Elymais regions include the elevated plains and valleys of Bakhtiary Mountains in east of Karun R... more Elymais regions include the elevated plains and valleys of Bakhtiary Mountains in east of Karun River and in fact it is the northeast of Khozestan province. Although the exact determining of the region extend is difficult but during its life the extend has changed in terms of the new conquests of parthians and some more or less important parts of Elymais were dominated by small neighboring states. In the Seleucids era and especially during the parthians era the regions which are now located in Ize, Shoshtar, Dezful, Ahvaz and even Susa were completely under influences of Elymaises. So far in the Elymais region some reliefs are discovered and introduced and every few years one or more samples are added to this category such as Sang-e Mahi relief in Andika region. The subject of this sample displays the war scene like other reliefs. So far the war scenes are not specially addressed, while the effect of this issue is absolutely obvious in the Elymais reliefs and Sasanian period. This issue is pointed in literature, poetries and stories. Besides introducing the new relief of Sang-e Mahi, some other reliefs displaying the war scenes of Elymais part are examined and the Elymais artistic relationship with Sasanian art will be discussed in this paper.
The handmade subterranean architectural structure is a special kind of architecture that is in it... more The handmade subterranean architectural structure is a special kind of architecture that is in its creation does not require any construction materials but it needs many efforts and hard working to be produced The different types of this kind are visible in the different parts of Iran. A unique collection of this type of architecture is the troglodytic architectural complex of Samen, located about 90 km from the south of Hamadan, 15 km from the south west of Malayer. Accessibility to this complex has been possible first in 2006. This site is composed of about 50 troglodytic architectural spaces in different sizes including corridors, halls and rooms. Four successive research programs (identification, documentation, clearing and archeological excavations) were carried out on this complex from 2008 to 2011 conducted by one of us; Ali Khaksar. Field study of this complex brought to light not only the unknown characteristics of such subterranean architecture but resulted in to discover about 60 human bone fragments. Our comparative analysis on the materials found from the site as well as on the human bone fragments led to conclude the site has been in use during the Parthian period.
Hamadan province in western Iran has always been of particular archaeological significance in dif... more Hamadan province in western Iran has always been of particular archaeological significance in different historical periods. That said, no rock carvings had been identified in this area till present. Recently a small rock carving was discovered in the southern highlands of the Alvand, in Yakhchal valley. This relief depicts a reclining person who holds an object like a cornucopia or drinking horn in his right hand and a cup-like object in his left hand. There is no inscription on this relief but in view of the possiblity to compare it with other rock-carvings, particularly in Elymais, it is likely to be dated in the Parthian period, without being able to be more precise.
Pir-e Magroun mountain is located 43 km northwest of the city of Sulaymaniyah; and in the histori... more Pir-e Magroun mountain is located 43 km northwest of the city of Sulaymaniyah; and in the historical kingdom of Adiabene. Two almost identical rock reliefs, Mirquili and Rabanah, are carved on its western slope about 4 km away from each other. The style of execution and the dress clearly place these works within the Parthian period, however, a detailed study is still necessary regarding their exact date and attribution. The present article demonstrates the authors’ attempt to address these issues through investigation of comparative works and through examination of the political/religious history of Adiabene.
