نشریه جستارهای باستان شناسی ایران پیش از اسلام
سال دوم شماره 2 (پیاپی 4، پاییز و زمستان 1396)

The Tepe Chel Amiran Geshlagh is located at narrow valley of Talvar at margin of Northwest of Central Zagros.This site has sequential deposits of cultural remains of Fifth Millennium BC . According to result of three seasons of Archaeological excavation in site, continuity of Dalma, Seh- Gabi and Godin IIV Cultures has been declared. The Chalcolithic period in the central Zagros have been started around 5500 BC and formed one of the most important prehistoric periods in Iran.This period, which was between (5500-3000BC), presented quite different characteristics compared to the Neolithic period. Primitive rural communities that were established in Neolithic period were significantly developed. Gheshlagh is one of these settlements. Assessing relative and absolute chronology of the region in order to identify the exact dates of settlements as well as cultural layers are among the most important goals of this article. Other Achievements of this article include finding an explanation for the cultural communications between ancient rural settlements along eastern ranges of central Zagros and the neighboring areas in northwest of Iran and Mesopotamia, as well as finding the origins and formations of early rural cultures and their transformation to more complicated sustenance, Economical, and social systems. How much did the environment and climate changes and neighboring cultures influence cultural components of Chalcolithic period? Were cultural changes in Talvar Valley due to local transformations or under the influence of surrounding areas? How were the cultural interactions between the local residents and the neighboring areas; were they more influenced by the northwest culture (Dalma), or the cultural phases of central Zagros? In general, the small and narrow valley of Talvar is like a natural corridor, which makes possible the communication between residents of Eastern areas of Central Zagros with South of Uremia Lake. This pass way includes series of connected valleys. Regarding its altitude higher than 1,600 meters above the sea level, its semi-steppe vegetation makes it agriculturally inappropriate. However, this condition provides good pastures, and introduces natural settlement for species of wild animals such as goats, sheep, rabbit and hog. These features, alongside the existence of permanent water supply of Talvar River, have made a suitable settlement condition all over the Chalcolitic period. Residents living was based on hunting and ranching, but fishing had a significant role, as well. According to studies done, livelihood pattern of each area is relying on available potentials in that area, and it’s understandable, so According to this, relevant data which included Animals bones remains and carbonated plant seeds which has been collected from each layers had given useful information after the study of typology them.Based on the results, determined that livelihood most of inhabitants of Geshlagh Tepe at all the time of Chalcolithic Period, in the first place was based on Animal husbandry and at the second place was based on Agriculture. Process of internal delays at this system shows that from Dalma Culture to the Godin IIV Culture, hunting the zebra, ghazal and hog had reduced and in proportion bones of goats and sheep had increased. But at the same time, still they used the domesticated species of wheat and barley. Though sample value was very less at the ashes remains, but abundance of crockery storage which fixed at corner of some spaces and also abundance of saddle shape grindstone and pestle is the sign of prevalence used of vegetables at nutrition of inhabitants.

