Abstract
Behbahan plain in Southwest of Iran, is a region where high peaks of the Zagros Mountain meet the lowland plains of Khuzistan. The plain, due to several rivers including the Maroun River which originates from the high peaks deep into the Zagros, and fertile lands has been a locus for nucleation and subsequent development of human settlements since prehistoric periods to the modern times. In August and October of 2007, the authors of this article were conducted a settlement survey in Mansour Abad area, North and Northeast of the Behbahan plain, covering 150 km. The principal aim of the survey was identification of ancient sites in an area which was subjected to seismic prospection for the Iranian Oil Company. In fact, it was a rescue operation to minimize the possible risks to the ancient sites of the area. The survey method was extensive using GPS to locate the surveyed sites on topographic maps with scale 1/25000. The surface materials were gathered using random survey. The surveyed region can be divided into several landscapes, including: Mansour Abad Plain, the hilltop rolling hills in North, East, Northeast and Northwest of the Behbehan Plain and the mountainous region including Khaeiz and Badil Mountains. The most important feature of the mountainous region is the existence of several valleies. At the end of the archaeological surveys of the Mansourabad region, in addition to known sites which have been identified previously during the Behbahan survey project, we could identify 55 sites ranging in date from the prehistory to the Late Islamic Period, with highest number at Middle Islamic Period. The surveyed sites could be divided into several types including mound, sherd/flint scatter, hill-top site, cave and various standing architectures including Imamzadeh (shrines), water-mills, fortresses, and settlement structures of the Islamic Period. These sites usually have low frequency of surface sherds, some none.
Keywords: Behbehan, Mansourabad, Archaeology Survey, Relative Chronology.    
 
Introduction          
The Behbehan plain, due to several rivers including the Maroun River which originates from the high mountains of Eastern parts of the Kohgiluyeh region, and fertile lands has been a locus for nucleation and subsequent development of human settlements since prehistory well into the modern times. The region, 150 km in area, was surveyed in August and October 2007. The main goal of the survey was identification of ancient sites in an area which was subjected to seismic prospection for the Iranian Oil Company. During the survey we identified 55 sites ranging in date from the prehistory to the Late Islamic Period. The survey method was extensive using GPS to locate the surveyed sites on topographic maps with scale 1/25000. Archaeologically, one of the important aspects of the Behbehan plain is its potential to track the cultural interactions between Khuzestan and Fars especially in the prehistoric period. Previous research in the region were excavations and surveys by Nissen (Nissen, 1971; 1973, Nissen and Redman, 1971) and Dittman (Dittman, 1984), conducted a few decades ago. The chance discovery of the Elamite Tomb of Arjan in the early 1980 striggered a series of research in the region (e.g. Alizadeh, 1985, Saraf, 1992, Majidzadeh, 1992, Stronach, 2003, Alwarezmon, 2006).  
Of these one may point to the archaeological survey of the Behbehan plain in the early 2000s (Abdi, 2008). New phase of the systematic archaeological research in the region has been launched by A. Moghaddam since 2014. In these investigations, in addition to excavation at the site of Chahe- Naft, a series of period-oriented archaeological surveys aiming identification of early settlements at the region were conducted (Moghaddam, 2014: 287-8). 

The Surveyed Sites 
As mentioned above, in general, 55 sites ranging in date from the prehistory to the Late Islamic Period were identified. The sites are belonged to the Protoliterate, Proto-Elamite, Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic Periods. Of Protoliterate period, just one site, Taytou, was identified. Stone tools collected from the surface of the site includ bladelet cores, end-scraper and a number of debitages. Three sites (Karayale Talaw, Zaminhaye Partaki and Gasawz) can be dated to the Proto-Elamite and Elamite periods. They are distributed at the foothills of the Badil Mountains. In addition to Tange Takab’s ossuaries, four sites (Zaminhaye Partaki, Talaw, Darebazar and Konar Tepe) which are sherd scatter and mounded sites, are datable to the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid periods. Of these, Zaminhay Partaki is located in the Mansourabad plain and other sites are distributed in the foothills of Badil Mountains. These sites range in area from 1.2 to 16 ha.   
The highest number of the identified sites belongs to the Islamic period. In total, 46 sites of several types including mounds, sherd scatters and various standing architectures including Imamzadeh (shrines), water-mills, castles, and settlement structures were identified. These sites are located in various landscapes of the region like high altitude, at the mouth and inside the gorges, rolling hills and the Mansourabad plain. Save for the site of Karatowal, which accoding to an inscribed sherd found on its surface belong to the Early Islamic centuries, most sites of this period are related to the Middle and Late Islamic Periods.  