The handmade troglodytic architecture is a special kind of architecture that in its creation does... more The handmade troglodytic architecture is a special kind of architecture that in its creation does not require any construction materials and human being make it with efforts and hard working in conflict with environment. As type of architecture, troglodytic architecture is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damages surrounding area. As there is no obligatory method in making spaces, there is no difference where to start building a troglodytic structure, either from the roof or from the floor. There is no difference that how in troglodytic structure starts, from roof or floor, because there is not any obligatory method in making spaces. It is only digging and cutting rocks and piles of earth and masses with hand ax, hammer, chisel, and sledgehammer that result in to such spaces. The different types of this architecture masterpiece are visible in different parts of Iran. This unique architecture, somehow at odds with the surrounding environment Placement techniques, can take advantage of the mountains and valleys on the floor or wall, which is good way to control climate fluctuation in different areas. Kandovan rocky village, Hilehvar underground village at East Azerbaijan, Meimand rocky village at Kerman, Karaftu Cave in Kurdistan, troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan, are among the biggest and most important known troglodytic architecture in Iran. As type of architecture, troglodytic one is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damage surrounding area. There have been identified various troglodytic architectures in Iran, based on conducted surveys while they are not investigated for limitations in research aims. The research questions include: 1. What are the key factors in the formation of handmade troglodytic architecture? 2. What is the nature of the works of handmade troglodytic architecture? 3. What are the main factors in categorizing handmade troglodytic architectures in Iran? The research is based on field activities including field surveys, in which there were visits of a large number of architectural remains in different parts of Iran; and archaeological excavations in different sites including troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of Malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan. It should be noted that the studies in the library, it has been supplemented by field activities. Main goal of archaeological research In these structures are to answer two fundamental questions about the chronology and the function of these architectural remains. Due to their different structure and traits and their dissimilarity to the usual archaeological monads, the methods of excavating troglodytic structures are different from the usual methods used to excavate other sites. The creation of handmade troglodytic architecture complex depends on several factors including climatic and geographical conditions, defense, security, durability, and religion that emerged in the cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This architecture can be classified in various shapes in terms of external form and internal space form and application. Regarding studies on handmade troglodytic architecture, the authors attempted to present the nature of this specific type of native architecture and the philosophy of formation and classification of this architecture in order to establish the new line of research for researchers in this field of study.
Abstract
Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw mater... more Abstract Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw material, in representing various human cultures. Butkara is an ancient site in the eastern borders of Iran which was used by Buddhists in different reigns from 3rd century (BC) to 2nd century (AD). Undoubtedly, most neighboring lands had various kinds of cultural and artistic interactions with each other. Thus, we can consider the amount of such interactions in Butkara site and Persian civilization. Since the most important objects discovered by archaeologists in this area in recent years are Stopas, bas reliefs and various statues, the amount of cultural and artistic interactions in these regions can be found out if we study such objects exactly and compare them with the sculpture of Persian historical period. Such exploration can explain various unsaid issue about the emergence, contacts and expansion of artistic aspects and clarifying a number of ambiguities in this ancient site; in a word, it leads to a new insight for understanding this issue. Hence, the following question is raised: although Butkara was governed under the auspices of an independent government and its state, why we cannot separate it from the culture and art of Iranian historical period? It seems that though Butkara site was outside political borders of Iran, its proximity to the ancient and great civilization of Iran made its artists and governors pay a lot of attention to the culture of Iran. This matter, in turn, led to Iran’s prominent share in the formation of Butkara culture and art, especially sculpture. Of course, it is most probable that there was a mutual relationship between the two. The data of this study was gathered via library. The aim of this study is to explicate the rate of interaction between sculpture and bas reliefs of Pakistan’s Butkara site and Iranian historical period.
Elymais regions include the elevated plains and valleys of Bakhtiary Mountains in east of Karun R... more Elymais regions include the elevated plains and valleys of Bakhtiary Mountains in east of Karun River and in fact it is the northeast of Khozestan province. Although the exact determining of the region extend is difficult but during its life the extend has changed in terms of the new conquests of parthians and some more or less important parts of Elymais were dominated by small neighboring states. In the Seleucids era and especially during the parthians era the regions which are now located in Ize, Shoshtar, Dezful, Ahvaz and even Susa were completely under influences of Elymaises. So far in the Elymais region some reliefs are discovered and introduced and every few years one or more samples are added to this category such as Sang-e Mahi relief in Andika region. The subject of this sample displays the war scene like other reliefs. So far the war scenes are not specially addressed, while the effect of this issue is absolutely obvious in the Elymais reliefs and Sasanian period. This issue is pointed in literature, poetries and stories. Besides introducing the new relief of Sang-e Mahi, some other reliefs displaying the war scenes of Elymais part are examined and the Elymais artistic relationship with Sasanian art will be discussed in this paper.
The handmade subterranean architectural structure is a special kind of architecture that is in it... more The handmade subterranean architectural structure is a special kind of architecture that is in its creation does not require any construction materials but it needs many efforts and hard working to be produced The different types of this kind are visible in the different parts of Iran. A unique collection of this type of architecture is the troglodytic architectural complex of Samen, located about 90 km from the south of Hamadan, 15 km from the south west of Malayer. Accessibility to this complex has been possible first in 2006. This site is composed of about 50 troglodytic architectural spaces in different sizes including corridors, halls and rooms. Four successive research programs (identification, documentation, clearing and archeological excavations) were carried out on this complex from 2008 to 2011 conducted by one of us; Ali Khaksar. Field study of this complex brought to light not only the unknown characteristics of such subterranean architecture but resulted in to discover about 60 human bone fragments. Our comparative analysis on the materials found from the site as well as on the human bone fragments led to conclude the site has been in use during the Parthian period.
