Rouhollah Yousefi Zoshk, Sahar Yazdani, year 2, Issue 6 (3-2019)
Abstract
Abstract
Proto-Elamite writing system known as phase 2 in proto-writing system in the Iranian plateau. Unfortunately, in decipherment and interpretation of the Proto-Elamite texts, they are always Under the influence of their contemporaneous writing system, proto-cuneiform. With further study at this system, albeit they have a common ancestor, but we have to consider to its specific and unique properties like Ecological geography, subsistence system, social hierarchy and etc., that make this culture. Keywords: Proto-Elamite, Susa, Proto-Cuneiform, Tablet.
Introduction
During the early French excavations of Susa, more than 1600 texts and fragments were found and were recognized to be a very early writing system (Dyson, 1968), and called the Proto-Elamite writing system (Scheil, 1900). After a while, Proto-Elamite texts have been found at sites across Iran. Due to the nature of the available radiocarbon data, the Proto-Elamite tablets can only to be dated with confidence to around 3300-3000 BC (Dahl, 2014:24). Current archaeological research suggests that many important sites across Iran were abandoned around 2800 BC. However, there is no consensus of how we understand the data, and we can here only note that there exist no samples of writing from Iran between the disappearance of Proto-Elamite writing system around 2900 BC and the introduction of cuneiform around 2300-2200 BC (Ibid:26).
Since Proto-Elamite texts record administrative transactions within a cultural and economic setting which is not entirely unknown to us, and since the scribes who wrote the texts had inherited certain bookkeeping techniques the content-specific numerical system, from their western neighbours in Mesopotamia, we can decipher the content of many texts. In 1978-79, Joran Friberg proposed a partial decipherment of a group of texts based on the number of cereal products found in these texts, the use of specific numerical systems, and the resemblance to text from Mesopotamia. Building on the results of him Peter Damerow and Robert K. Englund, a few years later proposed several sign identifications. Years after them, Jacob Dhal, also proposed a partial decipherment of sheep and goat terminology in Proto-Elamite texts(Ibid).
Though all these decipherments are true for part of these texts, but they consist of the relationship with Mesopotamian writing systems. Following this article, we can find at least two texts that could not verify all their signs and numerical systems match with that decipherment, and they could suggest that we need to review the decipherments manner with more Accuracy and independent from Mesopotamian texts.
MDP31, 33 and MDP31, 27
Both are administrative Proto-Elamite clay tablets and first published by Roland De Mecquenem in 1949 and keep in Louvre Museum.
In the seventh entry of MDP31, 33 texts, there is a string of signs: M024+M004+M218+M263~b+M038~a, that shows the owner(s) name of products M263~a which count with 2 N01. Because of the fading, it also might be two strings of names, but the important thing is the sign M263~b appeared in the string of the names and its very common in other texts that one sign which represents as products or workers, used as a syllable of the names. The other important thing like MDP31, 27 is behind the tablet, where we had an entry that normally should be the total account, but the entry contains sign M243~g which does not appear in the rest of the text and counting with numerical signs: N39b+1N24+1N30C and this number is not equal with this tablet’s front text. So, we can offer that, this tablet is not about the accounting of few products and their final total, but it represented several products that they had been donated to the warehouse (maybe the elite warehouse) and the sign M243~g is an introduction for the module and its size which, each product counts with this. The other suggestion for this Inequality can be: the products accounting with another numerical system that could not be recognised for us by now.
In MDP31,27, also, the above result could be true, but the other impressive difference in this text is the absences of the signs of owner(s) before product signs, which shows that all these products (grain and dairy which usually did not account together) belongs to the household or institute that came at header entry sign and that’s why the scriber didn’t need to separate them.
Conclusion
As a conclusion to sum up, the texts that were reviewed shows that hypothesis based on proto-cuneiform texts contemporary Proto-Elamite period which considered for the decipherment of these texts couldn’t be true and need more investigating.
In addition, the lake of material evidence from Proto-Elamite sites that showing their subsistence system and management system, hasty look and compare this period with its neighbors in Mesopotamia, Leads to more problems to its decipherment.
So, it’s worthy to consider in additional of Semantic structure, notice to the subsistence system, the economic and social hierarchy of the Proto-Elamite period.
So far, the assumption in the interpretation of Proto-Elamite texts has been revealed that everything on the tablet count should be accounted as their final total on the reverse the tablet exactly. But these two tablets presented that this rule might be a break and we might search on the new numerical system or consider them as text that contains products that offer to a warehouse, and this entrance wasn’t important as export from the warehouse or to have final total.