Conclusion
At the end of the survey, in addition to known sites which have been identified previously during the Behbahan survey project, we could identify 55 sites range in date from the prehistory to the Late Islamic period, with highest number at Middle Islamic Period. The surveyed sites could be grouped into several types including sherd/flint scatters, mounds, hill-top sites, caves and various standing architectures including Imamzadeh (shrines), water-mills, fortresses, and settlement structures of the Islamic Period. A considerable number of the surveyed sites belong to settlements with stone structures dating to the Islamic Period. These sites usually have low frequency of surface sherds, some none.   

Abstract
Northwestern Iran and the South Caucasus have relatively favorable environmental conditions for the formation of ancient settlements. These include the Urmia Lake basin and the Aras shores in northwestern Iran, and the Kura River, the Mil-Moghan (mountainous areas) in the South Caucasus region. The archaeological evidences and recent researches in two geographical areas illustrate the cultural shares and similarities of the period. The main purpose of this article is to introduce the areas and pottery traditions and to identify the sequence of chronology in the areas of study. The following questions will be raised in order to achieve cultural interactions in the geographical area studied in the Chalcolithic Period: How is the condition of chronology sequence in the two cultural domains? The main hypothesis in this regard is the existence of approximately the same chronology (the beginning and the end of the Chalcolithicperiod) in the two geographical locations. How do the layers of settlement and the sequences of residence from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic Periodin ancient sites indicate the theme of cultural continuity and transition? The present article is written by descriptive-analytical method. As a final result, it can be pointed to the similarities and differences of the archaeological data, including thepottery features, architectural structures, burials, etc. By studying the areas such as Dalma Tepe, Jolfa’s Kul Tepe, Khoy’s Davagöz, etc. in northwest of Iran and Leila Tepe, Galayeri, Puylu Tepe, Boyuk Kəsik, Soyuq Bulagh, Brikil Dibi, Kawtskhevy, Tekhvot have been obtained in the South Caucasus region and chronologically covers the millennium from 5000 BC to 3700/3600 BC. 
Keywords: Chalcolithic, Northwestern Iran, South Caucasus, Cultural Interactions, Chronology.

Introduction
The northwest of Iran and the Caucasus have long been a prominent site for archaeological studies due to their proximity to important cultural sites such as Anatolia, Zagros, Mesopotamia and Central Asia. Most of the ancient sites both in the Caucasus region and in the northwestern Iran, which were inhabited by the Chalcolithic period, were also inhabited during the Neolithic period, suggesting that the human and animal habitat conditions and the environmental conditions are favorable. The following questions will be raised in order to achieve the cultural interactions in the geographical area under study in the Chalcolithic Period: 1. What is the status of the chronologysequence in the two cultural areas? The main hypothesis in this regard is the existence of a same chronology (beginning and end of the Chalcolithic Period) at two geographical points. 2. How do the layers of settlement and settlement sequences from the Neolithic to the Chalcolithic Periodsindicate ancient sites, cultural status, and the cultural continuity and transition themes? Most of the ancient sites both in the Caucasus region and in the northwestern Iran, which were inhabited by the Copper-Stone period, were also inhabited during the Neolithic period, indicating the existence of afavorablehabitat and environmental conditions for both human and animal. Although there are also single-period enclosures among them.

Discussion
In recent years, one of the most significant issues in introducing and studying the Chalcolithic culture of northwestern Iran havebeen the ambiguity and darkness in the timing chronology of the Chalcolithic Period of this region. Because, this period was introduced after the late Neolithic period, was identified in areas such as Haji Firouz, Hassanlu, Yaniq Tepe, etc., with a break of almost a thousand years. Dr Abedi’s recent years’ excavations atJolfa’s Kul Tepe and Khoy’sDəvə Göz have eliminated the gap in the timing of the Chalcolithic Period of northwestern Iran (Azarbaijan). The archaeological studies are divided in twostages; and its early stage dates back to the 19th century and is known as the Eneolit cultural period. The archaeologists in the North Caucasus geographical area of have identified two culturaltypes of Kura-Arax and Maikop in the Chalcolithic Period, hence, the two Kura and Araxrivers in the Caucasus Basin are named as the Mesopotamia of Caucasus.
One of the most important cultural data of the Chalcolithic Period is the rectangular architectural structures which are made of white raw clay. Inside the structure, large crumbs, food storage wells and numerous stoves, along with the data such as mortar, and grindstone, and burned remnants of grains such as barley, wheat and lentils have been obtained. The burial variety ofthe Chalcolithic Period is more diverse than the Neolithic period. The most repeated type of burial in the Chalcolithic Period is the pits burial, but more recently therehave also been found two other burial types such as burial in earthenware, and kurganburial.