Hamadan province in western Iran has always been of particular archaeological significance in dif... more Hamadan province in western Iran has always been of particular archaeological significance in different historical periods. That said, no rock carvings had been identified in this area till present. Recently a small rock carving was discovered in the southern highlands of the Alvand, in Yakhchal valley. This relief depicts a reclining person who holds an object like a cornucopia or drinking horn in his right hand and a cup-like object in his left hand. There is no inscription on this relief but in view of the possiblity to compare it with other rock-carvings, particularly in Elymais, it is likely to be dated in the Parthian period, without being able to be more precise.
Pir-e Magroun mountain is located 43 km northwest of the city of Sulaymaniyah; and in the histori... more Pir-e Magroun mountain is located 43 km northwest of the city of Sulaymaniyah; and in the historical kingdom of Adiabene. Two almost identical rock reliefs, Mirquili and Rabanah, are carved on its western slope about 4 km away from each other. The style of execution and the dress clearly place these works within the Parthian period, however, a detailed study is still necessary regarding their exact date and attribution. The present article demonstrates the authors’ attempt to address these issues through investigation of comparative works and through examination of the political/religious history of Adiabene.
The handmade troglodytic architecture is a special kind of architecture that in its creation does... more The handmade troglodytic architecture is a special kind of architecture that in its creation does not require any construction materials and human being make it with efforts and hard working in conflict with environment. As type of architecture, troglodytic architecture is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damages surrounding area. As there is no obligatory method in making spaces, there is no difference where to start building a troglodytic structure, either from the roof or from the floor. There is no difference that how in troglodytic structure starts, from roof or floor, because there is not any obligatory method in making spaces. It is only digging and cutting rocks and piles of earth and masses with hand ax, hammer, chisel, and sledgehammer that result in to such spaces. The different types of this architecture masterpiece are visible in different parts of Iran. This unique architecture, somehow at odds with the surrounding environment Placement techniques, can take advantage of the mountains and valleys on the floor or wall, which is good way to control climate fluctuation in different areas. Kandovan rocky village, Hilehvar underground village at East Azerbaijan, Meimand rocky village at Kerman, Karaftu Cave in Kurdistan, troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan, are among the biggest and most important known troglodytic architecture in Iran. As type of architecture, troglodytic one is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damage surrounding area. There have been identified various troglodytic architectures in Iran, based on conducted surveys while they are not investigated for limitations in research aims. The research questions include: 1. What are the key factors in the formation of handmade troglodytic architecture? 2. What is the nature of the works of handmade troglodytic architecture? 3. What are the main factors in categorizing handmade troglodytic architectures in Iran? The research is based on field activities including field surveys, in which there were visits of a large number of architectural remains in different parts of Iran; and archaeological excavations in different sites including troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of Malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan. It should be noted that the studies in the library, it has been supplemented by field activities. Main goal of archaeological research In these structures are to answer two fundamental questions about the chronology and the function of these architectural remains. Due to their different structure and traits and their dissimilarity to the usual archaeological monads, the methods of excavating troglodytic structures are different from the usual methods used to excavate other sites. The creation of handmade troglodytic architecture complex depends on several factors including climatic and geographical conditions, defense, security, durability, and religion that emerged in the cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This architecture can be classified in various shapes in terms of external form and internal space form and application. Regarding studies on handmade troglodytic architecture, the authors attempted to present the nature of this specific type of native architecture and the philosophy of formation and classification of this architecture in order to establish the new line of research for researchers in this field of study.