, Rouhollah Yousefi Zoshk, year 4, Issue 11 (6-2020)
Abstract
The invention of writing is considered one of the hallmarks in the human eveloution. Writing has not been invented all at once. Indeed, it had a gradual process from the Neolithic period to the end of the fourth millennium BC. In its early stages, it was similar among the Middle Eastern cultures, but at the end of the fourth millennium BC and the formation of the states in Uruk, Khuzestan, and Fars, two writing systems (Proto-Elamite and cuneiform) were invented at a same time. Both scribes are rooted in a common communication system. Some words with exactly the same iconography are obtained in the scribes of two lands which have been translated with different semantic uses thank to the progress of decipherment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the phonetic structure between the common early scribes in the second half of the fourth millennium BC in West Asia, which paves the way for the emergence of literature in the coming centuries. By using a descriptive-analytical methodology, the authors try to deduce that the reason for the similarities in the writing systems of the both areas is becuause of their identical roots by finding the roots of writing in two lands and examining the reasons for the formation of the first differences arising from understanding the environment and archaeological data. Also, the reason for the semantic differences of the words with the same iconography is due to the diversity of social and subsistance changes between the Iranian plateau and southern Mesopotamia, as well as the linguistic differences between the two regions. Keywords: Proto-Writing, Cuneform, Proto-Elamite, Susa, Phonetic Value.
Introduction
There are various theories about the origin of writing in Iran and the Middle East. Some argue that with the advancement of agriculture, rapid economic growth and lack of confidence in memory, the loss of many business and accounting information, and over-complexity of computing and business communications, the need to preserve information had increased. It was necessary to invent a way to maintain them. The invention of writing was not revolutionary nor suddenly is taken by an individual at a certain time; rather, it has evolved over several thousand years, and the period of Susa II and the emergence of complex societies and the specialization have greatly contributed to its growth. In the second half of the fourth millennium and early third millennium BC, tokens became more advanced, and were made in various forms with economic themes and were used in trade, then, the clay envelopes, also called bullae, became frequent. This clay envelopes date back to the mid-fourth millennium BC. Following the develepomental procees of the administrative system, the numerical tablets were invented.
Disscussion
The stages of writing up to the Susa II (Uruk) period were exactly the same, and from this period onwards the difference between the two scribes becomes apparent. The only major change of this period is the formation of a dense community in southern Mesopotamia. Since many ideograms were taken from the symbols around the environemnt, to better understand the roots of these differences, we need to fully understand the climate, environment and archaeological data of the two regions to comprehend these differences by taking the the environmental variety into account.
A) Mesopotamian climate in the fourth millennium BC: Mesopotamian communities due to alluvial soil and rich in minerals and nutrients that river water was washed from the surrounding mountains, in the field of agriculture and grain collection had access to surplus. On the other hand, the existence of large gardens near the permanent and water-rich rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates, vast pastures for sheep, goats and cattle, as well as abundant fish, poultry and wild animals for hunting, etc., led to extensive progress compared to other areas. In the fourth millennium BC, the population in these areas increased enormously, while the city of Uruk reached an area of about 2.5 square kilometers. Of course, there is no direct evidence of the exact number of inhabitants of Uruk, but with the help of anthropological data from the pre-modern Middle East, 100 to 200 inhabitants per hectare has been accepted for the residential sector. Apart from the the central monumental area of Uruk, It has reached approximately 230 hectares in the residential sector, which refers to the population of 25,000 to 50,000 people in Uruk in the late fourth millennium BC. Over 90 percent of the tablets were found in the garbages of the Temple of Eanna (the largest religious monuments of Uruk) presenting that this scribe was only used by a gropu of elites of the Mesopotamian society.
B) Climate of Iran in the fourth millennium BC: Iran is a clear example of the impact of natural structures on the cultural development. Iran is one of the arid lands of the ancient world and this determines the climatic relations of this land and the climate of its different regions. The summer heat in the lowlands forces people to migrate to the highlands with their herds. Due to the climatic conditions in these areas, a large part of the inhabitants of valleys and foothills are forced to live in their tents. Among the most important nomadic areas, we can mention Dar Khazineh, Tal-e Bakun and some settlements of Ramhormoz in the fifth to third millennium BC.
Conslusion
Management system has been one of the needs of human social development since the Neolithic period onwards which in the fourth millennium BC this need was felt quite clearly and at a high level, which led to a significant development of management in West Asia. At this time, the formation of different systems of government between the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia probably led to the formation of different management systems, but since for more than four thousand years, both regions had used a completely identical writing system, it is not far-fetched that the two different types of scribes are affected by common roots and have evolved according to the management needs of their environment.
