فهرست مطالب mohammad esmaeil esmaeili jelodar

The southwestern regions of Iran have been receptive to Shiism since the first decades of the rise of Islam. The presence of many companions of great imams who came from that area or lived in those areas at the same time, as well as many Sadats who migrated to those areas at the beginning of Islam, is clear proof of this. After their death, the graves of these Sadats were a refuge for the people of faith and became a shrine (Imamzadeh), which the people and the Shia/Shiite governments of that time tried to honor.From the beginning of the fourth century, these regions were under the control of the powerful Shiite Al-e-Buyeh government for a period of more than one hundred and twenty years. Imamzadeh Hamzeh in Dehdasht city of Kohkiloyeh and Boyerahmad province is one of these works. This building is one of the oldest buildings in the region with its unique wooden door. This wooden door is available in the Islamic section of the National Museum of Iran under number 3292, and the place of its discovery is Behbahan. Some researchers, considering its dimensions and historical studies, consider this door the same as the lost door of Imamzade Hamzeh Dehdasht.   This door was removed about eighty years ago in the twenties by the person who was the head of the Behbehan Culture office and moved to Behbehban and then was transferred to Tehran and the Museum of Ancient Iran.

The method of collecting information in this research was a library (reading texts) and examining museum objects. The research method is descriptive and analytical with a historical approach. The purpose of the current research is a comprehensive analysis along with the examination of the themes and messages engraved on this historical door, which socially recounts the political and cultural conditions of the Shiites at the time and the powerful presence of the Shia/Shiite religion in that region, as well as the correct reading of the inscriptions on the door and its subtleties and historical points of this religion.Background Research:With the study done about the background of the subject of this research in written and oral sources, including (Arabic and Persian) in the first centuries of Islam, no independent article was found, only two articles are available in this regard as described below:First: an article entitled "The history and visual characteristics of the decorations on the woodwork door of the Imamzadeh of Hamzah Dehdasht from the Al Boyeh period (preserved in the National Museum of Iran)" which was published by Mahsa Tendro, Mohammad Khazaei, and Seyed Abu Torab Ahmed Panah in the Journal of Islamic Art Studies (Tandro and others, 2020).Second: The article "Comparative study of the design and decorative structure of the Kufic inscriptions of the Al Boyeh period (a wooden door in the National Museum of Iran and the wooden slabs of Astan Imam Ali (a.s.) in the Arab Museum of Cairo)" written by Mahsa Tundro, Mohammad Khazaei in two quarterly journals The artificial arts of Iran have been published (Tandro and Khazaei, 1400). Khazaei is the first person who paid attention to the same dimensions of the door in the museum and the entrance of Imamzadeh and a few years ago, he considered the door in the museum as the missing door of Imamzadeh. Also, the research of Mrs. Mehrangiz Karmi Mehraban (2013) has been devoted to introducing the buildings of Dehdasht city and investigating their architecture. Abdullah Quchani (1987) also referred to this door in an article entitled "Research on the wooden inscriptions of Iran" and reread parts of its inscriptions, but did not read the inscriptions related to the historical part. Finally, Qobad Kianmehr (2013) briefly mentioned this door in his doctoral dissertation and introduced it as one of the works related to the fifth-century AH.

