kamalodin niknami

This study aims to recognize and characterize pottery production at the Hormangan site, a Neolithic settlement in the northeast of Fars province, Iran. An examination and analytical study of the potteries on this site was conducted to determine the manufacturing techniques of the Neolithic potteries, understand the raw materials and inclusions, the level of progress and knowledge of the potters from the final products, and the location of the production site. Excavating this site, ceramics and a heated structure, probably an open kiln, were found, belonging to the Mushki phase (6400-6000 BC). Thirty-six ceramic shreds were selected for thin-section petrography analysis according to their macroscopic features. After that, 18 of them were analysed using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction methods. According to the mineralogical studies and the XRD and XRF analyses, while three different clay types were used to produce these Neolithic ceramics, they were all local productions. These vessels were fired in an open and unsophisticated kiln at an uncontrolled temperature, probably not over 800 degrees. Although the combination of these archaeometrical techniques indicates that there are various sub-angular inclusions in each type of clay, most of the pots are vegetally tempered (chaff-tempered). The existence of the heated structure separately from residential construction, a variety of designs and decorations on the ceramics, and various clay sources all determine that the Neolithic community of the Hormangan site has gone beyond a primitive rural society and as semiprofessional individuals had a surplus of more than their demands.

Pottery as one of the archaeological findings, plays an important role in recognizing cultural periods. Jahangir area is located in Ilam province and is one of the Sassanid sites in western Iran. In the third season of excavations at Jahangir site, significant potteries from the Sassanid period was obtained which is considerably worth studying and for this research, 92 pottery pieces were selected among hundreds that were obtained. The main purpose of this research is to introduce and classify the Sassanid potteries of Jahangir site. In the present study, the potteries obtained from Jahangir site were classified based on their technical specifications and shapes, and were typologically and finally chronologically examined (comparative and laboratory studies); the data collection method is based on documentary studies and field studies, also the research method is descriptive-analytical. The analysis have been done with the purpose of comparative chronology and explaining cultural relations with other regions. The questions posed in this research are: To what period of the Sassanid era can the pottery collection of Jahangir area be attributed? And are the potteries of Jahangir area more regional in terms of style or a trans-regional style is visible in them? The chronology done by Moluminescence (Thermoluminescence) method on Jahangir potteries, indicates the attribution of this area to the second half of the sixth century A.D., a comparative comparison also showed that in terms of relative chronology of Sassanid potteries they are similar to sites that belong to the late this era. It should be noted that the potteries of this area are comparable with areas such as Oltanqalasi in Moghan, Mahneshan in Zanjan, Qasrabunsar and Hajiabad in Fars, Shush, Sassanid sites identified in the studies of northern Khuzestan, Mianab in Shushtar, Bushehr, Ras al-Khaimah, Tal Mahuz, Abu Sharifa, and Kish and Bergutiyat in Iraq and, in addition to the impacts of regional style, it has the most similarity to the cultural field of southwestern and southern Iran.

In the earliest times stone tools were produced for the vital needs of hunting or gathering food resources for which the awareness of humans on the characteristics of different kinds and mineral capacities of stones raw materials played an important role in the production processes. Stone tools were produced, traded and used according to the different environmental Potential to different tradition from the lower Palaeolithic to the later times even human access to metal technology in the later pre-historic period, lithic technology did not lose its importance and efficiency. With the advent of urbanization and the development of complex societies, the structure of stone tools production systems has become more complex. In some areas, due to the local or regional availability of low-cost raw materials, the lithic technology has continued to expand widely even to the first millennium BC. At this time, the high demand in complex societies for the use of stone tools has led to the development of specialized lithic production systems. In the area of this study, a post-Palaeolithic stone tool production system in the south-east of the Caspian Sea has been investigated. This system deals with the massive settlement urbanization of Gohar Tepe to produce and supply lithic products at the regional level. In this study, 5 sites, namely Khanehsar 3, Rostamkola 1, Panj Berar, Bez khal, Kefal Lingeh, present surface dispersions of lithic material. The common characteristic of all lithic production bases is existence of large blades cores and long blades. Due to a high density of lithic scattered on an extensive area of about 10 ha, the Panj Berar area was selected for sampling of lithic artifacts. Flakes with centripetal negative removal, hereinafter referred to as Levallois-like flakes, by-products are a production process that can be misleading. This research examines how to create these flakes.

