PAZHOHESH-HA-YE BASTANSHENASI IRAN
Year:2020 | Volume:10 | Issue:26|Papers Count:12

Our information about Epipaleolithic and Neolithic period of the central Zagros has still mostly been limited to those fieldworks undertaken in the 1960-70 and that most of recent investigations in the region, specifically in Kermanshah, have not yet been fully published. Moreover, spatial distributions of the sites and their natural settings as well as their settlement patterns in the intermountain plains of the central Zagros are not well-known. This highlights significance and publication of any associated fieldwork in the region. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this article presents preliminary results of a recent pedestrian survey of the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic sites in the Razavar valley to the north of Kermanshah. The survey was undertaken as a part of a Joint Iranian-Danish Project entitled “ Tracking Cultural and Environmental Change: Epipaleolithic and Neolithic in Central Zagros” . In this regard, the survey was concentrated on Pleistocene traces of the Razavar stream, some mountainous barren lands, rocky slopes, southern flanks of the valley, and agricultural lands above the old terraces. As a result, a total of 6 Neolithic sites were identified. Of these, the most spectacular one is Tappeh Salar Abad which sat on top of an old terrace of the stream and with a roughly 7m of deposit contains rich in stone artifacts, oysters, snails, charcoal, and ash. Natural setting, presence of thick archeological deposits, size, and the topography of the site all indicate that Salar Abad should have been an important settlement, similar to Sheikhi Abad in the nearby valley. Generally speaking, it seems that such key early Neolithic sites had commonly stablished in the niches of the intermountain valleys and plains Ganj Dareh, Sheikhi Abad, Ghazanchi, Chia Jani, and recently Salar Abad. Late Neolithic materials were also found in the valley which are reminiscent of the so-called Sarab and Siabid traditions and thereby show a regional cultural homogeneity.

The Desert eadge Sites as a species of settlements of the Bronze Age are composed of other Sites due to different and unfavorable living conditions. So far, a general comparison of how and why the formation, growth, and decline of all these settlements have not been done. Despite these environmental differences, analyzes and interpretations of the formation, progress, and decline of all Bronze Age sites are evaluated with the same criteria. But the marginal areas of desert are largely ecologically poor and lack many sustainable ecological factors for sustainable settlement. The study area of the desert is located between the Indus Valley and Iran and the evidence suggests that these regions appeared in the late fourth millennium, growth has been in the mid-third millennium and decline in the late third millennium and early second millennium BC and the livelihoods were initially based on agricultural and livestock resources and then at the apex of their expansion, largely on the basis of production, access to mineral and industrial, commercial and non-agricultural resources. The main questions included the livelihoods and chronology of this area and some of the goals were to identify and study the process of desert margins formation and the patterns of livelihoods in the desert, distance from the desert, It was further studied and understand the variables that represent the different livelihood, economic and productive structure of desert marginal communities from other Bronze Age sites are examined. The research method is based on historical-analytical method; The results indicate the peak of flourishing these areas in the middle of the third millennium and according to statistical comparisons, nature of many of the desert margin sites, depended on the intermediary role of these areas in economic transactions as an element and the driving force and industrial production and export of raw materials have been crucial to the development of these sites.

When it comes to the ancient settlement patterns and how to set in a region, the role of environment and its infrastructure in a geographical landscape will be highlighted. Distribution of population and human settlements in a geographical area has a great influence on the structure and function of human activities. Not only will these distribution patterns be affected by social and cultural factors, they were highly dependent on natural phenomena; because nature is a context of human geographical activities. In this paper we have studied and analyzed the role of environmental factors in spatial distribution and configuration of human settlements during the Elamite period in Ardal. Karst landscape is useful for nomadic people and we can understand this such of live in Elamite era among the archaeological evidence and Mesopotamian inscriptions. So far Ardal in Bakhtiyari mountains is a Karst landscape that is useful for nomadic people and in this paper we can see that 65% of Elamite sites are nomadism. The surrounding regions of Elamite centers (Susa and Anshan) have so far been rarely explored. One of such surrounding regions stretched across the norther of Elamite centers, covering certain areas of present-day provinces Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. In addition, there are pottery samples from the Elamite Era found in Khuzestan (as one of the central districts of Elamite), even though they have rarely been explored in studies on the Elamite Era. This can be partly associated with the limited number of such pottery samples against their counterparts from the Elamite Era in Khuzestan. Nonetheless, the noteworthy point about this pottery type is the great similarity (discussed later) in Khuzestan to those recovered in Isfahan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari. Therefore, this study attempted to explore these regions from the Elamite Era through an interdisciplinary approach involving archeology, archeometry.