As was said before, In Mesopotamia the scribe was only used by a group of elites. Hence, the ideogram and pictogram were enough to respond the needs of conveying a message. But in Iran, due to the special climate in the past, it was devoid of the centralized populations; instead the main populations were scattered in different parts of the Iranian plateau and the use of this scribe was over an area of one million square kilometers from the Shahr-e Sokhte in Sistan, Tepe Yahya in Kerman, Tepe Ozbaki in Qazvin plain and Tepe Sofalin in Tehran to Tal-e Malyan and Susa in southwestern Iran which probably there were different ethnicities and dialects in these areas. Due to the scatterness of proto-writing caly tablets in different part of Susa, one can conclude that this scribe became common in the society to respond to the needs of such a large society. Consequently, a scribe with the use of pictograms and ideograms was invented. We believe, according to the percentage of repetitions, the phonetic use of this scribe is probably high, and since this scribe was common among the different tribes of the Iranian plateau, perhaps with the phonetic use, it was effecient to convey meaning from different languages on the Iranian plateau in the second half of the fourth millennium BC.
Fereshteh Saki, Mohsen Javeri, year 4, Issue 13 (11-2020)
Abstract
Abstract
Vaqf (endowment) is one of the admirable Islamic traditions which have made the Muslims construct the buildings and different complexes based upon religious advises and also fair-minded of devotees such as kings and their relatives, ministers, politician, princes, merchants, and the other fair-minded people during the Islamic period. Most of these buildings still survived and lasted up to now. The nature of the devotion and its existence reasons not also was the cause of public utility constructions but also has guaranteed the preservation of those buildings and their urban zones. The Safavid period was one of the flourishing periods in terms of public utility constructions in the frame of devotion. This study aims to introduce the Aligholi complex and the influence of devoting traditions and its consequences on how it lasted from the construction till now. The base of this study is around educing devoting deed information of Aligholi Agha complex and benefitting from its contents and comparing the stated cases to the existing position and showing this point that how a building or complex-forming under the support of devoting system, and how devotee could guarantee the survival and durability of the complex after the construction.To influence the preservation of religious buildings and to regulate the urban zone around them, in this article we have studied the historical complex of Ali Qoli-Agha, which is an architectural masterpiece of Safavid era public buildings in Isfahan and formed within the framework of the endowment. In addition to regulating and forming the urban zone around it, this complex has also been the cause of its preservation and survival in the following periods. The Aligholi Agha historical complex is an architectural masterpiece of public utility in the Safavid period in Isfahan. This valuable historical complex has been built in the late Safavid period by the order and economical support of Aligholi Agha, who was one of the eunuchs in Shah Sultan Hussein Safavid’s court and then devoted to charity affairs. This historical complex included a mosque, bath, Bazar, Sagha Khane, Timche, Caravanserai, school, and Zoorkhane, which the three late places have ruined during the time. Keywords: Vaqf (endowment), Formulation, Urban Context, Safavid Architecture, Aliqli Agha Bath.
Introduction
One of the objectives of this study is the effect of the endowment tradition and its consequences on the formation of public buildings and the durability and survival of such complexes from the time of construction to the present, with a case study of the Aligholi Agha complex as one of the complexes established in the Safavid period in the city of Isfahan. In this study, we seek to answer issues such as how the endowment affects the formation of the Aliqoli-Agha complex and its role in shaping the urban zone around us, and the preservation and survival of this complex from the time of construction onwards. The basis of this research is around extracting the contents of the endowment deed of Alighali Agha complex and benefiting from its contents and matching the items mentioned in it with the current situation and stating how a building or complex is formed under the endowment support and after construction, the endowment tradition and how the Vaqif (the person who endows) conditions could have ensured its permanence and survival.
With the development and flourishing of the architecture of the Islamic period in the Safavid era, the construction of religious and public buildings such as mosques, schools, baths, caravanserais, bridges, in the form of a complex in the city appear. During this period, the practice of constructing public benefit complexes with the financial support of kings and other philanthropists and benevolent of that period and the interest in this type of architecture under the influence of Vaqf spread. In addition to the influence of Vaqf as a factor influenced by religion, other factors including political, cultural, and economic factors have also played a role in their creation. The collections are formed together with the construction of a mosque, bazaar, bath, caravanserai, and school, such as the beautiful complex of Dar Dasht (Shah Abbas I period, 1660 BC). The complex of Vazir (Shah Abbas I period), Saroutaghi complex (Shah Abbas II period, 1673BC) in Isfahan were among them and the complex under our research, namely the Aligholi-Agha complex, is one of the most significant of these complexes, which will be built at the end of this period with the creation of the original core of the complex, namely the neighborhood mosque, in 1744 BC, respectively, Caravanserai, School and Zurkhaneh have been added to it, the last three of which have been destroyed during the last three decades.