The wooden door attributed to Imamzade Seyyed Hamzeh Dehdasht, with its heritage and artistic value, has two hinges, each consisting of two squares at the top and bottom and a rectangle in the middle. Among each rectangular shape on the sides of the door, there are five geometric shapes, two circles at the top and bottom and a rhombus in the middle.The dimensions of this door are 196 x 110 cm. (Tandro, Khazaei and Ahmad Panah, 2020: 116). Its religious inscriptions are verses from the Holy Qur'an (Surah Mubarakah Yas), a prayer from the Sahifa Sajjadiyeh, and the prayer "Allahum Aruzqana Tawfiq al-Ta'a..." which was narrated by Imam Zaman (peace be upon him). Also, in the circles and rhombuses between the doors, on the right side, from top to bottom, the phrases "Muhammad", "Ali", "Fatemeh", "Hasan" and "Hussein" and on the left side, from top to bottom, the phrases "Ya Manan", "Ya Hanan", "Al-Zahra", "Al-Sultan" and "Ya Subhan" are written.The historical inscriptions on the door, which are placed in the upper and lower four parts of the square shape, contain the name of the person who ordered the construction of the building. In the analysis of the themes of the inscriptions of this door, the previous reading of the door inscriptions had many errors, and the subtleties and precise historical and religious points were left out of the author's view, which was corrected in this article. For example, regarding the wrong context of the door inscriptions by respected writers, it should be said that the text presented by them from two short prayers of Sahifa Sajjadiyeh and Imam Zaman's prayer has at least seventeen mistakes.Also, the study of textual sources, inscription themes, and archaeological arguments about the Imamzadeh door of Hamza Dehdasht shows that the construction of this valuable door was done by Abu Mansour Fouladston. he ordered the construction of this building between 441 and 448 one of the times he dominated the Arjan region. Also, according to textual sources, today the oldest evidence of Imam Zaman's prayers are two books from the end of the 9th century by Kafami. In this way, the inclusion of this prayer on the door of the Imamzadeh has given proof that is more than four hundred years old compared to the two mentioned books, which is also clear evidence of the validity of the said prayer and the dominance of Shiism in the region at that time. It is clear that the existence of this prayer in an archeological document, which is an objective first-hand source in terms of credibility, has a very high citation value compared to the narrations recorded in written texts.Regarding the themes of the historical inscriptions of this door, which is the main subject of this article, it should be said that the opening verses of Surah Mubarakah Yas and the prayer of Sahifa Sajjadiyeh, the special dimensions of the door and the special attention to the centrality of Hazrat Zahra (peace be upon him) in the forms on the door have religious messages that are important to Shiism. Because the building in question has attracted the attention of ordinary people more than anything else, they are a reflection of the Shiite context of the time, which was discussed in detail in the text. The last point is that considering the incompleteness of a part of Imam Zaman's prayer and also a part of the prayer of Sahifa Sajjadiyeh, the assumption of the second door of this Imamzadeh is not far from the mind, so there was probably another door on which the rest of the inscription was written.

The role of Toon in Qohestan, as a part of transportation route between southeast and central Iran with Greater Khorasan, and its industrial and commercial role in Greater Khorasan’s sense with all of its challenges, in Historical and Archaeological studies, is very important. This paper tries to understand the cultural Landscape of Toon on the base of Historical documents and Stratigraphic Archaeological Evidences. Therefore, this paper follows answering two main Questions: in the historical aspect, how the landscape of Toon is understandable in historical and Geographical documents, considering the historical context of these documents. On the other side, in the Archaeological aspect, the main question is how stratigraphic evidence can help us to understand the landscape of Toon in the Islamic era. Historical documents and Archaeological Evidence have been reviewed and interpreted based on their contexts. Results of historical and Archeological interpretations, all to gather about Cultural landscape of Toon can help us to achieve to the goal of this paper. This research’s nature fundamental and its approach is descriptive-interpretive to the historical documents and archaeological evidence. Cultural landscape of Toon along Islamic era in historical documents described as a city with Arg, which has used Qanats as the main water source and has its own importance in production of crops and Carpet. Study of Archaeological Stratigraphic Evidence shows wide interactions of Toon in different periods of Islamic era and its industrial importance in production of some artifacts such as Pottery and Metal works.

While the Qajar era was in a recent past, little independent research has been done concerning the architecture and urban engineering of the first half of this era (1795 – 1847). The main reason behind such negligence might be that this period of Iranian architecture occurs between the golden age of architecture in Safavid Iran and the modern period in which Western architectural models infiltrated Iranian architecture and urban construction. In the present research, the aim is to identify the process of constructing architectural works and urban renovation in the first half of the Qajar period by drawing on historical evidence, written sources, and on top of that, archeological evidence. To do so, it is necessary to identify the factors that contributed to strategic policies of Qajar rulers vis-à-vis urban developments and renovations. Given that details of many civil constructions of the Qajar period are not available, this paper rests upon the assumption that archeological studies might be effectively drawn on to know the national strategy of these rulers in the development of cities. The research finds that factors, such as giving legitimacy to the Qajar government, attracting and seeking support of clergy and religious scholars, as well as attempts to achieve economic and civil development of the country for purposes of promoting the political power, played major parts in civil constructions by the Qajar dynasty. Other factors include military and defense policies, the question of succession and rivalries among senior Qajar princes, archaism of Qajar rulers, and their religious beliefs.