The proposed functions for some of the interior elements in the Sassanid fire temples have been always based on the finds in the western regions of Iran, while the same materials from the southern Iran have been neglected. The discovered stone and plaster bases which are usually interpreted as fireplaces’ bases have been observed in some sites on southern Iran, as well as several stone-plaster platforms which can give us some insightful information about the religious culture of Sassanid empire in the southern Iran. The present study tries to uncover the function of these architectural elements based on the archeological evidences from southern Iran especially eastern Fars and western Kerman and comparing them with the results obtained in other regions, written resources and also Zoroastrian traditions. The nature of the present study is historical and analytical – descriptive and the data collection method followed the field studies and library researches methods. All of the obtained and related evidences were collected and compared with the same monuments and finally the results were matched with the written sources and Zoroastrian traditions. The common points between the discoveries in eastern Fars and western Kerman and the evidences obtained from Takht-e Soleiman and Eslamabad-e Gharb is that in all them the platform have been extended until the center of the cruciform space. The results of the present research revealed that probably the stone – plaster platforms in the religious Sassanid sites in southern Iran are the equivalent of the plaster bases or platforms discovered in Sassanid fire temples in western Iran, known as the T-form platforms. Their function can be related to Yaziš n and their surrounding space can be interpreted as the yaziš ngā h or urwī sgā h. The present study attempts to make a logical connection between the archeological evidences and written resources in order to identify the function of the interior architectural elements inside Sassanid fire temples.

As architectural elements, bridges have served as connective structures since old times. The functional value of bridges is a reason why researchers have paid insufficient attention to environmental and climatic factors despite the fact that bridges are directly affected by contextual conditions in terms of their form and structure. It is not surprising that before bridges, as architectural elements, were constructed to overcome natural obstacles and in particular to pass across rivers and valleys, our ancestors used to face serious barriers that limited the expansion of human civilizations to other places. For instance, bridges that are built in areas with rugged terrain are characterized by fundamentally different criteria which require detailed research. Conducted through a descriptive-analytical and historical-comparative method based on comparative research, the present study aims to explore the formation of bridges in areas with rugged terrain in terms of the three principles of function, form and structure. The findings suggest that in mountainous areas with rugged terrain, bridges are often built over valleys to facilitate transportation, hence, lacking any sign of decoration or embellishment in the formal aspect. In addition, maintaining a solid structure and strong foundation work via the use of stone and bricks are of special importance. In conclusion, special topographic features in mountainous areas lead to specific subtleties in the bridge structure. In terms of function, bridges in areas with rugged terrain are built, in the first place, to facilitate transportation across natural obstacles, which made it impossible or difficult to pass across. From the physical perspective, because bridges in areas with rugged terrain are mostly built for their function and role in communication, less attention is paid to decoration. After all, in terms of structure, foundation work, subgrade construction and reinforcement for resistance and durability are of crucial importance to make possible the transportation of vehicles and pedestrians, all of which require the application of solid materials in mountainous areas with rugged terrain.