The first season of the survey was conducted in April and May 2015. It is attempted to determine the studied region according to natural geographical range without considering new political borders. To this end, Bavanat River Basin which is located in two central and Mazayjan parts of this county was fully investigated. Archeological research was carried out in a survey and intensive way to identify all sites and relics that reflect the activities of past human societies in the region. In this research, in addition of using all the information of historical texts and environmental studies, it was tried to conduct a field study in the basin of Bavanat River and by analyzing movable and immovable surface findings, the relationship between cultural sites and settlement patterns are investigated and meanwhile by comparing with the adjacent regions, the relationship between these cultural sites in different periods with the environment and geography of the region is investigated. In general, the most important goals of this archaeological research in 2015 are as the following: identifying all cultural works of different periods of the region; preparing archaeological maps of the studied region in the alternation of different cultural periods, studying and investigating the process of settlement changes in different periods, presenting the sequence of relative chronology of the region based on surface findings, measuring the effect of environment on the formation of settlements, explaining the cultural position of the studied region in cultural areas of country, recognizing regional and trans-regional interactions based on surface findings. During the conducted researches, 200 sites that dated from the Neolithic Period to the late Islamic era were registered. These sites include hills and ancient sites, historical castles, historical places of worship, mosque, bridge, cemetery, mill, petroglyph, ancient mines, and slag site. The oldest signs of settlement in this region were related to the Neolithic that this type of pottery was already identified in Marvast Plain, known as Mushki.

This paper explores man-environment relationships during the prehistoric periods. It calculates the main factors affecting the establishment of prehistoric settlements in Sarfiroozabad rural district, south of Kermanshah County, which is south-eastern extension of Mahidasht. The research has been done on the basis of Environmental archaeology according to archaeological surface surveying data. The Principal Component Analysis method has been used to investigate the measure of natural and cultural factors involve in the prehistoric settlement patterns of the region. Applying binary indicator variables, both natural and cultural, the paper has been based on the standardized PCA analysis, with Eigen values > 1 kept, followed by some sort of rotation to better distribute variance, to examine principal factors involved in the distribution of human settlements pattern and it’s reshaping through the time. It found that some parts of the region with present day settlements and population density are those of better populated in prehistoric times. The general patterns of settlement distribution of the studied region are mainly unchanged through the long-term processes of man-environment relationship. The results also show that the impacting factors on settlement distribution patterns were different in every prehistoric period. The results could be used to reconstruction of man-environment interactions of the region to apply it in contemporary environmental management of it. One of the advantages of the project was its purposefulness which led to recognition of more than 300 archaeological sites over that small area. An important achievement of the project was discovering very earlier occupational evidences than what which was revealed from Mahidasht; resulting to a reconsideration of the origins of Neolithic settlements of the region such as Tepe Sarab. A post surveying analytical study planned to gain a deeper insight about the characteristics of prehistoric settlement distribution over Sarfirouzabad. Two methods of GIS-based analyses and PCA statistical evaluations helped us to extract the main factors affecting prehistoric site distribution on the valley. The results show a decisive influential role of environment combined with its different subsistence potentialities played in the prehistoric site distribution patterns. There is also a considerable distinction between isolated and clustered settlements in their distributions over the valley through prehistoric times. Nevertheless, a more comprehensive understanding of prehistoric settlement conditions would be achieved just through archaeological excavating of key sites of the valley. The study aims to investigate and detect distribution patterns of prehistoric sites on the basis of their spatial relations. Applying Principal Component Analysis method, prehistoric sites of the valley evaluated according to three kinds of spatial relations among them including relation between contemporaneous settlements; relation between settlements and their adjacent sites of past period; and relation between prehistoric settlements and modern ones. In such a way, it could be possible to take into account attributes other than natural ones and consider potential cultural factors affecting settlement locating during prehistoric times. It is not to overleap the natural and environmental factors, but to examine site distributions according to their relations as well; as if each of them is a node on the complicated network of occupying the valley through different periods. it should probably be impossible to get a comprehensive understanding of prehistoric settlement conditions of the region unless the excavations carried out to establish secure chronology. The current results are mainly based on relative chronology of surface sherds compared to the same material recovered accurately in temporal order from the stratigraphic deposits of Mahidasht. However there is necessity to have absolute datings of prehistoric evidences of the valley. Careful surveying and identifying ancient settlements of the valley made it possible to take into account analytical studies of locating, distributing, relocating and evolution of prehistoric settlements during various periods, but a need to widespread investigations supported by archaeological excavations still remained to have a comprehensive understanding about mechanisms engaged in the formation and evolution of settlements through the time.

