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Milad Baghsheikhi, Mohammad-Esmaeil Esmaeili-Jelodar, Alireza Khosrozadeh, Alamdar Haji-Alian,
year 3, Issue 10 (2-2020)
Abstract

Abstract
Pottery as one of the major handcrafts of human societies plays an important role in rebuilding past culture and civilization. Classification, typology and chronology of pottery are of great importance in archaeological studies. The abundance and variety of pottery in situ has made it possible for the archaeologist to obtain the best cultural evidence for the recognition of ethnicities and communities. Pottery documentation and species identification is one of the technical principles in archaeological studies. One of the less well-known areas in the archaeology of Iran’s historical period, especially in the Sassanid period, is the present-day area of Isfahan Province in the Central Iranian Plateau. Introduction and study of Shirkouh Naein area previously carried out by Alamdar hajiAlian was selected for the research since it was evaluated in terms of statistical population and type of cultural materials of the Sassanian era from both architectural and cultural point of view. 
Keywords: Classification, Typology, Chronology, Sassanian Islamic Pottery, Epistemology, Shirkooh Naein.

Introduction
The research method is descriptive-comparative and the results have been analyzed based on comparative studies. In fact, this article focuses on documentary studies, especially and studying written documents and field studies. Also, using the results of archaeological field survey, the obtained pottery was classified, classified and finally compared with the key archaeological sites of this period, and their results were compared.
 
Describe the Area of Shirkooh Naein
Naein, in Isfahan province, is a town located in the desert margin. Pakooh region is one of the villages of Naein located in the northwest. The ancient site of Shirkooh is in the vicinity of Separo Village located 6 kilometers away from the west of it. Due to its strategic location, this region has always been suitable for human settlements. Among the evidence which represents a Sassanian settlement in Shirkooh, one can mention a fortress, a Čahārṭāq (four arches), and Soffeh (Terrace platform). Before briefly discussing the main topic of the article, each will be briefly mentioned.

Čahārṭāq (Four arches)
The Čahārṭāq of Shirkooh, located in the central part of Naein, can also be placed in this category. In 2002 (1381) the monument was listed as a national property of Iran with the registration No. 7222 and after that, it was restored by Shah-Hosseini. The Čahārṭāq of Shirkooh is a square-shaped structure with approximate dimensions of 10 meters. Its current height is 12/40 meters, dome height is 6/10, and the internal height is 6/59.

Shirkooh Fortress 
The position of this fortress is in such a way that on top of it the Čahārṭāq is visible and on the other hand, the fortress is pretty obvious from the center of Čahārṭāq. Thus, these two structures are not far from each other. The plan of the fortress is almost irregular and a steep slope makes it hard to reach. The materials used in the construction of the fortress are cobblestones for the walls, mud-brick in towers and plaster as the main mortar of the entire building. At the interior of the fortress there is a rectangular structure which its directions are north-east south-west and somehow overlooking the low level of the plain and the village. Due to unauthorized excavations inside the fortress, a piece of plasterwork was found; this piece is 16 cm long and 9.5 cm wide and its surface is engraved.

Terrace Platform of Shirkooh (Soffeh)
Terrace platform is located at 38 7.33 N, 52 59 24 E. It is constructed at the farthest end of the site which connects it to the mountain. The main construction material of this Soffeh consists of cobblestones of the river. Since this terrace platform is flat and elevated, from the top of it the fortress and Čahārṭāq are remarkably visible.