An Insight into the Impressed Decorations on the Pottery from Zolfabad, Farahan, Iran Mohammadreza Nemati Research Institute for the Iranian Organization of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Mohamadreza1973@gmail. com Esmail Sharahi Markazi Province Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Directorate sharahi. esmaiel@yahoo. com Ali Sadraei Situated 48 km north of Arak in the Farahan plain, Zolfabad is one of the largest archaeological sites of the Islamic period in the Iranian province of Markazi. It has been identified as a large rural settlement and a center for pottery manufacture in the vast plain of Farahan, spanning the 6th-13th centuries AH/AD 12th-19th. During the two seasons of excavations evidence on pottery production was recorded at the site. Among the attested vessels and sherds, the Ilkhanid material with impressed decorations is of particular importance in that they bear a diversity of floral and animal motifs as well as inscriptions. The present work represented an attempt to explore the correlation of these motifs with the related decorative designs from the pre-Islamic as well as the Islamic times, but also to study the Iranian archetypes on these pieces and their combination with the Mongolian-inspired motifs. The study built on both fieldwork and library research. Close affinities were observed between the motifs in the Zolfabad assemblage and those used in the pre-Islamic Iran, and the latter’ s superiority to the designs inspired from Iran’ s post-Islamic culture was corroborated. The case study of the impressed ceramic subunit from the site, which in light of the attested indications were produced locally, evince a continuation of the Iranian archetypal designs. Despite the dominance of the Islamic culture and the preponderance of the Shiite doctrine in the Ilkhanid Farahan, the impressed motifs on these ceramics reflect a wide application of Iranian symbolism and an imagery tradition enrooted in the pre-Islamic culture. Although due to the Islamic ideological tenets the earlier motifs were imparted new concepts, those in our study assemblage one does not discern a domination of the Islamic culture on the motif Repertoire except for a few islimis (arabesque) and khatays (floral patterns), which are among the most ubiquitous designs of the Islamic art. The patterns decorating the ceramics under study are by no means explainable by the Islamic culture and relate in every aspect to the pre-Islamic concepts. The same was true for the Chinese-Mongolian culture. In particular, in the wake of the Mongolian conquest of Iran the Chinese motifs to a certain extent step to a fore, but their representation in the Zolfabad assemblage is far inferior to the Islamic motifs. At any rate, the use of various motifs as specific symbols and the use of Persian script, etc. bear a testimony to the highly intensified importance the Ilkahnid residents of Zolfabad placed on the indigenous motifs and the deep connection of the local artisans and population with the rich pre-Islamic native culture. Keywords: Zolfabad, Impressed motifs, Ilkhanid period, Iranian culture. Situated 48 km north of Arak in the Farahan plain, Zolfabad is one of the largest archaeological sites of the Islamic period in the Iranian province of Markazi. It has been identified as a large rural settlement and a center for pottery manufacture in the vast plain of Farahan, spanning the 6th-13th centuries AH/AD 12th-19th. During the two seasons of excavations evidence on pottery production was recorded at the site. Among the attested vessels and sherds, the Ilkhanid material with impressed decorations is of particular importance in that they bear a diversity of floral and animal motifs as well as inscriptions. The present work represented an attempt to explore the correlation of these motifs with the related decorative designs from the pre-Islamic as well as the Islamic times, but also to study the Iranian archetypes on these pieces and their combination with the Mongolian-inspired motifs. The study built on both fieldwork and library research.

Since the creation of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, this work has attracted the attention of kings and Authorities and in different periods, by their command, the valuable manuscripts of that, have been made by the most prominent artists of every period. In the history of Iranian painting, three manuscripts of the Shahnameh have special significance: the Great Mongol Shahnameh related to the late Ilkhani era, Baysonghor Shahnameh belonging to the Timurid period and Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp related to the early Safavid period. A number of pictures of all three manuscripts have images of royal buildings, that the painters have made great efforts and precision in accurately drawing structure of their buildings and decorations, especially tiles. The buildings have inscriptions that each reminds the inscriptions of their periods. The present research tries to answer these questions: What are the features of the inscriptions depicted in each of the three manuscripts, in terms of the type and color of the line, location, color and Background decorations? What changes have occurred in the course of a period to the next? Regarding the importance of images in archaeological research, the main purpose of the present research is survey of the evolution and comparison of the Inscription of royal monuments from the late Ilkhani to early Safavids based on the images of three manuscripts of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The Information is collected in the library and field method and the research method is descriptive-comparative and analytical. The findings of the research show that the building's Inscription During the late Ilkhani to the early Safavid period is more sophisticated and more diverse in terms of script, colors and decorative motifs. Considering that there are no significant examples of the ceremonial and royal monuments of the late Ilkhani to the early Safavid period, investigating the images of these three manuscripts can provide researchers with useful information about the design, color and location of the inscriptions.

