abad with 2.8 hectares and Sofalgaran-e Zadak site with 3 hectares, for a total of about 16 hectares from the total 33 hectares, half of the size of the Iron Age sites cover this basin. Today, these sites are located around the city of Faruj and almost in the middle of the plain. This area can be considered as the crossroads center of important roads in the region.
The important point in the reconstruction of the roads is the mountainous conditions of the region, which does not allow passage anywhere. With these conditions, there is only one possible way in the south, and that is today’s Binalud-Shah Jahan road, which goes from Quchan to Sabzevar. Near this road, there is Tappe Golshan Abad, which is actually located in the entrance area of this mountain pass. 
However, it is a little difficult to determine the northern route to pass Kopet Dagh and go to its north due to the number of valleys and the connection of some valleys with each other. By carefully examining the existing routes in the area and their connection with the Iron Age sites, a route is suggested that includes the sites of Tappe Yam, Dalan Tappe Kukach, Dalan Tappe Bozorg and Unnamed Tappe of Milanlu.
The western road along Atrak River connects the upper basin to the middle Atrak basin.
The eastern road also continues to the Kashaf River basin and the Mashhad plain without any natural obstacles.
Today almost all researchers agree that the people had Yaz I culture, nomads. Since Yaz I remains in a wide area of Greater Khorasan and the southern parts of Transoxiana, the route of population migration will inevitably pass-through Greater Khorasan through the north-south routes that connect the steppe regions of North Asia to its inner regions in the Iranian plateau. In this view, the upper Atrak basin is located in the area of Yaz I pottery culture, and due to its strategic location, it plays a very important role in the arrival of people with Yaz I culture to the inner parts of the Iranian plateau.

Abstract
The more specialized and technical studies of historical paintings are the greater will be the history of Iranian art and, in fact, Iranian art and the identity of Iranian culture. Therefore, each of the historical cases will be valuable and influential. The purpose of this article is studying the nature of a destroyed paining on canvas and its overall shape, subject and identity which found in the storeroom of Mary Church of Isfahan. Accordingly, this article tries to answer the question of what is the nature of the painting discovered from the Mary Church of Isfahan? In order to achieve this goal, the library and field studies as well as laboratory studies including microscopic imaging and elemental analysis (SEM-EDS) was used for data collecting. In the following, it is attempted to prove the identity of the painting as Canvas-Marouflaged mural by comparative study of it with similar murals of the three churches of Vank, Maryam and Bethlehem. One of the main results of the research is the recognition of the painting from a technical and thematic point of view as well as its identification as a Canvas-Marouflaged mural and its presentation place at the time of the creation of the painting in front of the altar of Mary Church Isfahan.
Keywords: Canvas-Marouflaged Mural, Isfahan Mary Church, Painting, Angel of Seraphim.

Introduction
Murals as visual art works are among the most significant architectural decorations that have undergone many changes over time. The factor that distinguishes these works from other paintings is their dependence to the architectural space, which is known as the determining factor of their identity and authenticity (ICOMOS, 1964). In fact, a mural is designed and executed to complement the architectural space. It is completely coordinated with that space, so separating it from the architecture and displaying it in another place can changes or loses the values of mural and endanger its identity. Therefore, the detailed study of paintings in order to know their identity and nature is necessary.  Accordingly, the following points can be mentioned that clarify the necessity of this study: a) unknown specific characteristics for studied painting (marouflage), b) the lack of definite and specific criteria for displaying this painting, c) recognizing and differentiate the studied painting from the marouflage. Based on this, in this article, detailed studies have been carried out on an Iranian special painting, which at first glance seems to be the easel painting on canvas, which detailed investigations and studies present a hypothesis that it was a marouflage. The term marouflage refers to those paintings that are painted on a canvas and pasted on the wall in such a way that it is considered a part of the architecture. The marouflage separation from the original location distort its integrity and authenticity (Hamzavi et al., 2015: 131). This article aimed to find the nature of a historical painting discovered from Maryam Church in Isfahan, relying on technical studies and conservation issues, and tries to answer the main question of the research: What is the nature of discovered painting from Maryam Church in Isfahan?