Classification and Typology of Shirkooh Naein Pottery Found
The Sassanian Islamic pottery of the Shirkooh area of Nain County is varied in form Data were obtained from three Čahārṭāq sections, Shirkooh fortress and Soffeh. A total of 760 pieces of pottery (Sassanian and Islamic) were collected in the study of Alamdar haji Alian. Then, during field re-examination by the authors, 80 pieces of pottery (Sassanian and Islamic) were collected from the surface of the site; The present study was classified 63 stratigraphic fragments, typology and finally chronology. From a comparative study of 63 pieces of pottery obtained from surface examination, the number of fragments is as follows: edge 52, body 3 and floor 8; From the above-mentioned pottery, 42 pieces from the Sassanid era and 21 pieces from the Islamic era were identified. The color of the pottery is one of the most prominent features of pottery considered in the classification of pottery. This color is divided into three main groups of brown, pea, and red in the Sassanian Shirkooh pottery.
In addition to the aforementioned cases, the classification of the studied pottery of Shirkooh Naein into its fragments has also been considered. Accordingly, the rim components can be classified into eight distinct groups. Based on the typology of the pottery, five types were identified: Bowls, jars, earthenware, dish and bottles that make up the largest number of bowls and jars in the earthenware collection.

Suggested Chronology of Sassanian Shirkooh Pottery
One common way to identify the presence or absence of communication between cultural communities in neighboring areas is to compare their cultural artifacts with each other. To relate these potteries to relative chronology, to match the samples to Sassanian sites excavated and to have chronologies and sites found from archaeological excavations in Iran: Hajiabad, Mellian, Abou Nasser Fars Palace, Yazdgerd Castle, Oltan Ghalasi Dasht Moghan, Torang Tapeh Gorgan, Defensive Wall, Bandan Darges, Siraf and ete, and out of Iran archaeological excavations of Tal Aboushrifa, Kish and Bergotiat in Iraq, Kusad United Arab Emirates. Accordingly, it was found that the type of pottery studied in Shirkouh was most similar to the set of pottery obtained from surface surveys of Farsan plain, Torang Tapeh excavations in northeast of Iran, Yazdgerd castle and Tall Abusharifah in northwestern Iraq. Given this, Shirkooh is one of the Sassanian sites in the Naein region that has pottery traditions of this period.

Conclusion
Specifications of Shirkooh pottery and their comparison with different Sassanid zones indicate the taste of Sassanian pottery in this region and similar shapes in different periodic zones Sasanian is recognizable. Therefore, Shirkooh pottery is a local and indigenous species that can be seen in other areas. In general, the Shirkooh region is culturally influenced by western evidence such as Yazdgerd castle area and central Iranian plateau, especially east of Isfahan province, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari province and Farsan plain. In fact, based on the typological studies and comparisons of pottery with other Sassanian and Islamic sites, it seems that the settlement is located in Sassanian and early Islamic periods. As we know, the pottery at the end of each period is usually early or even later in the period and does not disappear all at once, such as the area where the Sassanian pottery of the early Islamic Times There has also been a continuing trend and it is difficult to identify.

Hanie Hossein-Nia Amirkolaei, Seyed Rasool Mousavi Haji, Morteza Ataie, Doctor Abdolreza Mohajeri-Nejhd,
year 4, Issue 14 (2-2021)
Abstract

Abstract
The ancient site of Natel is located in the village of Natel Kenar-e Olia, a district of the city of Nour, which is 6 kilometers southwest of this city in the west of Mazandaran province. According to historical written sources, this city was considered as one of the important cities in Tabaristan during the Abbasid period and had a military garrison. Due to the importance of this historical site, in addition to archaeological surveys, three excavations have been carried out in this site so far in 2008, 2010, and 2016 under the supervision of Abdolreza Mohajerinejad. The present study focuses on some pottery findings of the first and second seasons of these excavations, during which 2166 pieces of glazed and non-glazed pottery were obtained among other findings. Chronology of the aforementioned samples and consequently more detailed and precise knowledge of the settlement periods, better and greater recognition of the pottery of this site, in particular, and pottery of the Islamic period in the southern margin of the Mazandaran Sea, in general, awareness of the similarity and differences of the pottery obtained from this site with the major pottery centers of the Islamic era required a thorough and in-depth study of these samples in the form of classification, typology, and a typological comparison that was carried out in this research. The results of this study show that most of the studied samples belong to the early (3 and 4 AH) and mid-Islamic (5 and 9 AH) centuries, while the samples of the Ilkhanid and Timurid period in this collection are much lower in number than those of the previous centuries. Also, the results of statistical studies on pottery of the historical town of Natel indicate that these pottery wares have relatively good production quality and strength, but they have a lower level in terms of manufacturing technique and diversity of motifs. 
Keywords: Natel, Islamic Pottery, Classification, Typology, Typological Comparison.