In Islamic architecture, artifacts based on inscriptions on levels, without any artistic and aesthetic issues, are full of spiritual and mystical concepts in the form of rituals and religious claims. The purpose of the present research is to identify the relation between architectural space and inscriptions of inscriptions. To find logical reasons for choosing and using the verses in the inscriptions in relation to their place of use. In this regard, the Khan school and Moshir al-Mulk and Nasir al-Malek mosques, all located in Shiraz, have been associated with two long periods of official Shiite religious rule in Iran, and are known for architectural decoration from an artistic and beauty perspective, as examples of studying. Have been studied in order to find the most important question of the research on the nature of the relationship between the contents of the inscriptions with the shape and the architectural space and, on this basis, presents a pattern of linking the contents of the inscriptions to the architecture of the building. In the research process, in order to achieve the desired goals, field studies have been used to document and read the texts and the contents of the inscriptions in the buildings, and a descriptive-analytical method has been used to introduce, categorize and find their comparative relations. The results of this research show that the rotation of the inscriptions according to the religious and spiritual themes is as found in the body of verses in the themes of the morning blessing, God, paradise, man, and resurrection, and at the same time with rising and dying The sun is the theme of the verses in the converted eastern and western bodies, as well as the process of human excellence and the movement towards paradise, beautifully illustrated in this artistic turn of the inscriptions.

The present study intends to introduce the historical houses in Ardabil and analyze the typology, cultural, and social attitudes towards their construction. The research method is historical-analytical and data collection is based on library and field studies. The present study seeks to answer the following questions: How many types are the houses? What features have influenced the overall structure of the houses in this area? The results of the research on the classification of historical houses are as follows: The characteristics of the plan and shape of the courtyard, the orientation of the building and the main hall, the characteristics of the house entrances and how to enter different parts of the building, the importance of open parts and light ports and their size ratio, materials and structures they used. Typologically, they are divided into four categories: Qajar period with an introverted form, The first type of typology: houses with a cross-shaped courtyard design with a compact and nested texture, the second type: houses with porch design, with proportionality of a Large opening, the third type: multi-part houses with several courtyards with main view. Fourth type: In the period of first Pahlavi with form of extroversion, buildings whose space density is on one side above the level of the courtyard; emphasizing the importance of the exterior of the building. The results of this study also show that cultural and social patterns such as; paying attention to the principle of privacy in different parts of the building, the separation of building spaces on a large scale into public, private and crew space, and on a small scale, with lavish or simple decorations, shows the social ranking of homeowners. In the houses of the Pahlavi period, there were major changes in cultural and social patterns. Imitation of the West in cases such as the removal of the inner courtyard and the use of interior stairs can be clearly seen of the house.