Abstract
Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw mater... more Abstract Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw material, in representing various human cultures. Butkara is an ancient site in the eastern borders of Iran which was used by Buddhists in different reigns from 3rd century (BC) to 2nd century (AD). Undoubtedly, most neighboring lands had various kinds of cultural and artistic interactions with each other. Thus, we can consider the amount of such interactions in Butkara site and Persian civilization. Since the most important objects discovered by archaeologists in this area in recent years are Stopas, bas reliefs and various statues, the amount of cultural and artistic interactions in these regions can be found out if we study such objects exactly and compare them with the sculpture of Persian historical period. Such exploration can explain various unsaid issue about the emergence, contacts and expansion of artistic aspects and clarifying a number of ambiguities in this ancient site; in a word, it leads to a new insight for understanding this issue. Hence, the following question is raised: although Butkara was governed under the auspices of an independent government and its state, why we cannot separate it from the culture and art of Iranian historical period? It seems that though Butkara site was outside political borders of Iran, its proximity to the ancient and great civilization of Iran made its artists and governors pay a lot of attention to the culture of Iran. This matter, in turn, led to Iran’s prominent share in the formation of Butkara culture and art, especially sculpture. Of course, it is most probable that there was a mutual relationship between the two. The data of this study was gathered via library. The aim of this study is to explicate the rate of interaction between sculpture and bas reliefs of Pakistan’s Butkara site and Iranian historical period.
CENTRAL ZAGROS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT
CZAP REPORTS VOLUME 1
THE EARLIEST NEOLITHIC OF IRAN:
2008 ... more CENTRAL ZAGROS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT CZAP REPORTS VOLUME 1 THE EARLIEST NEOLITHIC OF IRAN: 2008 EXCAVATIONS AT SHEIKH-E ABAD AND JANI Edited by Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar
i Table of Contents Contributors iv List of Figures vi List of Tables xii Preface and Acknowledgements xiv Chapter One 1 From Hunter-Forager to Villager-Farmer in the Central Zagros: Research Context, Issues, and Methods Roger Matthews, Yaghoub Mohammadifar and Wendy Matthews Chapter Two 15 Contexts of Neolithic Interaction: Geography, Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironment of the Central Zagros Wendy Matthews Chapter Three 27 A Survey of Caves and Rock-Shelters in the Kurtavij Region Abbass Motarjem Chapter Four 31 Excavations, Surface Collection, and Geophysics at Sheikh-e Abad Roger Matthews, Yaghoub Mohammadifar, Wendy Matthews, Timothy Astin, Garrard Cole, Hojjat Darabi, Mehdi Daryaie, Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken, Lisa-Marie Shillito and Helen Taylor Chapter Five 52 Section Investigations at Jani Wendy Matthews, Abbass Motarjem, Roger Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar Chapter Six 59 Radiocarbon Dating of Sheikh-e Abad and Jani Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Amy Richardson Chapter Seven 64 Investigating Early Neolithic Materials, Ecology and Sedentism: Micromorphology and Microstratigraphy Wendy Matthews, with contributions from Lisa-Marie Shillito and Sarah Elliott ii Chapter Eight 109 Biomolecular Investigations of Faecal Biomarkers at Sheikh-e Abad and Jani Lisa-Marie Shillito, Wendy Matthews, Ian Bull and James Williams Chapter Nine 120 Preliminary Techno-Typological Analysis of Chipped Stone Materials from Sheikh-e Abad Hamed Vahdati Nasab, Mozhgan Jayez, Hamid Reza Qorbani, Hojjat Darabi and Helen Taylor Chapter Ten 127 Post-Neolithic Pottery from Sheikh-e Abad Yaghoub Mohammadifar Chapter Eleven 130 Material Worlds of the Neolithic at Sheikh-e Abad: Objects of Bone, Stone and Clay Garrard Cole, Roger Matthews and Amy Richardson Chapter Twelve 140 Economy, Ecology and Society: Preliminary Assessment of the Animal Bones Robin Bendrey, Garrard Cole and Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken Chapter Thirteen 151 Isotope Analysis of Animal Bone Gundula Müldner Chapter Fourteen 154 Human Burials Garrard Cole Chapter Fifteen 164 The Plant Macrofossil Evidence from Sheikh-e Abad: First Impressions Jade Whitlam, Hengameh Ilkhani, Amy Bogaard and Mike Charles Chapter Sixteen 171 Phytolith Indicators of Plant Resource Use at Sheikh-e Abad and Jani Lisa-Marie Shillito and Sarah Elliott Chapter Seventeen 183 Molluscs from Sheikh-e Abad and Jani Lisa-Marie Shillito, with contributions from Janet Ridout-Sharpe and Martin Bell iii Chapter Eighteen 186 Heavy Residue Analysis from Sheikh-e Abad Helen R. S. Williams Chapter Nineteen 194 Site Management and Local Impact Michael Seymour Chapter Twenty 201 Networks of Neolithic Engagement Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar Bibliography 218 iv Contributors Timothy Astin Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Martin Bell Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Robin Bendrey Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Ian Bull School of Chemistry, University of Bristol Garrard Cole Institute of Archaeology, University College London Hojjat Darabi Department of Archaeology, Razi University, Kermanshah Mehdi Daryaie Institute of Archaeology, University College London Sarah Elliott Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Hengameh Ilkhani Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham Mozhgan Jayez Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran Roger Matthews Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Wendy Matthews Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Yaghoub Mohammadifar Department of Archaeology, Bu Ali Sina University Abbass Motarjem Department of Archaeology, Bu Ali Sina University Gundula Müldner Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Amy Richardson Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Michael Seymour Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Hamid Reza Qorbani Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran Janet Ridout-Sharpe Department of Archaeology, University of Reading Lisa-Marie Shillito Department of Archaeology, University of York Helen Taylor Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken Department of Archaeology, University of Liverpool v Hamed Vahdati Nasab Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran Jade Whitlam Department of Archaeology, University of Reading James Williams School of Chemistry, University of Bristol Helen R. S. Williams University of York
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The present article demonstrates the authors’ attempt to address these issues through investigation of comparative works and through examination of the political/religious history of Adiabene.
The different types of this architecture masterpiece are visible in different parts of Iran. This unique architecture, somehow at odds with the surrounding environment Placement techniques, can take advantage of the mountains and valleys on the floor or wall, which is good way to control climate fluctuation in different areas. Kandovan rocky village, Hilehvar underground village at East Azerbaijan, Meimand rocky village at Kerman, Karaftu Cave in Kurdistan, troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan, are among the biggest and most important known troglodytic architecture in Iran.
As type of architecture, troglodytic one is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damage surrounding area. There have been identified various troglodytic architectures in Iran, based on conducted surveys while they are not investigated for limitations in research aims. The research questions include:
1. What are the key factors in the formation of handmade troglodytic architecture?
2. What is the nature of the works of handmade troglodytic architecture?
3. What are the main factors in categorizing handmade troglodytic architectures in Iran?
The research is based on field activities including field surveys, in which there were visits of a large number of architectural remains in different parts of Iran; and archaeological excavations in different sites including troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of Malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan. It should be noted that the studies in the library, it has been supplemented by field activities. Main goal of archaeological research In these structures are to answer two fundamental questions about the chronology and the function of these architectural remains. Due to their different structure and traits and their dissimilarity to the usual archaeological monads, the methods of excavating troglodytic structures are different from the usual methods used to excavate other sites.
The creation of handmade troglodytic architecture complex depends on several factors including climatic and geographical conditions, defense, security, durability, and religion that emerged in the cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This architecture can be classified in various shapes in terms of external form and internal space form and application. Regarding studies on handmade troglodytic architecture, the authors attempted to present the nature of this specific type of native architecture and the philosophy of formation and classification of this architecture in order to establish the new line of research for researchers in this field of study.
Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw material,
in representing various human cultures. Butkara is an ancient site in the eastern borders
of Iran which was used by Buddhists in different reigns from 3rd century (BC) to 2nd
century (AD). Undoubtedly, most neighboring lands had various kinds of cultural and
artistic interactions with each other. Thus, we can consider the amount of such interactions
in Butkara site and Persian civilization. Since the most important objects discovered by
archaeologists in this area in recent years are Stopas, bas reliefs and various statues, the
amount of cultural and artistic interactions in these regions can be found out if we study
such objects exactly and compare them with the sculpture of Persian historical period. Such
exploration can explain various unsaid issue about the emergence, contacts and expansion
of artistic aspects and clarifying a number of ambiguities in this ancient site; in a word, it
leads to a new insight for understanding this issue. Hence, the following question is raised:
although Butkara was governed under the auspices of an independent government and its
state, why we cannot separate it from the culture and art of Iranian historical period? It
seems that though Butkara site was outside political borders of Iran, its proximity to the
ancient and great civilization of Iran made its artists and governors pay a lot of attention
to the culture of Iran. This matter, in turn, led to Iran’s prominent share in the formation of
Butkara culture and art, especially sculpture. Of course, it is most probable that there was
a mutual relationship between the two. The data of this study was gathered via library. The
aim of this study is to explicate the rate of interaction between sculpture and bas reliefs of
Pakistan’s Butkara site and Iranian historical period.