Introduction
The ancient site of Natel is located in the village of Natel Kenar-e Olia, a district of the city of Nour, which is 6 kilometers southwest of this city in the west of Mazandaran province. Given the importance of this site in the Islamic period of Iran, especially the southern margin of the Mazandaran Sea, the first scientific studies to identify and determine the location of this town were carried out by Abdolreza Mohajerinejad in 2006 during a season of a survey (Mohajerinejad et al., 2017: 247) and then these studies were continued under his supervision during three seasons of excavation in 2008, 2010, 2016 (Mohajerinejad, 2008; ibid, 2010; ibid, 2016). During the first and second seasons of the excavation, along with other findings, 2166 pieces of pottery were discovered which were provided to the authors for further investigations. Therefore, during the classification and typology stages, 235 indicative pottery types were selected and excluded from the collection. To advance the research, the authors selected and studied 50 pieces from among the indicative samples selected from among the collection based on the non-repetitive variable. Due to the diversity and multiplicity of the pottery types and for better identification of the pottery of this site in particular and the pottery of the southern coastal areas of the Mazandaran Sea in general, the similarity and differences of pottery obtained from this site with those of the major pottery centers of the Islamic era, and also to gain more accurate knowledge of the settlement periods of the site, it was necessary to study the pottery samples very carefully. Accordingly, the present study seeks to answer the research questions through recording, registering, classifying, typology, and typological comparison of these pottery collections (2149 fragments belonged to the first season and 67 fragments belonged to the second season). The most important questions this research seeks to answer through scientific and systematic studies are: 1: to which period or periods do the pottery samples discovered in the historic town of Natel belong? 2: how is the status of the pottery samples discovered from the historic town of Natel, in terms of production quality and decorations compared to the major pottery centers of Iran during the Islamic era? In answer to the first question, it should be noted that the pottery discovered from the first and second seasons of excavation in the Natel historical site belongs to a time period extending from the early Islamic centuries to the Timurid era. And the answer to the second question is as follows: the production quality of the Natel pottery as well as the decorative quality of Sgraffito pottery are similar to those of the major Iranian pottery centers, but other pottery samples obtained from Natel are in a lower level in terms of their decorative quality, especially in color painting. 

A Summary of the Paper
Initially, the samples were classified according to two variables, i.e. their coating type and being simple or painted, which are divided into four groups: non-glazed simple pottery, non-glazed painted pottery, glazed simple pottery, and glazed painted pottery. Then, at the typology stage within the classification framework, each group of pottery was classified into several types and sub-types according to one or more variables. The investigations were carried out with great sensitivity and accuracy and finally, this resulted in the typology of the pottery in the form of 45 types and sub-types. Statistical studies on the ceramics of this collection indicated that the glazed simple pottery was the most frequent type among all the groups with a frequency of 46.53%. Overall, these ceramics have relatively good production quality and strength, but the glazed painted ceramics are at a lower level in terms of production technique and variety of motifs. The non-glazed painted pottery pieces in this collection have geometric motifs and the dominant motif type in this group is ripple motif in terms of motif design variable. At the typological comparison stage of classification which has been carried out according to the classification and typology of pottery collection, it was attempted to compare a large number of fragments with pottery found in Islamic sites. Therefore, in addition to reviewing various reports of excavations carried out in Islamic sites (generally, the northern sites of the country are considered), we have carefully studied the authentic sources of Islamic pottery prepared and organized by the efforts of foreign and domestic scholars and accordingly the pottery types, which were compared with similar example or examples, were dated and the comparisons are presented in the form of tables in the main text of the paper. From among the regions or sites whose ceramics are comparable to those of the Islamic period of Natel, Bamiyan, Nishabur, Jorjan, Poinak castle of Varamin, Imam Zadeh Ali Lafourak in Savadkouh, Sarqala of Lavasan, Sheikh Safieddin Ardebil’s tomb, Sistan, Golkhandan fortress, Kaseh al-Mout, Gaskar site of Gilan, Haft Daghnan of Gilan, northwest of Iran, Osbou Kola Lofer, and Jahan Nama site can be mentioned. 