Imamzadegan is one of the most important pilgrimages to the people of Iran and is always bowed and revered. Pilgrims come this place and pray for wishes. The existence of the shrine of the eighth Imam of Imam Reza Shiiee in Mashhad and the heartwarming of Iranians to the Alawites from the beginning of Islamic history have expanded these imams in the geographical area of this land. In each region, due to the existence of its own climate and special artistic flourishing in view of the religious beliefs of the same region, the interior of the Imam Zadgan has been decorated with various arts. One of these Imam Zadehs, Sayyid Gmase is in the city of Tabriz. On one of the interior doors of this building there are various decorations including emblems, paws, and inscriptions of prayers verses and phrases. According to the prohibition of illustrating and iconography in holy places, the present study intends to investigate the designs of metal works due to the installation of these emblems on the door of this place. The main questions of this research are: What are the works of metal on the door of Imam Zazdi Sayyid Hemiza in history and art? What is the reason for installing these metal works on the Imamzadeh door, considering the impediment prohibited, especially in religious places? The descriptive-analytic method is used to answer these questions. The data and data required for this research are collected through field and library. In this research, data analysis method is also qualitative. Finally, the results of the research after collecting the data and their analysis shows that these objects are made of low-cost metals and influenced by the popular art of Qajar era. The significance and place of this place in the popular belief is that the installation of these objects on the door of Imam Zadeh and a kind of instrument for the sake of Muslim vows.

Our past artists knew how to use "what", "how much" and "where", and thus our rich arts and architecture. Contemporary housing is distanced from the traditional housing model, which is in tune with the rich Iranian-Islamic culture. The shape of the house is influenced by several factors, all of which are not of the same significance and impact level. The biological spaces in each region have been influenced by the cultural, environmental, social, historical and political origins of that region. The purpose of this study is first of all to achieve the indicators that affect the desirable spatial deployment and then prioritize these indicators in the spatial structure of Iranian-Islamic housing. For this purpose and using descriptive-analytic research method, firstly with the help of library studies and based on the five principles of Dr. Pirnia, the principles of design for spatial organization in traditional homes are presented, which include background and texture, spatial, confidentiality, Geometry, dynamism and construction. Then do some field research, its representation in the spatial structure of the historical ADAB house of Semnan was studied using the diagrams of the syntax of space and software Depthmap. Finally, according to the analysis and analysis of the information gathered, the arrangement of spaces in the semantic spatial discipline of ADAB house's Semnan by means of the multi-criteria decision making method of Topsis, respectively, is vestibule, entrance, summer and winter, courtyard, guest House, kitchen, toilet and warehouse were prioritized. The results of the research show that the architect based on cultural and religious beliefs, geographic factors and neighborhood of the region and the shape of the land, has organized the traditional home spaces. Therefore, in order to enhance the thinking of the architectural community and achieve a superior architecture, recognizing and exploiting the authentic architecture of the past, it has a significant and significant share.

Arg-e Bam, is one of the most important works of architecture and urban engineering of Iran's history. The complex consists of two parts: Sharestan (downtown) and Hakem-neshin (governor's seat). A significant monument of the governor's seat is the"Commander-in-Chief's house", which lies beyond the third fence. Despite the earthquake of 2003, significant parts of the house were not damaged or less demolished compared to the vast area of Arg-e Bam. After the earthquake the architectural, urban, and archaeological features of Bam received special attention and some research has been completed. However, the house, its chronology, architectural and structural features remained unknown. Therefore, the present research aims to study the housethrough fieldwork and library studies; also interpreting and analyzing the findings through historical method. The resultsindicate the production of high quality materials which is made up of a suitable mix of clay and adhesives, resulted in the optimal processing of clay. This led to the less damage to the architectural structures. In addition, proper architectural orders like utilizing the dominant rock bed of the governor's seat and adopting an efficient way of designing and executing some of the architectural elements and the way of transferring the forces applied to them in the piers and side openings, are some other reasons which leads to the effective reaction to the destructive earthquake forces. The Commander-in-Chief's house is one of the few buildings to be geographically opposed to the east-west direction of most the architectural units. It has a north-south direction due to the construction of an older historic tower which the house erected on top of it. Being sheltered by the governor's seat, like the barracks (Sarbaz-Khaneh) and the government stables (Establ-e-shahi), it was safe from the damages of the famous "black" storm blowing north-south. Historical and architectural evidence show that the building was built in 1258 AH in the years after the second sit-in of Agha Khan-e-Mahallati.