Amol is one of the old and important cities of Tabaristan from pre-Islamic to the present day, which has played a key role in the political, economic and cultural relations of northern Iran due to its location and communication roads and geographical location. Although written sources provide valuable information about the city, many questions remain about the impact of historical and political events on development and changes in different periods. In response to these questions, the authors decided to use written sources to determine and analyze the process of its formation and developments. The subject of this study is the historical geography of Amol from the beginning of Islam to the end of the Qajar period. The aim of this study was to identify and investigate the developments through reviewing the recorded texts of historians and tourists. The main question raised is what are the influential events after the arrival of Islam in Amol and what parts of the written historical geography include. The present article has documents, documents and texts from the beginning of Islam to the end of the Qajar era. The research method of this paper is historical-descriptive-comparative. One of the most important results obtained is the arrival of Islam in 30 AH, ups and downs to the Mongol and Timur attacks, the geographical and religious importance in the Safavid period, the center of trade and construction of war equipment in the Afshariyeh and Zandieh periods and the special place in the Qajar period.

In recent years, many damages and dangers have threatened the designs and decorations of Qajar period buildings in the country. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the protection of these motifs. In the present study, the decorations and paintings of Haj Ghasemi's house in Nava Larijan region have been studied, which is a specific example of Qajar period housing. The purpose of this study is to study and analyze the style of decorations, subjects and present the proposed analysis in a comparative manner with examples from this period. The most important question in this study was to know the background, commonalities and differences of the designs, as well as the factors that formed it. Therefore, the description of the house, the description of the drawings and the method of decorating, as well as its comparison with similar examples were examined. The proposed chronology, thematic discussion and reasoning of the designs and the reason for their attribution to the middle of the Qajar period were also discussed in this article. The approach of the article is historical and the research method is descriptive-analytical with a comparative analysis. Due to the residential function of the building, the motifs with various plant, animal and monochrome themes of male and female and Ms. Qajari were observed in it. The results showed that there was no significant similarity between the designs of this building and other contemporary buildings in this region and Amol city, which could indicate the distinct origin of the creators of these designs. At the end, suggestions were made to create a culture and protect this building.

The construction and placement of tombs on either side of an inner or outer city street, and with it, the formation of decorated facades on both sides of a path, was common during the reign of the Timurids. Early in this era, Timur built a complex inside the shahr-i sabz, which consisted of a street on either side of which the Timurid courtiers built tombs for themselves and formed the body around the street with an orderly line of tomb buildings. At the end of the street was the great building of the Dar al-Siyadeh school, which was the burial place of two of Timurchr('39')s sons. The next similar sample was formed in Samarkand. This cemetery, known as Shah-i zindah, was built on top of the ancient hills of Afrasiab. Like the Dar al-Siyadeh, in this complex, the arrangement of tombs on both sides of passage was formed the main axis of the complex. These tombs, which belonged to the princes and nobles of Timurid, were located on both sides of the road and sometimes in front of each other, thus formed a Mazar-street with a designed facade. Among the Mazar-street complexes in the Timurid era, Khiaban-e Herat Mazar-Street had a special place in terms of importance and breadth. The Khiaban in the city of Herat was originally the name of an area in the north of the city where many graves were gradually established over the years on both sides of the path that passed through it. During the Timurid period, the construction of buildings on both sides of this street flourished so much that at the end of this era, this street can be compared in terms of the establishment of religious buildings and tombs on both sides with the Dar al-Siyadeh and Shah-i Zendah complexes. This article seeks to study the gradual formation of buildings on the main axis of Herat Mazar-Street by the end of the Timurid period by reviewing historical books, archaeological reports, and other researches done about Herat Mazar-Street. Then, by specifying the structural features of this axis, compare it with other Mazar-Street axes in the Timurid era, and then explain the characteristic features of the Mazar-street complexes in the Timurid era. The results of this study show that at the end of the Timurid era, the cemetery of Khiaban-e Herat changed from a cemetery in the northern outskirts of the city to the most important religious axis of Herat and Khorasan region, and different buildings were built on both sides of it. This Mazar-street, similar to other Mazar-streets of the Timurid era, included an arranged row of tombs that Led at the end of the road to an important religious building.