Conclusion 
According to the contents of the present study as well as the classification, typology, and typological comparison of the pottery discovered from the historic town of Natel, it can be stated that there are a total of 45 different ceramic types and subtypes in this collection. The results of typological comparisons of the pottery of the Islamic period of Natel showed this collection had the highest rate of similarity and relationship with the pottery obtained from the sites of the Islamic period in the north of the country; this cultural and artistic similarity supports the existence of a wide cultural and connection network between Natel and its neighboring regions and indicates the production and expansion of formal and standard pottery types during different Islamic times that were produced in specific centers and exported to other regions. Their production techniques were imitated in local workshops with a lower quality. In general, the results of this study suggest that most of the studied samples belong to the early (3 and 4 AH) and mid-Islamic (5 and 9 AH) centuries. The results of the statistical studies on the pottery of Natel also indicate that these pottery findings have a relatively good production quality, but they are at a lower level in terms of production technique and diversity of motifs.  

Solmaz Raof, Ebrahim Raiygani,
year 5, Issue 17 (12-2021)
Abstract

Abstract
The longevity of some local dynasties has led to the formation of significant settlements in different environmental contexts, including mountainous to forested areas of northern Iran. Kohneh Gorab located in North the Amlash This area was one of the inhabited areas during the reign of Al-e Kia in the east of the Gilan Province is one of the notable examples in this field. Recognition and analysis of the ancient location and communication of Kohneh Gorab as one of the settlements under the political-cultural control of the Al-e Kia family in the Gilan has necessitated the forthcoming research. The present study seeks to answer the following question: According to the cultural findings (tiles and pottery) of the ancient site of the Kohneh Gorab of the Amlash from the perspective of relative chronology and concerning related historical texts, what period can be for this site suggested? And how can the intra- and extra-regional connection of the old the Kohneh Gorab site with the surrounding areas be explained? The most important purpose of the study is a chronological explanation as well as the study of intra- and extra-regional cultural relations based on defined cultural data. The method of data collection is field-documentary and the research method is descriptive-analytical. The result is that the most important cultural finds of the Kohneh Gorab area, including pieces of tiles with monochromatic glazes and plant motifs, as well as plain pottery with carvings, Slip-Painted, glazed pottery with the monochromatic glazes, the underglaze engravers, the sprinkled glazes, the blue-white paints, the Sgraffiato paints, undergrowth paintings, indicates a cultural connection with its neighboring areas such as the Panjpiran Tepe of the Lahijan, Islamic city of the Gaskar, the Lisar Qaleh of the Talesh (intra-regional) and also indicates relations with landmarks such as the Amol, the Jorjan, the Neyshabur, the Rey and the Saveh (extra-regional). A comparative and comparative chronology of this area showed that the settlement began at least from the 3rd or 4th century AH and continued until the 8th to 10th centuries, AH, that is, at the same time as the rule of the Al-e Kia dynasty in eastern the Gilan.
Keywords: Kohneh Gorab, Al-e Kia, Islamic Pottery, Tiles.

