THE GABRI MOD SITE (MOD B), THE CONNECTING RING BETWEEN KHORASAN AND SISTAN REGIONS IN THE HISTORICAL ERA

The Gabri Mod site is located in South Khorasan province, 30 km southeast of Birjand and 3.5 km northwest of Mod in a vast plain called Nokhodi. This site includes two mounds in the northwest and the southeast adjacent to each other. The larger mound is named Mod A and the smaller mound is named Mode B. Their area is over 14 ha. Based on the cultural materials obtained from the excavations, the site of Gabri Mod belongs to the historical era, especially the Parthian period. Since 2018, the Gabri Mod site (southern mound/Tepe Mod B) has been excavated during three seasons as an internship excavation site for archaeology students of Birjand University. The weakness of environmental patterns and climatic limitations in eastern Iran, especially the lack of water resources and suitable soil for agriculture, have caused the absence of large and densely populated settlements in this region. Therefore, Tepe Mod B is of great importance in the archaeological studies of East Iran and its connection between the northern (Khorasan) and southern (Sistan) regions. Based on excavations, architectural evidence, and aerial images of Tepe Mod B, a circular structure was found inside an oval enclosure surrounded by a moat. This research aims to introduce the architectural remains and cultural data found from three seasons of archaeological excavations at Tepe Mod B. This research is descriptive and analytical and data collection is based on documentary studies and archaeological surveys and excavations.