Herat and Cairo were two important Islamic cities in the Middle East, from the seventh to the ninth century AH. Cairo was the capital city of the Mamluks and Herat was the capital city of the Timurid government in Iran. In this paper, the construction of important urban monuments and buildings in the two main arteries, Herat Street (southern part of it) and Cairo’s Qasabeh Street, was examined. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate and analyze the similarities and structural differences in these two important urban arteries and, as a result, to understand the effects of each one on the other. The main research question raised in this study is what similarities and differences do the two constructions built by the Herat Street and Qasabeh Street have? This study is an analytical-historical research one and the data were gathered based on library research based on two main resources. The data were also compared with other less-important resources. The results of this research indicated that the memorial complexes in Qasabeh Street and the southern part of Herat Street had some similarities.‏ In most of these constructions, with public and religious uses, architectural complexes, alongside the tomb of the creator of the complex, were all built along the street. The layout of these complexes along the route, in addition to decorating the city walls, made these streets look like Mazar Street (khiyaban-Mazar). It should also be noted that, in the comparison between two streets, there was an urban order in the way the buildings were constructed along Herat Street. Overall, based on the findings of this study, it could be concluded that in the seventh to tenth centuries AH, a type of urban axis design was common in the Middle East in which the type of installation and use of buildings in the direction of the axis was considered.

Iran's seismicity has historically destroyed many settlements and cities, even the historio-geographical texts have noticed. According to these texts, in some cases of extensive damage and destruction of the city, reconstruction or continuation of that settlement in the same place was not possible. This is why the survivors of these devastating earthquakes have inevitably built t a new settlement in conjunction with the vital factors that each city is affiliated with. Among the most prominent examples are the Meymeh plain settlements of Isfahan province, including Rabat Agha Kamal, Azan, Meyma, Wazwan, and Ghoshghan Carpet. All of these have been abandoned over time due to devastating earthquakes in early Islamic centuries. Once again, a new settlement has been made in connection with the deployed one. This study investigates the role of the earthquakes in the desertification of this plain's historical settlements, based on field research and library studies. The research's central question is why the significant settlements of the Meymeh Plain at the dawn of Islam were abandoned in the same period, and new establishments were made in connection with them? The central hypothesis is that historical texts and archaeological studies show earthquakes in the third century AH and affected this domine.

The safavid Era is one of the most important Islamic dynasties in Iran and Islamic Worlds. The historic houses of this period, along with their magnificent decorations, are one of the House of Mirmiran is located in the town of Varzaneh in Isfahan province. The house is 3610 square meters and determined as a national heritage in 2008. Architecture of the house is comparable with the typical architecture of the center of Iran with central yard, in two floors and some decorations including wall painting and stucco decorations. The decorations are more rich in a single room at the north of the house; this room is called shah neshin means place of the king or royal place which is a name usually given to the most glamorous part of any house or room. Walls of the namely room are fully covered with wall painting. Illustrations are inspired by Persian literature and Iranian legends including tales of Shahnameh, fairy tales and in one case, authors believe a war scene is illustrated. Furthermore, a hemistich of an Iranian well-known poet, Hafez of Shiraz, can be recognized in Nastealigh calligraphy. Technic of the paintings is something between wall painting and stucco decoration, which is known as Koshte- bori. The calligraphy is carved with the same technic as the illustrations. The decoration of the House of Mirmiran`s shah neshin is similar, both conceptually and technically, to the interior decoration of the house of Pirnia located in Naein, also in southeast of Isfahan. Illustrations of the House of Pirnia are also, related to the Iranian fairy tales, Shahnameh and Panj Ganj of Nezami of Ganje who is another well-known poet of Iran. Moreover, some poems belonging to the other Iranian famous poets can be, seen all over the rooms in nastealigh calligraphy. As mentioned before, same calligraphy is used in the house of Mirmiran. The only technical difference, in Mirmiran motifs are all illustrated negative while in Pirnia motifs are both negative and positive.Current article aims to at first, interpret the illustrated scenes. Then, technic of the wall paintings will be discussed and subsequently, according to the interpretations of the illustrated scenes and school of the paintings, a relative dating will be presented; it is noteworthy that Mirmiran house is believed to be dated back to early Safavid dynasty (15th century AD) but according to the elements mentioned above, authors believe wall paintings are more recent. Finally, as pointed out above, interior decorations of the house of Pirnia is comparable with those of shah neshin room of the house of Mirmiran; the relation to the house of Pirnia in Naein will be discussed.The most important results are the effect of the paintings of the Mirmiran's house on the Isfahan paintings style and Reza Abbasi and his students, and its undeniable role in comparison with the House of Pirnia in Nayin. The study carried out in this article gives the relative history of these decorations to the second half of the 11th century A.H.