Materials and Methods
The article is a qualitative and quantitative research based on the content of the research question and the achievement of the research aim. According to the type and necessity of the research, two theoretical and technical approaches can be introduced. In this research, primary data and information have been collected using the documentary and field methods as well as laboratory studies. Then the data has been analyzed according to the subject of the painting and its technical information to clarify how to perform the painting and display it (Figure 1). 
     The images, other than the ones mentioned in the reference, were took using a Canon EOS 700D / KissX7i DSLR camera with a Kit 18-135 lens. The metallography microscope model IMM 420 manufactured by Isfahan Optical Industries Company and fiberoptic device brand LECA CLS 100X connected to DSLR camera Canon EOS 700D / KissX7i used for imaging from the painting layers. Field emission electron microscope (FE-SEM) model MIRA3 manufactured by TESCAN company equipped with X-ray diffraction spectrometer (EDX) with resolution of 1.5 nm at 15 KV voltage and 4.5 nm at 1 KV voltage was used to determine the percentage of constituent elements and microscopic imaging with high magnification.

Data
After attaching the pieces of painting on canvas, the subject of the painting was revealed, which is a painting with the theme of a six-winged angel named Serafin (or Seraphim) (Hospian, 2014). Based on the visual and artistic characteristics of the painting and according to the date of construction of the Church of Maryam, its approximate date is attributed to the 18th century. The studied painting is in the form of Pābārik under the dome. Pābārik is one of the components of Kārbandi and is in the form of a kite. The painting is done on a cotton fabric support, which consists of sewing two pieces of fabric together (Figure 15). Being two pieces due to the small width of the fabric can be interpreted in the direction of the traditional weave of the fabric and attribute the time of the work to at least before the invention of weaving machines in the 19th century. Also, the texture of the fabric shows the non-uniformity of the thickness of the threads that make up the fabric, which can be a sign of manual and traditional spinning. There is the trace of frame in the edge of the painting (Figure 13) and in this part, there was a nail trace along with rust (Figure 14). Microscopic examinations of the cross-section of the painting in the gilded part show the existence of six layers and in the blue part of the painting background five layers (Figure 16). No trace of crushed gold particles (pigment) which is used in the production of gold color was seen, and a continuous and uniform sheet is visible in the scanning electron microscope image.

Discussion
Based on the shape, dimensions of the work, this hypothesis was created that the painting was probably custom made and adapted to one of the parts of the church building. According to the traces of nails left on the edge of the canvas, it installed on the wall after the execution. The subject of the painting is also related to the subjects of religion of Christians and is consistent with their beliefs. Visual observations of the interior of Maryam Church, Vank Church and Bethlehem Church in Isfahan show that the studied painting is compatible with other wall paintings in Armenian churches in terms of design, shape and subject. In such a way that the similar works are also in a Pābārik frame and they are executed as murals along with the image of the Seraphine angel with gilded wings under the dome. X-ray Electron Diffraction Spectroscopy (EDS) elemental analysis on the brown colored spots around the place of the nails in the edge of the support canvas (Figure 19, Table 1) shows the amounts of calcium oxide and sulfur oxide, which reinforces the possibility of the presence of calcium sulfate (gypsum). It strengthens the hypothesis of connecting the painting to a plaster wall.
The field survey of Maryam Church showed that the entire interior is covered with murals with various religious themes, except for the space in front of the altar, which it is contradictory by Christians believed in relation to the necessity of painting in all levels of churches. The existence of such a space inside the church creates the assumption that probably there were four murals in the Pābāriks in these parts as well. The size of the diameters of these Pābāriks is a little bigger than the studied painting. Comparing the Pābāriks of the three studied churches, it was determined that a decorative border was implemented around the angel.

