Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2018

From the cultural-geographical perspective, the Qom plain is part of the cultural area of ​​the Central Plateau of Iran. Archaeologically, this region had many contacts with other areas of the Central Plateau such as the plains of Kāshān, Sāveh, Qazvin, and Rey. It also had relations with the synchronous centers in the northeast, northwest, central Zāgros, and Khuzestān plain. This is due to its geographical position and its location on the path of cultural contacts during the third and second millennium B.C. The archaeological evidence points to the strategic position of the Qom plain as a significant factor in creating the opportunity for investigating the process of cultural interactions and changes of this period. The evidence confirms that there is no gap in the chronological and settlement sequence of the Qom plain, especially during the second millennium B.C. (i.e. from the new Bronze Age to the beginning of the Iron Age). This provides an opportunity for displaying a more obvious picture of the cultural developments of a vague period of archeology in the Central Plateau, i.e. transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Attained from the first phase of the Qom archaeological surveys and based on the comparison of the existing data with the results of the stratigraphy and excavation at Qoli Darvish, the present study investigates the cultural sequence of the Qom plain in the third and second millennia B.C. It also examines the manner of distribution and contacts of the sites of this era, emphasizing the role and influence of the strategic position and geographic features in shaping the settlement patterns of the region.

During the past decade, archaeological studies conducted in the Seymareh River catchment area have provided invaluable findings for analytical investigations and, thus, gaining insights into various fields such as pottery, architecture, and multifarious cultural artefacts. Amongst the most significant of such archaeological findings are cemeteries with their cultural implications, which provide researchers—and particularly archaeologists—with an ample amount of knowledge on various aspects of ancient peoples’ lives, including the ideological, social, and economic structures and patterns of their societies. This article reports a study conducted on Cham Papi Cemetery, located in the middle of the Seymareh River catchment area. The said cemetery was discovered in the years 2014-2015 in the course of archaeological investigations, upon which researchers embarked upon exploratory endeavours aimed at identifying different cultural horizons and circumstances of this area during the proto-historic and historic periods. The main purpose of the study was to identify various habitat patterns and life circumstances in the Kaferi Strait (Tangeh Kaferi) during the proto-historic period by investigating the structures of the graves and the remnants of the human skeletons detected in this cemetery. Based on the existing evidence as well as the evaluations conducted through initial assessment of pottery exhibits, observation, documentation, and investigation of the environmental features, a purposeful excavation was initiated in 2017. The primary results concerning the remnants of this cemetery included an accurate map of the cemetery and a recognized style of grave structures and burial rituals in the Bronze Age. The pottery exhibits showed that Cham Papi Cemetery had been founded in the third millennium B.C., and it had been in use up until the beginning of the first millennium B.C. This article aims to present a summary of the key findings about the architectural structures as well as the cultural and anthropological features of Cham Papi Cemetery.

One of the most important and, at the same time, uncertain subjects related to Sassanid period is the recognition of common burial customs. Despite great attempts of Zoroastrian religious texts to represent a uniform burial tradition across the whole Sassanid Irānšahr, archaeological findings reflect plenty of variety in burial customs, including towers of silence (Dakhma) and ossuaries (astōdān), coffin burial, jar burial, cavity interment, and simple-pit burial. Out of the said customs, simple-pit burials are the most challenging, given the fact that they apparently stand against Zoroastrian teachings. According to Sassanid religious texts, the burial of the dead in the ground (soil) and infecting soil, a sacred element in Zoroastrian worldview, is repeatedly condemned and considered an inexcusable guilt. However, mounting evidence indicates that simple-pit burials are frequently observed across the Sassanid Irānšahr. How could this contradiction be explained? These burials have long been neglected because of being eccentric and divergent from Sassanid common burial traditions. Repeated discoveries of simple-pit burials make the reasonable supposition that this phenomenon was not an exceptional and unusual practice but a normal and probably common burial method. One of the instances of such burial tradition is recorded in Qaleh Iraj, where the corpse is in the crouched position. In the present paper, the authors investigate some examples of Sassanid period simple-pit burials and, then, describe the Qaleh Iraj case. Finally, the mentioned burial custom during the Sassanid period are examined closely. The results indicate that the burial of Qaleh Iraj is a lesser-known burial practice associated with architectural space previously reported only from Qumis and Gyaur Kala. In addition, according to the context, the burial of Qaleh Iraj is related to the final settlement phase of the southeastern gate and, therefore, attributable to late Sassanid period.