Conclusion
One of the most important issues of Chalcolithic culture in the South Caucasus is anunbroken continuation of the Chalcolithic Period after the Neolithic period. This continuation can be seen in Mentesh Tepe, Aratashen, Khatun Ark- Aknashen, and theChalcolithic Period begins unbroken after the Neolithic periodin these areas. But after the Neolithic period, the Old Bronze Age beginsinNakhchivan’s Kul Tepe. Scientists consider the climate change as the main cause of cultural disruption. In the southern Caucasus, the earlyChalcolithic phasehas been dated from 4800/5000 to 4600 BC, and themiddle andthe lateChalcolithic phases from 4600 to 3200 BC, and some new areas, such as Nakhchivan Tepe, Uchan Aghil, Uzun Oba, is derived from the earlyChalcolithic Period that are closely related to Dalma culture.

Abstract
The ancient site of Dinavar, known by the locals as the city of Khāvarān, is located northeast of Kermānshāh, on the Kermānshāh-Sonqor road. The importance of the site is still evident despite environmental damage such as floods and earthquakes and agricultural development. Historical findings and archaeological evidence show that the central hill and the surrounding areas were inhabited from the Seleucid period to the present day. This site is the city of Dinavar. A city that was one of the cultural centers of western Iran in the first centuries of Islam and this issue is received from the list of thinkers attributed to Dinavar. During the surveys, in addition to the potteries, a collection of mills and large weights were observed, which indicates a pressing workshop in the site. The typology of the pressing method in this workshop and its chronology is the main issue of this research, which is addressed by asking two questions: first, what period does this data belong to, and second; What products have been produced in this workshop? Given the needs of urban communities and the need to manage and plan workshop activities, a hypothesis based on the data belonging to the time of the flourishing of the city of Dinavar and the production of oil and grape syrup is proposed. Based on the comparison and study and study of environmental data, written sources and documents of archeology and ethnoarcheology, Dinavar workshop to the time of growth and prosperity of this area in the 2nd to 4th AH. It is attributed and in addition to the production of grape syrup, the possibility of oil-pressing is also raised. Since known specimens from central and western Iran belong to the late Islamic centuries, the site data reveal part of the history of this activity.
Keywords: Pressing, Dinavar, Archaeology, Typology, Chronology.

Introduction
The study of ancient technologies is one of interests to many researchers. Archaeologists study technology to make social and economic analyzes and study human societies. Pressing and related objects are one of these ancient technologies. The ancient site of Dinavar, whose data are classified from the Seleucid era to the present day, has been one of the cultural centers of the Islamic world and one of the most important cities in the Jebāl province. Some of the archeological data of this area show that the pressing workshop was active in it. This study identifies the pressing in Dinavar with the aim of relative chronology of this method. Pressing workshops that have been built since the Safavid era near the important cities of that time provide significant signs of technical architecture, access to these structures and the continuation of the activities of some to this day, they have led to a detailed study of these works. However, it is not clear what the workshops were before the Safavid era. The present study tries to deal with how this activity took place in the pre-Safavid period. The most important questions are: 1. What period does the pressing data of the Dinavar area belong to? 2. What products have been produced in Dinavar Workshop? Considering the environmental and ethnographic data, and the necessity of managing and planning the workshop activities that are possible in the shadow of the urban system, in answer to the research questions, the hypothesis of the activity of the Dinavar workshop at the time of flourishing and Its urban growth; And the production of oil and grape syrup is measured. Field survey data are compared with similar samples to determine how this activity works, and environmental data measure the oil and grape syrup production hypothesis, or grape syrup. Archaeological and pollenological data trace evidence of olive use in the fertile crescent to ancient Paleolithic and before the beginning of agriculture (Niklewski and van Zeist, 1970; Liphschitz et al., 1991., Lovell et al., 2010 and Zohary et al., 2012). But pressing in the general sense have arisen following the complexity of societies. Pollen and archeological data show that suitable species of this practice have existed in prehistoric Iran (Van Zeist and Bottema, 1977; Djamali et al., 2010, 2016 and Mashkour et al., 2010), but the mode of operation is known only on the basis of data from the late Islamic centuries.