One of the valid and important endowments of the Safavid period is the endowment deed complex named after him: school, mosque, bazaar, two baths, and other personal property such as mills, agricultural lands, qanats, and gardens. One of the things that give credence to this endowment is the signs and seals of several high-ranking persons, scholars, and prominent personalities of this period in different parts of this endowment deed.
Conclusion
Accordingly, the Aligholi Agha complex in Bidabad quarter of Isfahan in the form of a quarter center with maximum preservation of the original complex as an urban space that with its physical elements has influenced the formation and regulation of the surrounding texture has been studied as a case study. This research is of historical-analytical type and has been done by library study method by reviewing the relevant materials and also referring to first-hand sources such as endowment letters from the collection as well as reviewing and surveying the historical context and its existing buildings. The questions that are followed in this research are: 1- How has the tradition of waqf and the conditions governing it influenced the formation of the Aliqoli Agha complex and the formation of the texture around it? 2- What has been the role of waqf in preserving and surviving the Aliqli-Agha complex since its construction?
Considering the importance of Aliqoli Agha endowment complex in Bid Abad historic quarter of Isfahan, which is a clear example to show the role of endowment in the formation of this complex and its impact on the formation of the surrounding urban fabric, as well as durability and survival from the construction period to the present according to tradition. The preferred endowment is selected as a case study in the framework of this research. In this regard, the valuable endowment document of Aliqoli-Agha collection has also been studied and its important and key points include quality of endow the collection by Aliqoli Agha, the location of the collection in the neighborhood, endowment places and competitions dedicated to endowments, appointing a trustee, custodian, and supervisor, how to maintain and protect the collection, the names of people present at the meeting and their seals and signs at the end of the endowment and some important points This document has been analyzed in line with the objectives of the research.
Abstract
The historical site of Qalat Mutabad in Piranshahr is of paramount importance in numerous historical and cultural documents such as potteries and brick architectural remains, especially in terms of architectural maps and plans. The existence of a star-shaped plan in the design of the site’s outer fence illustrates the importance and pivotal role of this area in the Piranshahr plain. The site is located beside one of the branches of the Little Zab (or Lower Zab) River, which has been gradually destroyed due to the passage of time and the land-use change, “use as a military base in the contemporary period,” and currently the evidence of the architectural debris of the building at the site is evident. Examples of star-shaped plan design in different parts of Iran, as well as European fortresses, can be observed, and it is comparable to the plan of Qalat Mutabad in this respect. The main problem of this article is to evaluate the site relying on the available documents and evidence so that we study the importance of military forts in the Piranshahr plain while achieving a relative dating of the site. Accordingly, some questions about the architectural structure, especially its plan and the military and residential function of the site arise. According to written historical sources, the study of similar examples, as well as material artifacts at the site level, hypotheses concerning the attribution of the site to the period after Safavid, “Afshar or Qajar,” military function inspired by Western architectural elements, are presented. This study was conducted in a historical, descriptive-analytical method. In addition to studying historical sources and field documentation by the authors at the site, aerial images and data gained from these images were exploited. Keywords: Qalat Mut-Abad, Form and Function Based, Star-Shaped Plan, Piranshahr.
Introduction
Qalat Mutabad site with an area of 20 hectares is located in Piranshahr city, 15 kilometers away from Tamrchin border crossing in south of Little Zab River. The plan of the site is star-shaped, overlooking the border crossings. In terms of architectural plan and location, Qalat Mutabad is noticeable and worthy of study.
Significance and Objectives of the Research: Concerning the destruction of the site and the ever-rising expansion of degradation factors, while introducing and recognizing Qalat Mutabad due to the lack of historical and archaeological data of the Islamic periods in Piranshahr, this study can contribute to the completeness of the information.
Questions and Objectives of the Research: Qalat Mutabad belongs to which period? What are the factors affecting the construction and star-shaped design of the site? It seems that this site belongs to the late centuries of Islam. Due to its geographical location and exposure to natural and political boundaries, Qalat Mutabad was built as a fortress and military base to repel the attacks of the Ottoman state or local insurgency.
Methods: The research method in this article is historical, and content analysis is descriptive-analytical. Aerial images explore written historical evidence and archaeological findings.