Introduction
Archaeological studies in the Gilan Province in recent years have led to the identification of large Islamic sites that previously could only be recovered through historical texts. The Kohneh Gorab is one of these intermediate sites that has served as a link between its north and south. Information from historical texts has attributed the settlement in this area to the Al-e Kia family, while recent archaeological studies while confirming this attribution, have linked the settlement in this area to an older period. The main purpose of this research is the chronological study and analysis of the Kohneh Gorab site based on cultural data to identify its regional and supra-regional relationship. Important natural and historical sites, as well as destruction due to development activities, have been the most important necessities for documenting this area.
The questions are as follows: Cultural findings (tiles and pottery) of the ancient site of the Kohneh Gorab of the Amlash in terms of relative chronology and concerning related historical texts, what period can be proposed for this site? And based on cultural findings and comparative studies of pottery species and tile pieces, how can the internal and external relations of the Kohneh Gorab site with the surrounding sites be explained?
In the present study, pottery and tile pieces were collected from surface surveys in and around the historical site of the Kohneh Gorab and also drilled 15 test trench in predetermined places. For comparative studies, citation sources and descriptive-analytical methods were used in the research. The findings of this documentary method were analyzed to present the relative chronology and cultural relations within and outside the region.

The Tiles Sherds from the Kohneh Gorab
Tile pieces obtained from the historical site of the Kohneh Gorab are of high quality. to make these tiles, which are geometric shapes such as squares, rhombuses, triangles, star shapes, as well as star and cross shapes, they used the molding method and prefabricated molds. The surface of all these tiles is covered with monochromatic under turquoise glazes, azure, green, yellow, black, and also plant motifs with a combination of green, black or blue, and white. 
From comparative studies of tiles in Islamic areas in the Gilan, we conclude that small tiles in the shape of pentagons, rhombuses, and triangles in historical buildings in the east and west of the Gilan, such as the Panjpiran tepe, the historic city of the Gaskar, the Qala-e-Rudkhan of the Fooman, which is almost contemporary in time. They are used with the ancient historical site of the KOhneh Gorab (Table 1).

The Pottery of the Kohneh Gorab Site
All pottery obtained from the Kohneh Gorab site can be divided into two general categories based on simple and glazed. Plain pottery is divided into two categories: unglazed and plain pottery and unglazed and patterned pottery. Glazed pottery is also divided into two categories: plain glazed and painted glazed. Glazed and plain pottery was divided into seven types based on the color of the coating: Unglazed and plain pottery in yellowish red, unglazed and plain pottery in reddish-brown, unglazed and plain pottery in bright red, unglazed and plain pottery in reddish yellow, unglazed and plain pottery in brown, unglazed and plain light brown pottery. According to typological studies, this type of pottery was common in many areas of the Gilan Province from the 4th to the 10th century AH (Jahani, 2011; Mirsalehi, 2019; Ramin, 2006). 
Most of the pottery obtained from the Kohneh Gorab site is wheel-made and a small number of them are hand-made. Some dishes have a flat bottom and some have a long, concave base. According to the available evidence; Most of this pottery was used daily. Unglazed and painted pottery of this site can be divided into two categories based on the type of pattern: unglazed pottery with engraving, pottery with the scarred pattern. The abundance of such pottery pieces informally leads to the idea that these two types are probably of local production; However, we have to wait until laboratory studies and definite assurance in this field.

Conclusion
The main data obtained from the field survey of the Kohneh Gorab site include pieces of tiles and pottery. The tile pieces are small in size and geometric shapes (square, rhombus, pentagonal and triangular), star-shaped, covered with monochromatic glazes of blue, green, and yellow. In some of these tiles, plant motifs including arabesque and leaves have been used. Comparatively comparing these tiles with other areas, there are many similarities between them and the tiles discovered from the Panjpiran tepe in the Lahijan related to the Kiai period. From the surviving cases of these tiles and similar ones, we can mention the examples in the religious buildings of the Lahijan and the Langrud. Other data that were abundantly obtained in this site are pottery pieces belonging to the Middle Ages and late Islam. Plain pottery with carved and without patterns has a higher percentage of all pottery. These species are probably locally produced. The next groups have the most abundance of pottery with underglaze, pottery with sprayed glaze, and Sgraffito pottery after plain pottery, respectively. The Sgraffito pottery discovered from the Kohneh Gorab is technically and artistically similar to the Amol tepe. Some of the samples are of higher quality and it is possible that they came to this place from the Amol region, others were produced locally by imitating the Amol species. The black painted under the turquoise glaze and white blue pottery are another part of the cultural data obtained from this site. The better quality and lower frequency of these parts raised the issue of their import unofficially. The results of the study of these data reveal the cultural connections of this site with sites in the Gilan province such as the Panjpiran tepe of the Lahijan, Islamic city of the Gaskar, the Lisar castle, and outside the Gilan province sites such as the Amol, the Jorjan, the Neyshabur, the Rey and the Saveh. Comparative analysis of the findings indicates the settlement between the 3rd to 4th and 8th to 10th centuries AH, in which the site was relatively stable; however, to provide an accurate chronology as well as to identify the extent of the dispersal of cultural deposits, it is necessary to conduct extensive and purposeful excavations.