Materials and Method
The Dinavar is a complex site including the central hill, the religious complex and the cemetery, the remains of a castle and a Qājār bath. In a recent study, the authors found stone objects in the north of the central hill, including a healthy mill sandstone, five damaged millstones of various conglomerate dimensions, and four large conglomerate weights. The data do not provide complete information on how to press, but due to the presence of weights and the presence of four millstones, the upper surface of which shows a depression with a depth of 10 to 20 cm. The use of lever and weight pressing is discussed. In Dinavar Plain, whose vegetation has changed due to agriculture, oilseeds are native. Written evidence of pressing silenced in and around the study area, but in addition to the Celine and Satyr, the Bistun object and the stone of Tāq Bostān collection, which is obtained from the east of Kermānshāh and is considered a part of Roman mill, shows that pressing was common in this region. Ethnorchaeological studies also confirm the use of castor oil as a lamp fuel in the Qājār period up to the Pahlavi. It is worth mentioning that Dinavar community has always been a rural community and its economy has been based on agriculture, from the beginning until today. This society became one of the cultural centers of the Islamic world in the beginning of Islam. It seems that the spread of workshop and production activities such as pressing is also possible in such a structure and with the help of management and planning of the urban system, as the establishment of similar complexes near large cities has been common and pressing the ones that have been identified so far show the economic prosperity of the great Safavid cities.

Conclusion
Pottery production, pressing, milling, and in general workshop and production activities, along with labor and energy, require management and planning. This management is formed in urban system and in order to meet the needs of the urban society. Historical texts about Dinavar urban society have been silent in the first centuries of Islam, but the splendor of this society and its cultural growth is evident from the long list of thinkers attributed to this land. In this urban society, which is formed in the bed of a rich plain, the pressing of fruits and oilseeds is common. The rich vegetation and vineyards of the region confirm the production of grape syrup and oil. Extraordinary data of the area and their location near the central hill where it was located from the beginning of Islam to the ninth century AH. It goes on to show that this activity was common in the form of lever and weight, and its growth was at least from the 2nd to the 4th AH, at the same time as the establishment and development of Dinavar city and culture. Accordingly, pressing objects in Dinavar provide the basis for the study of pressing from the beginning of Islam.

Abstract
Khoy county, as one of the archeological fields of Iran, has been one of the most important centers for the presence of human societies, and the process of formation of ancient societies from prehistoric to historical and Islamic eras is quite obvious and can be explored. One of the landmarks of this city is Shams Tabrizi, which is located in the northwest of Khoy county between Rabat neighborhood and Imamzadeh neighborhood, and on its southern front, there is a monument called Shams Tabrizi minaret. This area was excavated in 2007, in 2018, with the aim of studying the layers and archaeological deposits and being aware of the existence of cultural periods, by creating 3 boreholes in the northern and eastern parts. This research is the result of studying the pottery data of the mentioned area. Accordingly, the main question of this research is posed as follows; Given the diversity of pottery species and their adaptation to other sites, what cultural periods does the site chronology include? Findings of this study; The pottery of this area is classified into two main groups of glazed pottery (monochrome pottery, multicolor painting on glaze and painting under glaze and Esgrafiato) and unglazed (molded and ordinary pottery) based on the typology of pottery. And their adaptation to other areas should be said; Shams Tabrizi Khoy area is a settlement belonging to the Middle Ages to the late Islamic period. The peak of prosperity of this area was related to the Middle Islamic centuries and it should also be noted that the pottery index species show close similarities with other centers in the northwest and west. It indicates the existence of an extensive communication and cultural network in the region, and historical texts and travelogues reinforce this conclusion.
Keywords: Khoy County, Shams Tabrizi Area, Pottery, Chronology.

Introduction
The city of Khoy has been an important gateway and a crossroads for trade in distant and nearby lands. This area, due to its location in communication centers, connects to the Urmia Lake basin on one side, the southern Caucasus region on the other side, and the eastern Anatolia, making it strategically important for prehistoric societies and significant in studies related to the formation of societies. The region’s archaeological explorations indicate that the oldest settlements in the area date back to the late Neolithic period (sixth millennium BCE). The environmental and biological components of the region have created favorable conditions for permanent and temporary settlements in various cultural periods, playing a very important role throughout history. Despite its great importance in Iranian archaeology, this region has received less attention. However, archaeological findings and historical documents attest to the significance of this region in cultural periods. In the field of archaeology, ceramic findings in the stratigraphy of sites and the study of cultural changes are of great importance. Systematic research on the types of ceramics in the Shams Tabrizi Khoy area is no exception to this rule. Given the lack of attention to this site in Iranian archaeology studies, it is necessary to investigate and study these data, as archaeological findings and historical documents indicate the importance of this region in cultural periods. The study of ceramic typology in this region is essential for understanding the prosperity and decline of the city, as well as cultural and trade relations with neighboring regions. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to study the Islamic period ceramics of this site, their typology, and relative stratigraphy. In the study of ceramics resulting from excavation and considering the type of data, the following questions are raised: 1) Which areas have similarities with the incised ceramics in this site? 2) Which regions have similarities with the turquoise-black ink ceramics of this site? 3) Based on the comparative study of ceramic types, what are the fundamental steps in understanding the prosperity and decline of the city and its cultural and trade relations with neighboring regions?