Conclusion
According to the research on the nature of the painting, it can be concluded from the investigations that the studied painting is a marouflage that is pasted on the surface of the wall, and the place of its display was probably a Pabarik in the architectural space of the altar of Maryam Church in Isfahan.

Acknowledgments
The authors thank Tabriz Islamic Art University for providing the technical study of the painting.

Abstract
The northern plains of the Alvand mountain range in Hamedan are known as part of the Median land and the capital of this period. Research and study on Iron Age III settlements with the aim of identifying and drawing an accurate pattern of the sites of this period was one of the goals of the writers in this region, which was carried out in recent years. Qale-dagh Tepe is one of the areas that have been reviewed and studied in this research. Qale-dagh or Aghdash area is located at an altitude of 2009 meters above sea level in the foothills of Arjanī mountain overlooking the Hamedan plain. The height of the area is 41 meters above the level of surrounding rangelands. The site was first identified and registered in 1381 AH and in 1385 AH in the comprehensive plan of archaeological survey of Hamedan city was reviewed. Despite much destruction, the site has not yet been studied and archaeologically excavated. Qale-dagh is a single period from the Iron Age III. It consists of single and dense brick building that can be seen in parts of the main walls and its gates. There is evidence of filling in the gaps between the back and the outside of the walls at an unspecified time. The pottery obtained from the study is small and contains non-significant samples of this period. There are questions about the condition of the area and its function in the heights of the Hamedan plain that this study has addressed. The research method in this paper is based on archaeological studies and comparative studies. Preliminary results show that Qale-dagh area is located in specific geographical location, architectural style, pottery data and compared with other sites of Median period such as Nush-I-Jan Tepe, Moush Tepe and Haji Khan is a religious place overlooking the capital of Med (Hegmataneh).
Keywords: Hamedan, Qale-dagh Tepe, Iron Age III, Median Period.

Introduction
In a series of surveys conducted from 2017 to 2018 regarding the spatial association of Iron Age III settlements in the Hamedan plain (Almasi, 2020), which is mentioned in historical sources as the first seat and political and governing center of the Median period, the known relics from the past years to the present, particularly the new relics in the last decade, were studied, and a question was raised. The question was “What were the function and nature of a group of monuments with characteristics such as individuality, being located outside the scope of settlement, similar style and method in architecture, especially in components such as the type of bricks, and finally their intentional filling at some points in time?”
One of these newly discovered monuments is a brick fortress named Qale-dagh Tepe located in the northern highlands of the Hamedan plain. The site is located in the foothills of the Arjanī Mountain with a height of 2130 meters above sea level. Aghdash Village is the closest modern village to it, which is located at a distance of 3.5 kilometers from it. The site does not have an access road from the village, so that one can only reach the site on foot by crossing some agricultural fields and barren lands.
The Qale-dagh site with coordinates Y:3869857.31-X:290962.58 is the only brick structure that is located on a natural bed among the hills of the Arjanī Mountain. The current size of the site is 1 hectare. However, the Qale-dagh site has suffered massive destruction over time, much of which is related to human destruction. The site was discovered in 2002 (Pazuki & Shadmhr, 2005) and surveyed in 2006 (Mohammadifar & Motarjem, 2006), and then the authors resurveyed it in 2017.

Data
The Qale-dagh site in appearance is divided into two sections: the northern section, which is a brick structure and remains up to a height of 3 meters, and the southern section, which is large and has a lower height (Map 3). The architecture of the northern section includes a thick wall with an approximate height of 3 meters and a diameter of 1.5 meters in the east-west direction. It appears that the wall has a buttress, since in the two sections of the wall, the remains of a brick pier with 1 meter in width and 2.5meter distance from each other can be observed. The distance between the two brick piers is filled with layers of pebbles and mud mortar (Image 2), Causing the wall to remain intact up to a height of 3 meters. On the northeastern side, several holes have been dug by unauthorized excavators, in one of which, the remains of more than 2 gates covered with a lancet arch can be observed from the outside (Image 4). From the inside of the gates, a corridor-like space with another lancet arch can be observed (Image 5). The width of the two gates is approximately 70 cm and lower than the height of 3 meters of the wall. The lancet covering of the arches is formed by laying bricks diagonally to each other. The materials used in the monument are bricks with dimensions of 42×23×11 cm and mud mortar with a thickness of 10 to 12 cm.
The pieces of pottery obtained from the surface survey include a bowl with an inverted rim, a simple bowl, a bowl handle, a base of a dish, and two pieces of a dish body (Image 7).