The period from 6300 until 5600 B.C in Fars region is known as Mushki and Jari phases. Since 1950s until recent years, lot of discussion have been evolved around the origins of these societies and their development. However, new cultural phase, known as Bashi, is proposed as the transition phase from Mushki to Jari. The stereography and architectural remains as well as geometrical stone tools, wild animals’ bones, particularly horses, are all indicating the existence of a seasonal settlement based on hunting in Tell-e Mushki, which is transformed into a sedentary settlement due to different type of architecture and a subsistence based on agriculture in Tell-e Jari B. A distinct cultural phenomenon is probably happened in Mushki phase which can be caused by sudden climate changes. It is suggested that the weather became cold and dry for centuries, until around 6200 B.C when the condition improved. In this regard, cultural changes are reflecting ups and downs in the climate situation, which have been recorded extensively in in Middle East archeological records. Furthermore, these climate changes have had direct influences on socioeconomical strategies of Neolithic societies in Fars. Lack of sheep bones in Tell-e Mushki on one side, and its abandonment in Tell-e jari A B on the other side, indicate a climate transmission from arid to more humid condition. However, the relationship between culture and climate is only one of the possible explanations for the cultural changes and obviously more studies are required. The majority of archeologists believe that severe climate changes in 8.2 Ka forced Neolithic societies to embrace new conditions. It is possible that some of them migrated to regions with more tolerable weather, while others found alternative survival methods for livelihood such as hunting or collecting foods instead of cultivating. Intermountain valleys in Fars region are required to be studied precisely and extensively in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of this period and to be able to analyze it. Following a survey by authors in 2015 on the Basin of Bavanat River in northeastern Fars, one of the most ancient settlements of this region, dates back to Neolithic era, was identified in Hormangan site and later in 2016 was excavated. The site is located on the west of Jeshnian village, situated on the southern basin of Bavanat River, on eastern Fars province in Iran. Hormangan is a small northern-southern directed site whose eastern side is destroyed because of gardening activities and the soul is dug up to 2 meters depth, accumulated on the slopes of hills on the northern side of the site. The cultural material from Hermangan site can increase our knowledge about the transition phase between Mushki (hunting societies) to Jari (agricultural societies), regarding the variety of ceramics, chronology and geography. Given the acquired information from this site, the technical and cultural aspects of Neolithic communities including ceramic productions, remote trades, livelihood patterns and manufacturing stone tools in this region are clearer to us. Regarding the climate changes during the seventh millennium B.C in Middle East, we observe alterations in settlement patterns of the period which is proved by the study of this period’s sites in Fars. The climate change forced the Neolithic societies to immigrate from Marvdasht to other intermountain valleys such as Hormangan site on the Basin of Bavanat River. According to the results of the excavations, there are two settlement phases in this site, the older phase is related to nomadic communities from 6350 to 6200 B.C and the latter with stratum architecture is associated with sedentary lifestyle of people who settled down here as a result of climate improvement.

Many years have passed from the first excavations on the northern coasts of Persian Gulf, and according to the conducted studies in this regard, major problems still exist in the chronology and identifying settlement periods. Besides, there is no clear description about the social, economic, political or religious life of prehistoric societies. Most of the archeological studies in this region were focused on the historical and Islamic cultural periods. Few prehistoric sites have been identified and studied in the Boushehr province and in general, the northern coast of the Persian Gulf archaeologically; in this regard, most of researches is related to the Elamite period and after that, the historical and Islamic periods. The area of Chahar Rustai located in the Genaveh county is one of the few prehistoric sites were identified and studied in this region. The first season of archeological excavations in this site was conducted in the June of 2013 to determine the stratigraphy and delimiting and its results shows that the site of Chahar Roustaei is a seasonal and temporary settlement dating back to the fifth millennium BC, so is compared with the middle Bakun culture in this part of the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. The site is located on 2 km northwest of the village with the same name, beside the tomb of Imamzadeh Amir-Almomenin, on the district of Hayat Davood, Gonaveh County. The geographical coordinates of the area are N. 29° 33’ 12.3” and E. 50° 45’ 44.5” and it covers an area of seven hectares. The site is precisely is located on the ridges of very hard and dense sands. The mean sea level on its highest point reaches to 30 meters, the majority of the site is leveled by farmers and is utilized as farm lands. The southern part of the site is covered by trees, locally known as Kur, recently planted by the ministry of Agriculture of Iran. The local access to dirt road exactly passes through the middle of the site and another road passes from its northern side and the mentioned tomb is on the right. According to the conducted excavations on this site as well as the distribution of pottery on its surface, Chahar Rustai is a seasonal and temporary settlement during the fifth millennium BC and probably is belonged to people immigrated from the cultural sphere of Fars to this region. Also, Chahar Rustai was excavated in order to obtain a more precise understanding about the prehistoric cultures existed on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. Discovering the painted buff ware and comparing them with the ceramics of Tall-e Gap, Tall-e Bakun, Tol-e Bashi in the Kur river basin, Tall-e Nokhodi, Tall-e Rahman in the sivand river basin, Tall-e Nurabad in the Nurabad zone, Tall-e Mehr-ali in Iqlid and Tall-e Mashkarim in the district of Semirom show that Chahar-Rustai is one of the southern settlements of the culture which had been influenced by the dominating Bakun culture during the fifth millennium B.C.. Their ceramics clearly indicate that Chahar-Rustai settled during the middle Bakun period or the Gap period which can be dated between 4800 to 4500 B.C. During this excavation and throughout the detailed survey on their surrounding, no ceramic related to the more ancient or more recent period than middle Bakun was recovered. Given the its general characteristics and the distribution of ceramics, Chahar-Rustai site can be considered as a site settled by the nomads who were seasonal habitant of the area during the fifth millennium B.C. Furthermore, the marine products which were also discovered in other Bakun sites can definitely show a wide range of interactions among the coastal settlements including Chahar Rustai. Obviously, for gaining more accurate understanding about the prehistoric settlements and specially Bakun period, more comprehensive studies and surveys are required.