Artwork is considered as visual means of communication and representative of facts that have undergone dramatic changes in each era, influenced by social, economic, political, religious, and social conditions. In this regard, wall decoration is an important context for gaining insight into these changes. This study aims to analyze the form and role of pottery in Safavid wall paintings through comparative study with pottery of this period, focusing on the wall paintings of the Chehel Sotun palace. Chehel Sotun palace in Isfahan has always been regarded as one of the most important historic and cultural monuments of the Safavid period during the reign of King Abbas I and II. The murals of the palace reflect the thoughts and culture of the kings and perhaps the people of that time (Safavid era) and are in fact an expression of this period. The most important question in this article is what are the reasons of using pottery figures on the murals and wall their relation with the Safavid pottery can be investigated? Data have been gathered using both field and Documentary method methods and were analyzed by descriptive-analytic method. Accordingly, after classification and typology of pottery forms in the Safavid period, the comparison with the Paintings in the wall decorations of the Chehelston Palace of the Safavid period has been carried out. Initial results from this study show that the use of pottery figures in the Safavid wall paintings, especially the Chehelston Palace, is ceremonial.

One of the most important reasons for the formation of cities is their geographic location. Sometimes these particular geographic conditions themselves cause the city to be displaced or it’s obsolete or abandonment. In some cases, cities are destroyed by factors other than natural ones; these types of factors are directly related to humans. The historic city of Torshiz, based on historical sources, is one of the most important cities of the Islamic era in Khorasan, which changed its location by changing the cultural landscape of Torshiz province, changing the location that displaced the city from the western part to the eastern part. The cultural area of Torshiz includes Bardaskan, Khalil Abad and Kashmar in the southwest of Khorasan Razavi. Before the transfer of the historic city of Torshiz to the eastern part (the political area of current Kashmare city) around the middle of the 12th century AH, this city has been located in the present day of Bardaskan city area, and this is well traceable from historical sources. This research is aimed at analyzing historical data and analytical types of archaeological data, statistical models in the geographic information system and suggested written sources for the location of the historic city of Torshiz. The results of the research, based on the knowledge of written sources, archaeological data, and the help of the GIS, eventually revealed the historic site of Firoozabad has been shown as the city of Torshiz, obviously the archaeological excavations can enhance our information in this field.

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

The location of Isfahan province in a highway which connects the north to the south and the east to the west has created a suitable situation for transformation and innovation of art and architecture. Naein in Isfahan province is a town located in the desert margin. Pakooh region is one of the villages of Naein located in the northwest. The ancient site of Shirkooh is in the vicinity of Separo Village located 6 kilometers away from the west of it. Due to its strategic location, this region has always been suitable for human settlements. Among the evidence which represents a Sassanian settlement in Shirkooh, one can mention a fortress, a Čahārṭāq (four arches), and Soffeh (Terrace platform).It is likely that in the past this region was located near a major communication highway. Hence, the Sassanid constructed a fortress on top of Shirkooh (Zardkooh).

The method of research in this paper is descriptive-analytical and data collection has been established by conducting a field survey and studying written documents. Using the second method, all information and data related to this paper, including historical texts and particularly geographical accounts, have been collected. By archaeological survey, architectural structures and cultural materials such as wares completely studied and documented. Then both data evaluated which made Comparative studies and relative chronology possible.