Thaer Rezazadeh,
year 6, Issue 21 (12-2022)
Abstract

Abstract
Abstract: This essay attempts to do a typological study on one of the most applicable lighting devices -i.e. Oil Lamps- of the early Islamic period from Iran. Although introduction of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps goes back to the pre Islamic period of Iran, the most remarkable changes in the design process of these products appeared during this period. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to study and follow design process of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps of early Islamic period. This essay enquires about the most important developments on the history of Oil Lamps design. In order to reach the goal of this study and to do this research I have used descriptive analytical methodology of research and collected a great deal of needed information by desk study methods of data gathering. In addition, in order to delineate as good as possible the changes and developments appeared on various types of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period, here in this study I decided to use a specific framework for systematically studying history of objects’ design suggested by an Indian university professor named Kumar Vyas. According to Vyas, in order to be a major landmark a moment in the history of an object should indicate five kinds of changes: changes in design and structure of devices; changes in appearance of them; changes in methods of manufacturing; changes in the ways they have been used; and finally changes in objects’ relationship with their users. Therefore, one can categorize the most important developments in designs and types of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps in three main groups. The first group includes those ceramic Oil Lamps with open, bowl shaped bodies and projected wick holders; Second group have globular enclosed bodies with elongated tubular wick holders. Finally, footed lamps with central stem on a plate shaped stand recognize the last group of our typology of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period. 
Keywords: Islamic Pottery, Iranian Pottery, Ceramic Oil Lamps, Lighting Devices. 

Introduction
Oil Lamps or “chiraghs” were one of popular lighting devices of early Islamic period in Iran. They were kind of a container that simply worked with a vegetal wick and animal oil and thus answered their users’ needs. Although introduction and application of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps goes back to the pre Islamic and especially the early historic period of Iran, but because of the development and improvement of related technologies of pottery in the Islamic period, the most remarkable changes in the design process of these products appeared during this period. It goes without saying that both design and production of ceramic devices were mostly relied on the advanced technology. During early Islamic period, it seems that Iranian has used pre-Islamic and specially Sasanid forms. However, gradually there has occurred considerable progresses in making and decorating potteries, promoting mostly their visual and aesthetic effects along with enhancing their quality of production. While ceramic Oil Lamps were among most popular lighting devices of early Islamic period in Iran, after Mongol invasion in the early thirteenth century their application has been reduced and ceased. 
The main goal of this research is to study and follow design process of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps of early Islamic period. The question I am going to answer here is how the design of mentioned devices has changed during time and under what conditions. Here, studying the most important developments and changes in design styles of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period, I tend to trace and delineate the evolution path passed through by these devices from the beginning of the Islamic period until the end of 12th / 6th century. 
Materials And Method: In order to reach the goal of this study, after reviewing related literature and explaining specific methodology of research, first I have discussed the terminology of Oil Lamps in Persian and tried to describe its function. Then in two parts, I have structured my discussions. In the first part of the body, I have divided forms of ceramic Oil Lamps of Islamic period into three main groups. Then, in the next part, I have tried to explain the major distinctions between these groups by Kumar Vyas’s criteria. These are changes in design and structure of devices; changes in appearance of them; changes in methods of manufacturing; changes in the ways they have been used; and finally changes in objects’ relationship with their users. 