Literature Review: The historical site of Qalat Mutabad was pointed out in the photo book of Ali Khan Vali (Ali khan vali, 1862-1900: 183). In archaeological investigations, the Qalat Mutabad site with a history of 2500 BC, registration No. 611, was recorded in 1966 (West Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage Archives: 2019). The survey carried out in 2002 reviewed the site of Qalat Mutabad, and the area with historical-Islamic antiquity was registered as the hill of Qala-e-Mut with registration No. 7526 (West Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage Archives: 2019). In the study of Ali Binandeh for the master’s thesis “Archaeological Study of the Little Zab River,” he attributes this site to the Bronze Age, historical and Islamic period (Binandeh, 2008: 73).
Qalat Mutabad
Qalat Mutabad faces multiple problems, including the use of the site as a military base until recent years, industrial workshops in the area and boundary of the site, destruction by agricultural land, construction of garden houses, and the activities of unauthorized diggers. Problems have caused the site to lose its architectural structure and identity. For a detailed study, by utilizing satellite images of the Corona satellite taken in 1969, the site and its architectural structure are initially studied. Using the pictures of Ali Khan Vali’s book, a more accurate study of the site and its architectural evidence will be then addressed.
Below is the recorded photo, taken by Ali Khan Vali in the Qajar period, in which the word Qala-e-Mutabad was exploited. In addition to demonstrating that the site is a fortress, this historical document proves that the name of Mutabad has not been newly known in this area and has historical and old roots (Ali Khan Vali, Ibid: 183). The term Qalat in the Kurdish language means fortress, and it seems that Mutabad has come from the two words Mut + Abad. According to the evidence, before Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1978, there was a village called Motabad, which was evacuated after using the site as a military base in 1978 (Binandeh, Ibid: 73).
In Corona satellite images, the site has two parts of the outer fence with a star-shaped plan and the area’s inner part as a hill with a natural bed. There is a hill with a natural bed in the interior of the site. In unauthorized excavation cuts performed in the site, the thickness of ancient layers up to 2 meters is visible. Based on the Corona satellite images, an almost square-shaped area with suspicious architectural features can be seen at the top of the site.
Conclusion
Due to enjoying environmental potentials and also being located in the border strip of Iran with Mesopotamia, the Piranshahr region has always been a buffer zone due to successive wars from the Safavid period onwards with the formation of Safavid and Ottoman rules. With the coming to power of the Safavids and due to various gaps, local powers such as the Bilbas Tribal Union, the local governments of Savojbolagh Mokri and Urmia in Iran, as well as the local government of Baban in the Ottoman-ruled areas of Sulaimaniyah in Iraq, have turned the Piranshahr area into a scene of regional battles for various political, religious, and ethnic reasons. Historical documents and texts provide concise and beneficial information about the political and military situation in the Piranshahr area. Regional conflicts and wars mainly exhibit the military importance of the region and efforts to rule in it. About the existence of pottery findings and architectural works in the site of Qalat Mutabad and the lack of accurate dating of these findings because of their simplicity and locality, achieving a final decision based on the findings of pottery is impossible. Due to the existence of Corona satellite images and the intactness of the star-shaped plan of the Qalat Mutabad site and the presence of a photo of the site from the Qajar period and naming the site as the fortress, as well as the soundness of parts of the wall, towers, and architectural works in the photo, we can argue that not much time has elapsed since the destruction of the fortress. Accordingly, with comparative studies, the state of the landscape of the site and also the existence of similar examples of military fortresses with regular and star-shaped plans in the post-Safavid period “Afsharieh or Qajarieh” which are made inspired by European elements, the site of Qalat Mutabad can be attributed to Afsharieh or Qajar era.
Mossayeb Amiri, Majid Badiei Gavarti, year 5, Issue 16 (9-2021)
Abstract
Abstract
In the repository of Persepolis Museum, there are about 700 pieces of inscribed stones related to the cinctures of Persepolis Palaces, almost all of which are broken and incomplete. It us noteworthy that all the pieces are incomplete and broken in one place and only one cincture in the museum hall is complete and the rest of the pieces are all incomplete. Even the healthy piece was broken at the same point where the other cincture were broken and later repaired. All these fractures and defects have been done intentionally and from two specific places. About 40 of these pieces belonged to Thatcher Palace, and after their arrangement and reconstruction, 12 cinctures were obtained equal to the number of Thatcher Palace columns. In all this number, the name of Xerxes is seen as the builder and there is no other name of the Achaemenid kings. The sculptors have followed a certain pattern for their work. Apparently, all the pieces have inscriptions and these inscriptions were in three living languages of that time, namely ancient Persian, Elamite and Babylonian, and all the inscriptions were carved with cuneiform. These three civilizations were the most important civilizations of their time and they certainly had interactions with each other. In this article, we will try to study the cincture inscriptions of Thatcher Palace columns by descriptive-analytical method. How many paragraphs dose the writing contain and what does it contain? The three languages are compared and analyzed, their differences are identified and finally the cause of their breakdown is investigated. Keywords: Cuneiform, Cincture, Persepolis, Thatcher Palace.