By studying the historical texts, we recognize that the state of Fars was not only a religious and political center but also officially important for the Sassanid dynasty. During the reformation of Khosrow I, Iran was divided into four sections. 1. Kust-e-xwarasan, northeast part؛2. Kust-e- xwarwaran, Southwest part؛ 3.Kust-e- Nimruz, Southeast part; 4. Kust-e- Adurbadgan, northwest part (Daryaee, 2009: 21-24). According to some credible historical texts like Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr Fars state was located in one of these sections called Kust-e- Nimruz. Based on some geographers of the early Islamic Centuries like Ibn Hawqel, Abu Abdallah Jayhani, and Istakhri, Fars was one of the most extensive states which was divided into five Kura and Naein is considered to be a town in Kura of Istakhr. (See also Istakhri, 1970: 15; Ibn Hawql, 1966: 34; Jayhani, 1989: 111).One of the most important evidence to complete the knowledge of existing historical sources about the presence of the Sassanid in the Central plateau of Iran can be obtained through archaeological studies. Although systematic studies haven’t been carried out in this region yet, some sporadic archaeological surveys indicate the existence of different historical periods, most notably in Shirkooh, a village located in the northeastern part of Nain. During this survey, archaeologists found a site consisting of a Čahārṭāq, a fortress, and a Soffeh which date back to the Sassanid and early Islamic era. The aim of this paper is to discuss these three important architectural structures. Čahārṭāq (Four arches)Čahārṭāq and fire-temples are among the most important archaeological and yet controversial structures of the Sassanian architecture. The Čahārṭāq of Shirkooh, located in the central part of Naein, can also be placed in this category. In 2002 the building was listed as a national property of Iran with the registration no. 7222 and after that, it was restored by Shah-Hosseini (Shah-Hosseini, 2002: 327). The Čahārṭāq of Shirkooh is a square-shaped structure with approximate dimensions of 10 meters. Its current height is 12/40 meters, dome height is 6/10, and the internal height is 6/59 (Namjoo, 2013: 172). The architectural elements of Čahārṭāq consist of piers, arch, squinch, and dome. The interior has no special decoration, but remains of plasterwork could be seen in some parts of the squinches. Studying wares and plan of the building, we could say that this Čahārṭāq dates back to the Sassanid era. The well-known types of wares are bowls with smoothed or inverted rims (samples 2 and 3) comparable to wares of Chal-e-Tarkhan, Tel Abu-Sharifeh; and jars with quartet rounded rims (sample 4) can be compared with wares of Farsan (Khosrozadeh, 2014: figs. 83-5).Shirkooh fortress The position of this fortress is in such a way that on top of it the Čahārṭāq is visible and on the other hand, the fortress is pretty obvious from the center of Čahārṭāq. Thus, these two structures are not far from each other. The fortress is constructed in the mountainous north of Shirkooh village. The plan of the fortress is almost irregular and a steep slope makes it hard to reach. The materials used in the construction of the fortress are cobblestones for the walls, mud-brick in towers and plaster as the main mortar of the entire building. At the interior of the fortress there is a rectangular structure which its directions are north-east south-west and somehow overlooking the low level of the plain and the village. The dimensions of this rectangular structure are 8 × 2 meters (Alian, 2007: 17). Due to unauthorized excavations inside the fortress, a piece of plasterwork was found; this piece is 16 cm long and 9.5 cm wide and its surface is engraved.The type of design, which is likely to be two-dimensional, could have been used as part of a plaster pillar or Qarniz (baseboard). It should be noted that due to a lot of damages it is not easy to discuss this piece. The side section has two vertical lines with two rows of pearls in the shape of laced circles. The main part of the design has also two waves motifs One up and the other down.Terrace platform of Shirkooh (Soffeh) Terrace platform is located at 38 7.33 N, 52 59 24 E (Aliyan, 2007: 21). It is constructed at the farthest end of the site which connects it to the mountain. The main construction material of this Soffeh consists of cobblestones of the river. Since this terrace platform is flat and elevated, from the top of it the fortress and Čahārṭāq are remarkably visible.Unfortunately, many unauthorized excavations have been carried out the site that can be considered as the most important factor in the destruction of the surface of the terrace platform. It should be noted that during the survey of Soffeh we haven’t found any cultural materials like wares. Overall it can be said that the most significant materials used in these structures (Čahārṭāq, fortress and terrace platform) are cobblestones and plaster mortar. Mud-brick was only used constructing fortification towers, while the plaster widely used for decorating and coating the walls of the fortress.