Data
Collecting data for this study has been conducted by desk studies, including materials from books and websites. These data, here, has been analyzed qualitatively.
Data collection techniques refer to methods used to collect and analyze different forms of data. Collecting data for this study has been conducted by desk studies, including materials from books and websites. These data, here, has been analyzed qualitatively. In this study, data are made up of material evidences of ceramic oil lamps from early and middle Islamic periods. These evidences are accessible sometimes directly through museums and collection of Islamic or Persian art all over the world and sometimes indirectly through reproduction of those materials within catalogues of Islamic ceramics available in libraries. First of all it was very important to distinguish between oil lamps and other kind of lamps prevalent in Iranian art of Islamic period. Then one should consider historical order of lamps so it could be possible arranging them into two groups of early and middle Islamic period. Whitin each category, there exist many forms of lamps with multiple ways of decorating them including monochrome glaze or underglaze decorations. Then the researcher has to sort these evidences by their historical period, first, and by their forms and shapes, second. Furthermore they should consider their decoration in order to reach a better understanding of them. In order to delineate as good as possible the changes and developments appeared on various types of Iranian ceramic oil lamps from early Islamic period, here in this study I decided to use a specific framework for systematically studying history of objects’ design suggested by an Indian university professor named Kumar Vyas. According to Vyas, in order to be a major landmark a moment in the history of an object should indicate five kinds of changes: changes in design and structure of devices; changes in appearance of them; changes in methods of manufacturing; changes in the ways they have been used; and finally changes in objects’ relationship with their users.

Discussion
One can categorize the most important developments in designs and types of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps in the early Islamic period in three main groups. The first group includes those ceramic Oil Lamps with open, bowl shaped bodies and projected wick holders. In these lamps, reservoir and wick holder are closely connected to each other. Second group of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period have globular enclosed bodies with elongated tubular wick holders. Here, wick holders earn distinctive characteristic of its own and it somehow separate formally from reservoir. Finally, footed lamps with central stem on a plate shaped stand recognize the last group of our typology of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period. The form of main part in lamps of this group is not so different from that of first group. However, having been elevated by a tall cylindrical column has made the function of lamps of this group much more distinctive than those of other groups. 
Drawing upon Kumar Vyas’ approach to systematically studying history of objects’ design, one can analyze the main distinctive aspects of these three types of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from five point of view: changes in design and structure of devices; changes in appearance of them; changes in methods of manufacturing; changes in the ways they have been used; and finally changes in objects’ relationship with their users. Design and structure of Oil Lamps from these groups are more remarkable that changes in other aspects. However, the most important development during the history of these Oil Lamps is their way they have been seen and thus used by their owners. Certainly, Simple forms of lamps from first group did not need as complicated treatment as it was necessary dealing with lamps of third group. 

Conclusion
Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps in the early Islamic period can be categorized in three main groups. The first group includes those ceramic Oil Lamps with open, bowl shaped bodies and projected wick holders; Second group of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period have globular enclosed bodies with elongated tubular wick holders. Finally, footed lamps with central stem on a plate shaped stand recognize the last group of our typology of Iranian ceramic Oil Lamps from early Islamic period. Here, in this essay, distinctive aspects of these groups have been analyzed from five point of view, according to Kumar Vyas’ approach to history of objects design. Design and structure of these three types are distinctive in their form of body and wick holder. Using different kinds of glazes and painting techniques has made the appearances of Oil Lamps somehow unique. Ceramic Oil Lamps of these groups also have been produced by various processes. Furthermore, the way they have been used varied form lamps of one group to the other. Finally, mention has to be made of the relationship between users with every lamps of each group. Based on design and appearance of lamps this relationship has proven to be remarkably discrete.   


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