Analysis of Finding
In the survey of the architectural features and pottery pieces collected from the site, the history of settlement in the site appears to be related only to the Iron III period, as it was built on virgin soil. Such a procedure was used in some significant Median sites such as Nush-I-Jan (Stronach & Ruf, 2011), Moush Tepe (Mohammadifar et al., 2015: 236), ZarBolagh (Malekzadeh et al., 2014), Yalfan (Almasi et al., 2017: 70), Haji Khan (Hemmati Azandriani et al., 2019: 35) and Pishee (Almasi, 2020: 115).
In the northern wall, the remains of two brick piers are visible (Image 2), revealing the use of buttress in the construction of the main wall of the monument. The use of buttress, which is generally used on the outer front of the main walls of the monument, can also be observed in the sites of Nush-I-Jan (Stronach & Ruf, 2011: 16), Godin (Young & Levine, 1974: 116-pl.37), Baba Jan (Goff, 1977: 104-Fig.1) and Ozbeki (Majidzadeh, 2009: 343).
The gate with a lancet arch created in the Qale-dagh site is also similar to the ones in the sites of Nush-I-Jan (Stronakh & Ruf, 2011: 81), Godin (Gopnik, 2016: 293), Moush Tepe (Mohammadifar et al., 2015: 235) and Gunespan (Naseri et al., 2016: 131) (Table 1). The dimensions and sizes of the bricks used in the monument of the Qale-dagh site are similar to the dimensions of the bricks used in the monuments of sites of the same period (Table 2). Another characteristic of the site is the intentional filling of the monument (Images 2 and 3), so that this method of abandonment has been reported in the excavations of the sites of Nush-I-Jan (ibid: 163), Moush Tepe (Mohammadifar et al., 2015: 235), ZarBolagh (Malekzadeh et al., 2014), and Haji Khan (Hemmati Azandriani et al., 2019: 106). 

Conclusion
Owing to the geographical feature of the site, which is located in the foothills of the Arjanī Mountain overlooking the Hamedan plain and the connecting route of the Hamedan plain, it is possible to imagine a military use similar to the inter-road military forts. However, in the survey and comparison of the Urartian castles of the first millennium BC in the northwest, we observe considerable cultural data indicating long-term settlement in these places (Kleiss, 1980, Burney, 1966). On the contrary, such conditions are not observed in Qale-dagh. Hence, we can place emphasis on only the apparent characteristics of the site, such as the information obtained from the architecture and the results of comparing and matching it with the Median sites, particularly Nush-I-Jan, Moush Tepe and Haji Khan. From the excavations conducted in the three Median sites of Nush-I-Jan -Main Period, Moush Tepe and Haji Khan (Map 4), few findings of human activity (garbage production) were obtained, demonstrating a non-residential use in such places and their special use for the people. All the three sites were created on virgin soil, had intentionally filling, and were cleared before filling.
As no contemporary settlement was found near the site, a non-residential use can be considered for it. Furthermore, the height of the site above sea level and the steep slope of the site in the foothills of the Arjanī Mountain indicate that it is not easily accessible.
The intentional filling of monuments, which is carried out with special care in layers, can also be used to protect the monuments. Ghirshman associates the fillings with the change of religious attitude in the later period (Ghirshman, 1976: 10-11).
As supported by extensive evidence, the Qale-dagh site is extremely similar to the sites of Nush-I-Jan, Moush Tepe and Haji Khan. 

Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate and thank the Hamedan Province Cultural Heritage Organization and Mr. Mohammad Shabani for making it possible to visit the site.

Abstract
In recent decades, cultural heritage-related concepts have been widely investigated, and agricultural heritage has been adopted as a concept of cultural heritage because of its contribution to livelihoods, food security, and the world economy. This consideration from 2002 to 2018 led the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to develop a framework known as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and to introduce global agricultural heritage sites accordingly. The GIAHS committee presented five criteria for incorporating the sites in the list of globally important agricultural heritage. Biodiversity, local awareness and techniques, socio-cultural values, food and livelihood security, and visual landscape were included in the five categories; thus, this article aims to evaluate historic farmsteads in the central Iranian regions. Historic farmsteads were thought-about an efficient agricultural production system characterized by architectural, economic, social, and cultural features in the past, the traces of which are still available. The main research subject concerns the growing destruction of farms following climate changes, the migration of owners and beneficiaries, and the lack of community knowledge about their nature. The research main goal is to introduce Iranian historical farmsteads as a globally vital agricultural heritage system. Thus, the research seeks to investigate the issue through an interpretive approach and an interpretive strategy and to use field studies and document research to respond to research questions on Iranian historical farmsteads in conjunction with global agricultural systems. This research concludes that the potentials of historical farmsteads meet GIAHS standards. The GIAHS secretariat can also identify the Iranian historic farmsteads in the first stride and then register them internationally. It will help many historical farmsteads as a large part of the Iranian agricultural heritage to be dynamically conserved. 
Keywords: Historical Farmsteads, World Agricultural Heritage, GIAHS, Iran.

Introduction
In recent centuries, traditional agricultural activities have decreased, considering numerous reasons, along with the rapid development of cities (Oosterveer & Sonnenfeld, 2011). In the meantime, preserving cultural heritage for a sustainable livelihood has received much attention as many studies on sustainable development have focused on people, the environment, and cultural heritage (Ojomo, 2010). As a result, a new concept known as agricultural heritage was added to cultural heritage. Then, in 2002, the conception of globally important agricultural heritage systems (GIAHS) was developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the international arena. The first global GIAHS summit was held in 2018 after 16 years (Behzadnasab, 2019:9). GIAHS was introduced to the world not as a specific product or geographic area but as a recognized system. The National Committee of GIAHS was established in 2014 in the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture Jihad called NIAHS, investigating issues such as the irrigation of aqueducts and migration of nomadic Qashqai tribes (Joafshan-Vishkaea, 2015:18). Each GIAHS site should have a historical and contemporary aspect and can be restored and developed to the benefit of future human generations. 
Therefore, many sites with agricultural heritage potentialities in Iran can be regarded as possible candidates in the future. This article aims to focus on “historic farmsteads of central Iran” as a proposal for inclusion in the GIAHS list to evaluate them according to the five criteria mentioned above. In the central regions of Iran, especially Qom, Kashan, Niasar, Semnan, Isfahan, Meibod and Yazd, these farmsteads have two physical and functional characteristics, but some criteria for their implementation have already been established (Raie, 2017:230). Historic farmsteads were efficient agricultural production systems of the past with architectural, economic, social and cultural features, the remains of which can still be seen today. Presently the main problem is the non-recognition of such historic farmsteads as globally recognized agricultural heritage. They are considered to be threatened by various factors, such as climate change and migration by landlords and beneficiaries. The research aims to introduce these farmsteads as a globally important agricultural heritage system. Thus, the research seeks to investigate the issue through an interpretive approach and an interpretive strategy and to use field studies and document research to respond to research questions on Iranian historical farmsteads in conjunction with global agricultural systems. 

Data
Farmsteads in the past had two functional and physical systems. These systems, which are based on lived knowledge and techniques, are experience-oriented and traditional and have caused the formation and consistency of farmsteads from the past to the present. Much data related to traditional knowledge about architecture, agriculture, civil, economic, legal, cultural, social, and political fields can be introduced and revived in the heart of Iran’s historical farmsteads.