The present article demonstrates the authors’ attempt to address these issues through investigation of comparative works and through examination of the political/religious history of Adiabene.
The different types of this architecture masterpiece are visible in different parts of Iran. This unique architecture, somehow at odds with the surrounding environment Placement techniques, can take advantage of the mountains and valleys on the floor or wall, which is good way to control climate fluctuation in different areas. Kandovan rocky village, Hilehvar underground village at East Azerbaijan, Meimand rocky village at Kerman, Karaftu Cave in Kurdistan, troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan, are among the biggest and most important known troglodytic architecture in Iran.
As type of architecture, troglodytic one is only constructed by removing rock piles with no constructive material. It is made in various spaces where the outcome never damage surrounding area. There have been identified various troglodytic architectures in Iran, based on conducted surveys while they are not investigated for limitations in research aims. The research questions include:
1. What are the key factors in the formation of handmade troglodytic architecture?
2. What is the nature of the works of handmade troglodytic architecture?
3. What are the main factors in categorizing handmade troglodytic architectures in Iran?
The research is based on field activities including field surveys, in which there were visits of a large number of architectural remains in different parts of Iran; and archaeological excavations in different sites including troglodytic underground architectural complex at Sāmen of Malayer and Arzanfoud in Hamadan, and underground complex at Noosh Abad, Kashan. It should be noted that the studies in the library, it has been supplemented by field activities. Main goal of archaeological research In these structures are to answer two fundamental questions about the chronology and the function of these architectural remains. Due to their different structure and traits and their dissimilarity to the usual archaeological monads, the methods of excavating troglodytic structures are different from the usual methods used to excavate other sites.
The creation of handmade troglodytic architecture complex depends on several factors including climatic and geographical conditions, defense, security, durability, and religion that emerged in the cultural, political, social and economic contexts. This architecture can be classified in various shapes in terms of external form and internal space form and application. Regarding studies on handmade troglodytic architecture, the authors attempted to present the nature of this specific type of native architecture and the philosophy of formation and classification of this architecture in order to establish the new line of research for researchers in this field of study.
Sculpture was born in ancient civilizations. In the past eras, due to abundant raw material,
in representing various human cultures. Butkara is an ancient site in the eastern borders
of Iran which was used by Buddhists in different reigns from 3rd century (BC) to 2nd
century (AD). Undoubtedly, most neighboring lands had various kinds of cultural and
artistic interactions with each other. Thus, we can consider the amount of such interactions
in Butkara site and Persian civilization. Since the most important objects discovered by
archaeologists in this area in recent years are Stopas, bas reliefs and various statues, the
amount of cultural and artistic interactions in these regions can be found out if we study
such objects exactly and compare them with the sculpture of Persian historical period. Such
exploration can explain various unsaid issue about the emergence, contacts and expansion
of artistic aspects and clarifying a number of ambiguities in this ancient site; in a word, it
leads to a new insight for understanding this issue. Hence, the following question is raised:
although Butkara was governed under the auspices of an independent government and its
state, why we cannot separate it from the culture and art of Iranian historical period? It
seems that though Butkara site was outside political borders of Iran, its proximity to the
ancient and great civilization of Iran made its artists and governors pay a lot of attention
to the culture of Iran. This matter, in turn, led to Iran’s prominent share in the formation of
Butkara culture and art, especially sculpture. Of course, it is most probable that there was
a mutual relationship between the two. The data of this study was gathered via library. The
aim of this study is to explicate the rate of interaction between sculpture and bas reliefs of
Pakistan’s Butkara site and Iranian historical period.