Decoration plays an important role in Islamic-Persian architecture. Being a synthesis of ancient traditions, Islamic instructions, and different periods' developments, this style of architecture applies various kinds of ornamentation that convey spiritual values and concepts besides beauty. Although in Islamic lands and civilization, mosques have constantly been the focus of religious attention with magnificent decorations, other places such as bathhouses (hammām)—being in direct connection with ceremonious purification—enjoyed such characteristics as well. Despite the fact that there have remained few pre-Safavid samples of historic bathhouses, such buildings abound from this period on. Studying these works acquaints us with the ornamental styles of the traditional bathhouses and makes us familiar with the evolution of decorations in later periods. The present study, conducted using analytical-descriptive and historical-comparative methods, aimed to investigate the developing trends emerged and continued in bathhouses with an emphasis on such decorative elements as tilework, wall painting, lime work, etc. from the Safavid era to the Qajar era. The results showed that Safavid architects' achievements in bathhouses decorations were manifested, as in other fields of art and culture, in those of later periods, especially the Qajar era. By increasing the motifs and expanding the spaces, Qajar artists extended and applied those methods and innovations in some ornamental elements preserving the decorative tradition of Islamic-Persian architecture, particularly in public bathhouses.

As one of the ancient regions of Rudasht (Isfahan), Qurtan Village is among the major residential areas in the vicinity of the Zayanderud River that possess many historical works of architecture. One of the most significant architectural works of this region is the Ilkhanid Grand Mosque. This mosque has not been a matter of interest to researchers and has not been properly studied to date. The current paper seeks to investigate the architectural characteristics, ornamental features, developmental stages, and periods of construction of the above-said building, based on field and library research as well as a comparative analysis of other Ilkhanid mosques located in the vicinity of the Zayanderud River and Isfahan district. According to the results of the study, Qurtan Grand Masque, similar to the majority of the other aforementioned Ilkhanid masques, comprises a domed chamber and a columned sanctuary. Regarding the architectural characteristics, ornamental features, kinds of building materials used, measurements, masses, and the rationale of existence, the architecture of this mosque is, on the one hand, inspired by regional and locational conditions and, on the other hand, a reflection of the statuses and purposes as well as political, economic, and social measures dominating the historical eras of the building’s construction.

Located only 300 meters south of the village of Aso in a mountainous landscape, the so-called Aso petroglyphs were identified and analyzed as part of archeological and anthropological surveys in 2013. The 71 discrete examples recorded at the site consist of animal motifs and human figures alongside a series of abstract designs. The carvings were worked on igneous rocks in pecking technique, mostly as singular motifs, though a few composite themes also exist. The rock art was investigated via a field survey, where individual motifs were documented in photographs and drawings before comparing them to petroglyphs from around Iran through a desk research. The main aims of the study included introducing and examining the petroglyphs, anthropological analysis of the motifs, correlating the motifs with the local settings (e.g. flora and fauna), contrasting the motifs with those from other regions, and establishing a tentative date based on the evidence at hand. Chronology represents a most prominent and at the same time a most confusing issue while tackling rock art throughout the world. In this context, a basic strategy is comparing the concerned motifs with related material from the same span of time. The chronological determination of the Aso petroglyphs mainly relied on the dateable recovered tools, the involved technique, and the types of tools applied. Our results suggest that in quantity and quality the motifs parallel those attested in Jorbat, Tous and Marzbanik in eastern Iran, and in the northwest of Iran: Arasbaran (Songun), Central Zagros: Bauki (Luristan) and Zarrineh (Kurdistan).