Introduction
The common script in Achaemenid times is cuneiform, which some scholars attribute to the previous kings of Darius and even the period of historical beginning (Young, 2007: 38). Elamite was the official language and Aramic language common is most areas under Achaemenid rule. But it should be considered in mind that with the vastness of the Achaemenid territory, there were certainly many linguistic differences in this land, which according to recent linguistic research, probably more than 10 languages were common in this territory, (Anthony, 2013,37). The number of inscriptions from the Achaemenid period that have been discovered so-far is over 40 inscriptions, the most famous of which is the great Bistoon, which is written in three languages: ancient Persian Elamite and Babylonian. With the coming to power of Darius, this line was completed so that the types of verbs and their tenses, as well as pronouns and objects and the construction of verbs in it were well observed, and because it was based on grammar, it was possible to decipher it. It is noteworthy that the cuneiform is the only line that there is slash sign between words, and this feature led Rawlison to decipher it for the first time, and then the starting point for deciphering other lines, such as the Babylonian, Elamute and Assyrians...... The main goal of any linguistic research based on a silent language is to go through the veils of historical and cultural language and to achieve a correct understanding of the inscriptions and a report that is as enlightening as possible, in addition, providing an opportunity to teach a silent language has been a sub-goal of this research. In this research, apart from the ancient Persian language, the Elamite language of the Achaemenid period, which was strange in its birthplace, Iran, has been studied. Unfortunately, less of this research has been by domestic researchers in the field of ancient Iranian languages in the field of Elamite language. Thatcher Palace, column and its cinctures.
Discussion
Thatcher’s stone cinctures in Persepolis are divided into three categories in terms of material, shape, color, and size.
1. Cinctures made of limestone which has a light gray color and in terms of shape and form has a simple cut and no geometric tools and on it inscriptions in three languages of ancient Persian, Elamite and Babylonian in a very beautiful, technical way carved without the slightest fracture. All letters and symbols have a dimension in the sculpture and have elongated symbols and are neither short nor long due to the small space. For this reason, this type of current is called cuneiform by Nasta’liq writers. (picture7). This cincture sample has not been found more than two samples so-far, for this resin, this specimen must belong to the columns inside Thatcher Palace Hall. The stones with which the sculptors used to build these types of columns were extracted from the mines of the same area. (picture, 1,4,5).
2. The cincture is made of decorative stone or hematite, which is glossy black, this type cincture is smaller in diameter and height than the other two, similar in shape to the first sample, which is made of limestone. The reason for the simplicity of this sample is probably the high degree of hardness of the lathe. On this cincture unlike the first sample, trilingual inscriptions with cuneiform lines are carved in a row and in the same order, a few centimeters apart. In this way, the last sign of the Babylonian cuneiform, which is the end of the inscription, is located a few centimeters behind the beginning of the ancient Persian inscription, the carving of the symbols and letters on it were simple and had no dimension, and perhaps due to the hardness of the stone, they used narrow and simple symbols and letters, and had no small, crushed pieces and also there are two samples of this cincture, one almost complete, which attracted the inside the Persepolis Museum, and the other was half of cincture that was placed in the tank of the same museum. (Picture 2 and 8).
3. Cincture made of decorative stone and light blue color with a gutter tool around its upper edge, also this cincture is larger in diameter and height than the other two types, and triple cuneiform are carved in a row on it. This type of cuneiform has beautiful but it does not have concave dimension and beauty of the first type. (Picture 3and 6). The size of the cinctures starts at 5 Cm and covers up to one third of a cincture. Its inscriptions were masterfully sculpted in ancient Persian, Elamite and Babylonian languages. After arrangement, the pieces reached 12 cincture, which were the number of columns in the Palace. After translating each word, it replaced them and finally a text was obtained that was repeated 12 times in 3 languages. The important point with our discussion was that a common part this text disappeared in the sentence and then continued the sentence to the end.