Based on the information obtained from the Muslim geographers and historians, Shirkooh region was under the cultural-political supervision of Istakhr, known as the northernmost Kura of Fars. The mountains of the Shirkooh region are naturally considered as an enclosure to cover the site from the world outside. Shirkooh fortress was built on top of a relatively steep and impassable mountain placed at the northernmost part of the site.The plan of the fortress is approximately irregular because of the natural shape of the mountain. It is pretty obvious that the most important cultural material that exists in most of the sites and plays a crucial role in chronology is ware. The comparison of potsherds of Shirkooh fortress with samples of Chal-e Tarkhan at the central plateau of Iran, Qal'eh Yazdgerd at the west (Kermanshah province), Oltan Qalasi at Mugan plain, Hajiabad at Fars, Tureng Tepe at Gorgan , Tel Abu-Sharifeh at Iraq, indicates that the cultural materials of this site belongs to the Sassanid era. We believe because of the existence of a military fortress and a religious complex (Chartaghi) both close to a communication highway which connects south to the north and west to the east, Shirkooh must have been a principal site of the Sassanid era. Considering that the interior of the fortress is not so large, it might have been used as a military or road controlling fortress. We hope more archaeological research helps us expand our knowledge of the site, especially obtaining an absolute dating through interdisciplinary studies.

Economic transformation is one of the most important parts of cultural system and has vital role in transformation of any social entity. For this reason, study of archaeological evolution of industrial spaces will clarify part of an ambiguity in understanding modernization and metamorphosis in social forces of study periods. In order to contribute an answer to this question, this paper studies four industrial buildings (from Qajar and Pahlavid Periods) in an historical context of change in economy of production. The ultimate goal is to specify the implied structure of spaces in the historical context within the new mode of production. The conclusion, here is that the change in space it is also parallel with the change in social structure of work has not a clear-cut equal relation with the latter. The past methods of production were still modifying the methods and processes of work in the modern societies, a modification which might cause the formation of social solidarity in the course of production process.

Shahr Tappeh is one of the Parthian sites in the district of Darreh Gaz, near the Iran-Turkmenistan border. Data from archaeological surveys shows that the site is one of the largest Parthian sites in the northeast region of the Iranian Plateau. In addition, archaeological excavations indicate that Shahr Tappeh was one of the most important Parthian sites in the region. The site is limited on two sides by riverbeds, while on the south and north was protected by massive ramparts, probably made of sun-dried bricks and chineh. There are also traces of a moat behind the fortifications. In somewhere near the center of the site, there is a 7m high mound, evidently remains of a monument of some sort. It is possible that this mound represents the acropolis of the site, seat of the high rank chief or governor of the city. Our investigation at the site including a surface systematic sampling. The most frequent finds were ceramic fragments, in addition to some kiln wasters, gypsum plaster and impressed designs bricks. The designs are heavily weathered so the original motifs could not be identified. Similar bricks with impressed designs have been discovered at the type site of Nisa in Turkmenistan. The high frequency of kiln wasters in a quadrant indicated that this point of the site would be industrial quarter of the ancient town. Testing this hypothesis, we opened three small trenches. Although we could not reach the lower strata, due to have efficiency of time and the budget, we could recover numerous kiln wasters and deformed pieces of glass, evidently related to glass workshop, which strongly indicate that our hypothesis on the industrial character of the quadrant could be right. The recovered finds through excavations show close resemblance to those from Nisa, the initial capital and homeland of the Arsacids, which is 80 km to the northeast. The size of Shahr Tappeh and the materials from excavations well represent the importance of the site in early Parthian time in the northeastern Iranian Plateau. Because of such important features, some scholars suggest that the site could be the ancient Dara of the early Arsacid era. In this article we analyzed and discuss the materials and data from Shahr Tappeh excavations, trying to throw light on the importance of the city during the early Arsacid period, and evaluate its position among the contemporary sites in the northeastern Iranian Plateau. We also trying to the answer whether the site could be the same ancient Dara we know from the early Arsacid period; or, otherwise, could the important city of Dara be sought in the modern area of Darreh Gaz in northeast Iran?

Western parts of the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiyari Province (Ardal County) due to containing high mountains, deep valleys and small intermountain plains as well as the placement in the path of the nomads have long been of interest to humans. The nomadic communities of the mountainous regions of Chaharmahal VA Bakhtiyari culturally interacted with the lowland areas of Fars and Khuzestan's plain during history. Considering the subsistence pattern of the region, understanding the characteristics of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, their settlement pattern, the impact of environment on the formation and distribution of sites and determining the type of nomads are the issues which will try to address them through this research. To investigate the effect of environmental factors on the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements such as altitude, slope, aspect, distance from river, distance from communication paths, and ground structure and the existence of faults in the region were evaluated by statistical methods. To find out the possible relationships between the natural factors and settlement patterns we used digital maps as the basis for the GIS analyses. In general, two types of settlement pattern are identified: permanent and nomadic.