The Analysis of the Role of Natural Factors in Spatial Distribution of Archaeological Sites, during the Chalcolithic period in Bostanabad, Azerbaijan 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 context of human geographical activities.
In this paper, be studied and analyzed the role of environmental factors in spatial distribution and shaping human settlements during the Chalcolithic period in Bostanabad. For this purpose, identified and collected surface data of 55 sites includes Chalcolithic works during 3 seasons archaeological survey and using statistical techniques for data analysis. To accomplish this work, natural factors included surface water, rainfall, altitude, climate, land use, vegetation, and slope have been evaluated.
This information illustrates that the geographical features of the region, especially water resources, altitude, and climate were the most important factors in the formation of settlement patterns in the desired area at the Chalcolithic period, and the manner of set of these sites was dependent on these mentioned factors more than any other environmental factor in this district. The vital role of water, especially rivers, caused sites have been made in form of linear pattern along the rivers.
The matter of study were collected from archaeological survey, and the librarian method was used to identify the sources and texts, use previous studies, and use the results of the excavations; then, the statistical methods were used to analysis of data. This field studies were carried out during the years 1385, 1392, and 1393 SH, and materials and sites of seven rural districts western and eastern Abbas Abad in the first season, eastern western and eastern Owjan, and Sahand Abad in the second season, and central and southern Mehran Roud in the third season were filed surveyed; then, they resulted in identifying and recording a number of prehistiric, historic, and Islamic sites. From them, 55 sites are containing matterials of Chalcolithic period which The matter of study of this research are based on. The analysis of the desired data in the geographic information system (GIS) have been conducted and its outcomes were described by using maps of the resulted system.
Chronology: Bostān-Abād relative chronology data was based on the study of collected pottery samples from the area and was compared with samples from the cultural layer in scientific exploration. However, in some cases due to their similarity with potteries from different sites, separating periods becomes quite difficult, and need scientific excavation or laboratory studies, as many factors contribute to the distortion of data in field studies; however, it was attempted to use reliable data as far as possible. In this regard at the regional scale, data were compared with neighboring regions outside of the current area (Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Caucasus) and, in the region scale, with sites of Lake Urmia basin and, in the settlement scale, with Kül tepe Hadi-Shahr and Köhne Pasgah tepesi sites.
According to the scattered works in the area (including pottery and surface objects), 11 sites have Dalma pottery culture dates (characteristic of the Early and Middle Chalcolithic of Azerbaijan) and 52 sites have CFW (Chaff-Faced Ware) pottery culture (Characteristic of the Late Chalcolithic of Azerbaijan), which 8 sites of them last from the Early-Middle to Late Chalcolithic. Regarding the type, extent, situation of settlement, etc., we can claim that in Bostān-Abād we face both permanent and temporary seasonal settlements in the Chalcolithic period.
According to the tables and statistics, water played an important role in the formation of settlements, so that 62% of the settlements have been built at a distance of less than 500 meters to the main water sources (rivers permanent and seasonal). This character is evident in both the Early-middle and Late Chalcolithic period in the region, which 33 sites across 52 sites were attributed to the Late Chalcolithic period, and 8 sites from the 11sites in Early-middle Chalcolithic period (62% of the total collection) are in this distance. The vital role of water, especially rivers, caused sites have been made in form of linear pattern along the rivers.
Elevation is the other main factor in establishing the Chalcolithic settlements in the area. Charts and maps show Chalcolithic sites in Bostān-Abād tend to highlands; as about 75% of the sites have been established at an altitude of 1750 to 2100 meters above the sea level. Altitude has a direct relation with temperature reduction and increase of rainfall. When the weather become warm, these factors lead to the accumulation of snow, then, creating feeding nests of streams and melting saved snow which is responsible for having water resources, pastures and vegetation in the summer nomads.