Conclusion
When Alexander entered Persepolis, more than two centuries had passed since the Achaemenid Kings ruled the world, and more than one hundred and seventy years had passed since the construction of Persepolis. Conqueror historians have written that after Alexander’s conquest of Persepolis, he ordered it Tobe burned while intoxicated at the request of his mistress, and they know this commandment against his inner desire and try to remove this shameful act from his face on the other hand, if Xerxes or his father Darius, he immediately rebuilt it, although such an action, ie the burning of Athens by the Achaemenids, was never reported. With these details, the authors of this article found that the fire and destruction of Persepolis had nothing to do with the above story, Greek soldier, consciously and under Alexander’s direct order, destroyed the inscriptions, symbols and looted the architecture and its treasures. When they translated these inscriptions for Alexander, he saw himself defeating the Achaemenids without a rival to the emperor of the world. As a result, he ordered the destruction of all inscriptions that had such meanings, especially titles such as king of the world etc., for this reason, broken pieces were not found when translating the cincture. There is also a broken statue of Darius in the treasury of Persepolis, which is clearly visible due to the strong blow, especially the left eye of the statue, which is split on both sides and the place of the blow corresponds to the arrow of Alexander’s soldiers, and as you fill the gap with the sculpting paste, it becomes an arrow, the same shapes can be found at the fracture site of the cincture.
The earliest evidence of human exploitation of the wild date palm in the Middle East dates back to the sixth and fifth millennia BCE. Despite the scarcity of archaeological data, it is commonly assumed that by the end of the Late Uruk period (ca. 3300–3100 BCE), the Sumerians founded the earliest date palm orchards. However, this hypothesis has thus far not been substantiated by scientifically verified and documented evidence, rendering the matter a subject of scholarly controversy. To date, since the Proto-Elamite script has not yet been fully deciphered, our knowledge of agricultural activities within Proto-Elamite society remains considerably limited. What has been learned so far regarding the structure of this society’s economic system is derived mainly from comparisons between signs found on Proto-Elamite clay tablets and comparable examples in Late Uruk Mesopotamian Proto-cuneiform tablets from the late fourth millennium BCE; signs that primarily pertain to labor activities, animal husbandry, and livestock products. This study outlines the phenotypic characteristics of the date palm that can be identified, and examines their similarities to known Proto-Elamite examples. The authors suggest signs representing date palms in the Proto-Elamite script and consider them as key resources for a better understanding of the subsistence economy of the Proto-Elamite period, an issue previously absent from the scholarly literature on this era. Employing a comparative approach, the article correlates the signs for palms in Proto-Elamite texts with contemporaneous and later Iranian, as well as Mesopotamian, visual motifs. By introducing these signs into the archaeological discourse of the Proto-Elamite period, the research enables a more accurate reconstruction of the economic system and assessment of the level of date-palm horticultural knowledge in southwestern Iran during the late fourth millennium BCE.
Gholamreza Shamloo, Ali Salmani, Davoud Mirzaei, year 9, Issue 34 (3-2026)
Abstract
Abstract
The Baysunghur Sahnameh and the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb have rightly been considered as two unique artistic masterpieces in the history of Iranian painting. To find out the pure aesthetic values of these two versions, the best method that can be used is the method of formalistic analysis. In the formalist approach, what is important is the analysis of formal visual elements that painters have used to convey an aesthetic feeling or emotion. Therefore, with a formalistic approach, this research examines two versions of the same story, that is, “Esfandiyar Slays Arjasp” in these two Shahnameh. Obviously, in this research, elements such as line, shape, color and in general the design and composition of these paintings have been subjected to formal analysis. Based on this, the current research has clearly sought to answer this question: in terms of the formalist approach, what are the similarities and differences between these two common images of Baysunghur and Shah Tehamasb Shahnameh? Obviously, in order to answer this question, what are the main features of the painting “Esfandiyar Slays Arjasp” in the two versions of Baysunghur and Shah Tahmasb based on the formalist approach? By comparing the mentioned paintings, it was found that The Baysunghur Sahnameh is richer than Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb in terms of the use of lines appropriate to the nature of the story, the clear depiction of the story, and the symbolic treatment of the story. Of course, it is worth mentioning that, on the other hand, Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb presents a kind of decorative representation of the story, and therefore, it tried to make the story appear dramatic. The method of the present research is descriptive-analytical based on comparing the illustrations of two versions of Shahnameh, and the data collection method was library. Keywords: Form, Formalism, Formalist Analysis, The Baysunghur Sahnameh, The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb.
Introduction
In Iran’s long tradition of book design, perhaps no work has been illustrated as much as Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. Meanwhile, in the Timurid and Safavid periods, due to the rise of art-loving and tasteful rulers and the favorable social conditions, we witness the creation of the most valuable illustrated Shahnamehs. Undoubtedly, the most prominent illustrated Shahnameh of the Timurid period is the “the Baysunghur Sahnameh” and the masterpiece of the Safavid period is the “the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb”. These two irreplaceable masterpieces have been a suitable vehicle for the emergence of Iranian-Islamic aesthetics. It seems that no approach like the formalist approach can explain the characteristics of these two masterpieces purely in terms of art and aesthetics.