A) Physical system
1. Order of position and formation including; Methods of choosing the location of farmsteads with two priorities of water and security (Raie, 2020: 59);
2. Order of form, including; Building a farmstead based on two forms; Agricultural castles (figures 7 and 8), and agricultural complexes concerning the security (Moradi et al., 2016: 6-13);
3. Order of Water and agriculture lands including; Methods of exploiting and extracting the water of the rivers, Qanats (figure 3), wells and springs, irrigation and water supply and the like (Tavangar Marvasti, 2015: 269);
4. Formation order of physical elements, including; Methods of construction and maintenance of dependent structures (figure 4) such as; the Lord’s and serf’s castles, reservoir, mill, caravanserai, bath, mosque, Hosseiniyeh and Selkh (Beheshti & Raie, 2016: 10).

B) Functional system
1. Order of ownership and exploitation, including; types of ownerships, customary law for planting and harvesting, the terms of exploitation between the lord and the “Diwan”, methods of assigning real estate and land, endowed farmsteads (Lambton, 1966: 250; Foran, 1999: 57; Pollak, 1982: 351; Sheikh Al-Hakmaei, 2009: 9 and Safinejad, 1989: 43);
2. Social and demographic order, including; compilation of the social pyramid of the farmstead by the lord, methods of selecting serfs and residents of the farmstead from tribes far and near the farmstead, settlement methods and living standards in castles attached to the farmstead and the like (Tavangar Marvasti, 2015: 298- 305 and Yaghmaei, 1990: 296);
3. Order of economy and livelihood, including; Methods of collection and audit of taxes and tributes by Diwan and lord, rules of income generation, selling and sending products, communication between the lord and serfs and the like (Taleb & Anbari, 2008: 153- 155). 
 
Discussion
The FAO provided five criteria for identifying agricultural heritage systems worldwide; biodiversity, traditional knowledge and technology, socio-cultural values, food and livelihood security, and visual landscape. This research investigates the locality of Iranian historical farmsteads in conjunction with agriculture heritage criteria. Regarding the first criterion, there is a significant relationship between historical farmsteads and agro-biodiversity. The presence of water in different regions diversifies agricultural products, livestock and poultry.
Planting of damask rose and the production of rosewater in Niasar farmstead, as well as straw oil extraction in Nahchir farmstead in Isfahan, can be cited as good examples in this regard. Concerning the criterion of local knowledge, the farmsteads are said to be based on living experiences and old knowledge. These problems are recognized in terms of two physical and functional characteristics. The third criterion deals with cultural values and social entities at the farmsteads. Fixed population rates and the presence of a group of beneficiaries and stakeholders suggest that farmsteads have achieved sustainability with the collaboration of these groups of people over time. The fourth criterion concerns food and livelihood security. Historical farmsteads have, at various periods, been regarded as economic and production businesses for people, landlords and the government, making significant contributions to the agro-tourism sector. The fifth criterion evaluates the farmsteads’ landscapes. The population, physical environment, and agricultural lands can all be used, to illustrate the natural, cultural, and historical landscapes of central Iranian regions. Landscapes are presented on both an internal and external scale.

Conclusion
The study concludes that the historical farmsteads in Iran significantly met the five criteria after carefully examining them. In addition to their historical significance, historic farmsteads continue to exist today and contribute to food and agricultural security in various places. They have gradually adapted to their surroundings, producing assorted products based on cultural and economic values while retaining and increasing agro-production knowledge and practices.
Local residents and stakeholders have worked together in this regard throughout time to maintain the farmsteads. Farmsteads have been a product of continuous human presence in the environment, creating cultural, historical, agricultural, and visual landscapes. The GIAHS secretariat can first identify historic farms in the central regions of Iran and then have them registered globally using executive guidelines. It makes it possible to study a variety of vital and previously disregarded farm data, leading to their dynamic conservation based on location and time needs.