CZAP REPORTS VOLUME 1
THE EARLIEST NEOLITHIC OF IRAN:
2008 EXCAVATIONS AT SHEIKH-E ABAD AND JANI
Edited by
Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar
i
Table of Contents
Contributors iv
List of Figures vi
List of Tables xii
Preface and Acknowledgements xiv
Chapter One 1
From Hunter-Forager to Villager-Farmer in the Central Zagros: Research Context, Issues, and
Methods
Roger Matthews, Yaghoub Mohammadifar and Wendy Matthews
Chapter Two 15
Contexts of Neolithic Interaction: Geography, Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironment of the
Central Zagros
Wendy Matthews
Chapter Three 27
A Survey of Caves and Rock-Shelters in the Kurtavij Region
Abbass Motarjem
Chapter Four 31
Excavations, Surface Collection, and Geophysics at Sheikh-e Abad
Roger Matthews, Yaghoub Mohammadifar, Wendy Matthews, Timothy Astin, Garrard Cole,
Hojjat Darabi, Mehdi Daryaie, Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken, Lisa-Marie Shillito and Helen Taylor
Chapter Five 52
Section Investigations at Jani
Wendy Matthews, Abbass Motarjem, Roger Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar
Chapter Six 59
Radiocarbon Dating of Sheikh-e Abad and Jani
Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Amy Richardson
Chapter Seven 64
Investigating Early Neolithic Materials, Ecology and Sedentism: Micromorphology and
Microstratigraphy
Wendy Matthews, with contributions from Lisa-Marie Shillito and Sarah Elliott
ii
Chapter Eight 109
Biomolecular Investigations of Faecal Biomarkers at Sheikh-e Abad and Jani
Lisa-Marie Shillito, Wendy Matthews, Ian Bull and James Williams
Chapter Nine 120
Preliminary Techno-Typological Analysis of Chipped Stone Materials from Sheikh-e Abad
Hamed Vahdati Nasab, Mozhgan Jayez, Hamid Reza Qorbani, Hojjat Darabi and Helen Taylor
Chapter Ten 127
Post-Neolithic Pottery from Sheikh-e Abad
Yaghoub Mohammadifar
Chapter Eleven 130
Material Worlds of the Neolithic at Sheikh-e Abad: Objects of Bone, Stone and Clay
Garrard Cole, Roger Matthews and Amy Richardson
Chapter Twelve 140
Economy, Ecology and Society: Preliminary Assessment of the Animal Bones
Robin Bendrey, Garrard Cole and Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken
Chapter Thirteen 151
Isotope Analysis of Animal Bone
Gundula Müldner
Chapter Fourteen 154
Human Burials
Garrard Cole
Chapter Fifteen 164
The Plant Macrofossil Evidence from Sheikh-e Abad: First Impressions
Jade Whitlam, Hengameh Ilkhani, Amy Bogaard and Mike Charles
Chapter Sixteen 171
Phytolith Indicators of Plant Resource Use at Sheikh-e Abad and Jani
Lisa-Marie Shillito and Sarah Elliott
Chapter Seventeen 183
Molluscs from Sheikh-e Abad and Jani
Lisa-Marie Shillito, with contributions from Janet Ridout-Sharpe and Martin Bell
iii
Chapter Eighteen 186
Heavy Residue Analysis from Sheikh-e Abad
Helen R. S. Williams
Chapter Nineteen 194
Site Management and Local Impact
Michael Seymour
Chapter Twenty 201
Networks of Neolithic Engagement
Roger Matthews, Wendy Matthews and Yaghoub Mohammadifar
Bibliography 218
iv
Contributors
Timothy Astin Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Martin Bell Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Robin Bendrey Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Ian Bull School of Chemistry, University of Bristol
Garrard Cole Institute of Archaeology, University College London
Hojjat Darabi Department of Archaeology, Razi University,
Kermanshah
Mehdi Daryaie Institute of Archaeology, University College London
Sarah Elliott Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Hengameh Ilkhani Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham
Mozhgan Jayez Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran
Roger Matthews Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Wendy Matthews Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Yaghoub Mohammadifar Department of Archaeology, Bu Ali Sina University
Abbass Motarjem Department of Archaeology, Bu Ali Sina University
Gundula Müldner Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Amy Richardson Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Michael Seymour Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Hamid Reza Qorbani Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran
Janet Ridout-Sharpe Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
Lisa-Marie Shillito Department of Archaeology, University of York
Helen Taylor Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge
Cecilie Lelek Tvetmarken Department of Archaeology, University of Liverpool
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Hamed Vahdati Nasab Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran
Jade Whitlam Department of Archaeology, University of Reading
James Williams School of Chemistry, University of Bristol
Helen R. S. Williams University of York