Accordingly, formalism is an approach to art that emphasizes the importance of form and its priority over content as the source of the subjective attraction of the work. Therefore, any formalist analysis of works of art essentially considers the aesthetic effects created by the design components. These components, which are called formal elements, form the basis of the artist’s visual language. These components can be categorized as follows: line, overall shape, space, color, and light and dark. These components themselves can also be considered to include elements such as balance, order and proportion, and pattern and rhythm which, together with the first components, create specific reactions in the audience. The artist brings all these components and elements together in an arrangement that is called composition. Having said that, our formalist analysis of the common selected image in the two Shahnamehs of Baysunghur and Shah Tahmasb in this research will proceed based on the above components and elements, and in the conclusion section, the necessary results will be obtained from the comparison of these components in the two mentioned versions.
Discussion
In general, the predominant use of dry, diagonal and angled lines in Baysanghari’s Shahnameh has caused the atmosphere of confrontation and battle to be shown well. While the soft and gentle lines of the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb are not very similar to the displayed subject. The asymmetric composition chosen by painters of the Baysunghur Sahnameh to show this story is completely in harmony with the real atmosphere of the battle. A battle which, according to the text of the Shahnameh, is not an ordinary battle of the type of wars fought between two armies; This battle is mostly a secret operation and it goes step by step according to a predetermined plan and therefore it is very complicated and calculated. Breaking the space through the masterly display of the fortress walls with sharp diagonal lines, speaks of the creative courage of the painters of this version and shows well the difficulty of entering the fortress and the difficulty of mastering it during the battle. It is precisely for this reason that Esfandiyar is forced to enter the fortress as a merchant delegation. In addition, the fortress described in the story was very strong (it was built only with stones) and it was located in a mountainous area. The painter has succeeded in creating the feeling of encountering a complex and unattainable building in the audience with an extremely masterful display of an uneven castle with a complex plan and steps. On the other hand, the composition of Tehamasbi’s painting is almost symmetrical and balanced; It is as if the battle depicted is a normal battle where the people who are at war are concerned about being in a specific place that the painter has determined for them to maintain the balance of the scene; If a war is depicted in this scene, this war is not so real, but it is completely staged and decorated.
Conclusion
The findings of this research with regard to the main question, i.e. the question that “in terms of the formalist approach, what are the similarities and differences between these two common images of The Baysunghur Sahnameh and the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb?” It is supposed to:
- In terms of the adaptation of the illustrated story with the verses of the Shahnameh, it can be claimed that the image belonging to the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb is more bound to the verses of the Shahnameh. The display of time and clothes of merchants for Esfandiyar’ soldiers in Shah Tehamasb’s images confirms this claim. But none of these things are shown in the image belonging to The Baysunghur Sahnameh. Of course, in the show of the strong and tangled fortress, Baysunghur’s image is more bound to the verses of the Shahnameh.
- In the painting belonging to the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb, the story of Arjasab’s murder is depicted by showing his throat being cut by Esfandiyar, while in Baysunghur’s painting, the mentioned theme is shown by pulling Arjasab down from the throne to the ground. Therefore, it is possible to refer to the symbolic and metaphorical treatment of The Baysunghur’s image, in contrast to the explicit and direct expression of Shah Tehamasbi’s image.
- The composition of Baysunghur’s image is completely in harmony with the subject of the story, while the composition of Shah Tehamasb’s image is completely balanced and symmetrical and does not match the depiction of a real war.
- The Baysunghur Sahnameh painter has deliberately and at the same time boldly broken up the space to show the complex architecture, mountainous location, tangled and impassable nature of Arjasab fortress. On the other hand, the space shown in shah Tehamasb version is almost uniform, and apparently only a small part of the complex space of Baysanghari’s image was chosen for it. For this reason, The Baysunghur Sahnameh painter has acted more boldly and creatively.
- The main concern of the painter of The Baysunghur Sahnameh painting is the clear and clear depiction of the story, and for this reason, the image is divided into three parts from the bottom to the top, which clearly shows the story step by step, both with uniform colors and close to each other. Almost the same clothes (two types of military uniforms) have been used, and it has been avoided to show any extra or dramatic elements. On the other hand, painting of the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasb has more emotional and dramatic content and apparently has a great desire to dramatize the story and show it decoratively.