The Text of the Article
The Shams Tabrizi complex is located in the northwest of the city of Khoy, situated between the Rabat and Imamzadeh neighborhoods. Three trenches were created in the north and east fronts of the complex for identifying layers and accessing cultural deposits. Regarding the typology of ceramics in the Shams Tabrizi complex and their similarities with other complexes, it can be said that similar ceramics have been found in regions such as Rey, Sultaniyeh, Saveh, Sultanabad, Kashan, Hamadan, Bojnourd, Aqkand, Yazkand, Sultaniyeh, Sheikh Tappeh in Urmia, and others. Khoy was part of the Seljuk territories, especially under the Seljuk Rum branch, due to its strategic location on the trade route between the East and West. During the reign of Sultan Sanjar Seljuki, he appointed Khoy as a peer to Rey and considered Khoy and Rey as part of his special territories. The similarity of ceramic types with Rey is evidence of this statement. After flourishing during the Seljuk era and suffering damage during the Mongol invasions, especially in 628 AH, Khoy gradually regained its prosperity during the Ilkhanid period. Ceramics from the Ilkhanid period have been found in this complex, comparable to complexes of that time. In the Safavid era, Khoy gained attention from Shah Ismail I, who chose it as his winter capital. Historical sources indicate that Islamic historians attribute Khoy’s prosperity and fame to the middle centuries, particularly the 5th to 8th centuries AH. Ceramics from this period show undeniable similarities with complexes in eastern, western, and central Iran, likely due to cultural, economic, and trade exchanges between Khoy and those centers. Key ceramic types in this complex include multicolored underglaze, simple turquoise glazed ceramics, red and beige ceramics with black, blue, and purple patterns under and over turquoise and white glazes, orange and reddish ceramics with black patterns under yellow, turquoise, white, and aubergine glazes, orange ceramics with black and crackled (sgraffito) patterns under turquoise glazes, and unglazed ceramics.

Conclusion
Based on the archaeological studies and historical texts such as Ibn Hawqal, Masudi, Hamawi, and Emad al-Din Zakariya, Khoy has been a prosperous city during the Islamic period, especially from the 5th to the 8th centuries AD, due to its location on the East-West trade route. The pottery collection unearthed from the archaeological excavations of the Shams Tabrizi area also indicates that this region had cultural, commercial, and economic interactions with other centers during that time, reaching its peak during the Seljuk and Safavid periods. However, due to political and historical events, especially during the Ilkhanid and Safavid periods, all its cultural achievements were destroyed by invaders such as the Mongols and Ottomans (during the reign of Suleiman, Murad III, and Murad IV). Nevertheless, it has managed to regain its dynamism and greatness.
In this regard, the Shams Tabrizi area in Khoy is one of the prominent Islamic settlements in the region, possessing valuable cultural data, including diverse pottery artifacts. These pottery artifacts, classified based on comparative typology, belong to the Middle to Late Islamic periods and are divided into two main groups: glazed and unglazed pottery. The unglazed pottery consists of molded pottery and ordinary pottery, while the glazed pottery includes single-colored glaze, multi-colored glaze, overglaze painting, underglaze painting, and sgraffito. Due to the diversity of pottery types in terms of form, they mostly consist of various pottery bowls, and in terms of technique and decoration, they include distinctive types such as sgraffito, molded pottery, underglaze painting, and overglaze painting. Therefore, it can be said that pottery known as sgraffito in other regions such as Aqkand, Yazkand, Sultaniyeh, Sheikh Tappeh in Urmia, Hamadan, Kangavar, Taq-e Bostan, and Takht-e Soleiman, has been obtained, and in terms of style and technique, there are similarities between the turquoise pottery of this area and other regions in some cases. Similar turquoise pottery from this area has been obtained in Sultanabad, Kashan, Sultaniyeh, Hamadan, Bojnourd, and other regions, and can be compared to them in this respect. The results of the study of different types of pottery in the Shams Tabrizi area indicate that the pottery of this area mainly belongs to the Middle Islamic periods.