The religious and ritual aspect of the ancients is one of the most important, complex, and ambiguous aspects of human life. Archaeologists often discuss about these subjects problematically and paradoxically. Archaeologists have done many studies on the symbols and believes of the ancient people, although the Sociologists, Anthropologist and Theologians are pioneers of the studying and discussing on the ancient rites and religions. Most scholars accepted the term "Neolithic Revolution", which was proposed by Gordon V. Childe due to the extension and significance of Neolithic Human mind development. After that, for smaller events in the Neolithic people's social life, words like "Human Revolution", and "Symbolic Revolution" have been suggested. We generally know what the cognitive and symbolic aspects of the archaeological finds and artifacts are, but, it is very difficult and complicated to interpret and analysis them. Explaining through cognitive method, can empower the archaeologists to get some useful results hereupon. Many archaeological artifacts were discovered from prehistoric sites in Southwestern Asia which were explained and interpreted for understanding of the human ritual and religious behaviors. Archaeologists have discovered many similar materials in Iranian prehistoric sites. These finds have not studied systematically and methodologically. Epi-Paleolithic and Proto-Neolithic are traditionally the most important periods in which the human ritual behaviors and symbolic actions were formed and developed. Therefore, the researchers consider these periods as a basic and pillar periods in this point of view. Cognitive approaches and ritual interpretations basically have not an appropriate and a suitable place in Iranian archaeological studies. The present paper has analyzed the related finds which were discovered from an important Pre-pottery Neolithic site, Sheykh-e Abad, in Sahneh in Kermanshah province in western Iran. We have interpreted the revealed archaeological artifacts through comparative studies such as Ethnological data and some Proto-historic and Historical evidences which were obtained in the world and in the Southwestern Asia respectively. The aforementioned finds include the horned heads of four wild goats and one sheep. They were installed on the lower side of a wall that is belonged to a special building. They have symbolic senses and subsistence function. These finds were explained through Totem Worship approach. We believe that this sort of rite was common in the west of Iran during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period. We hope that the data and the analysis presented in this paper develop our understanding on cognitive sphere of the prehistoric time mainly Pre-Pottery Neolithic. The study of the mind and in particular, the study of the mind's representation in the object might have been peculiar for the archeologists in the world who studied the thoughts, believes, religion and art of the prehistoric societies more freely. Nowadays in Iran, issues related to ancient religion and rite have entered some areas of science and research and have been analyzed in the context of cultural and religious foundations. However, these issues have been less studied and considered in the archaeological studies in Iran. We hope that the numerous finds discovered from ancient sites in Iran annually are studied and analyzed through interpretational and cognitive approaches.

Khoy plain is one of the cultural zones of northwest of Iran. It is located in the communication boundary that leads to the basin of Lake Urmia, on the other hand to the South Caucasus region and to the east to the east of Anatolia, Strategically, especially for prehistoric societies, it is important in research related to the formation of early societies. The archaeological explorations of the region show that the oldest history of habitation in the area dates back to the Neolithic period. In this regard, the Duzdaqi area is a multi-period site whose archaeological deposits belong to the Neolithic period, the rocky copper, the bronze, and the Iron Age. This area with an area of more than 16 hectares and 24 meters high from the fertile ground around it, is the tallest prehistoric area of the plain, which is located along the permanent river GhoduKh Boqan and the fountains and beautiful wetlands around it. Due to its location on the route of the Iranian plateau to Anatolia, as well as on the important trade highway from Khorasan highway (Silk Road), Duzdaqi has enjoyed a privileged position for commercial and cultural exchanges. Evidence of this is the existence of a salt mine as an export commodity in this area, as well as the utility of the goods (imported goods) in seven different types. In this area, the earliest human community has been formed, and inventions, innovations and innovations in the agricultural, livestock and tooling industries and trade with neighboring regions have evolved and over time have led to advanced civilizations. The speculation project on the designation of the arena and privacy of the Duzdaqi area in the spring of 1395 with the goal of protecting as much as possible, the recognition of the scope of historical works around this work, the determination of the field and the development of a map of the area of the site was carried out. In order to determine the arena and privacy of this ancient site, a total of 24 boreholes in the size of 1.5 × 1.5 m were drilled. The apparent area of the enclosure is an area of 11 hectares, the results of which suggested that its actual realm was more than 16 hectares, due to the erosion of the wind in it, the invasion of gardeners and farmers, as well as the sand plant, a large part of this dam area and flattened. This essay describes the speculative operations and the cultural materials obtained from speculation.

One of the most important aspects of the Achaemenid empire was the establishment of a coherent empire from various believes, cultures and nationalities. Hence, the formation of the multi-national cultures like Persian-Elamite, Egypto-Persian, Greco-Persian and Anatolian-Persian shaped the new horizons in the cultural relations of the ancient world. The Religious effects as one of the most elemental signs of the new unified cultures emerged at Asia Minor (Present Turkey) more than everywhere. The Classical texts on the one hand and the archaeological evidence on the other hand has proven that at the Achaemenid period, the impressive presence of supreme political and religious officials in Asia Minor has made the process of cultural relations in that region, more serious. Perhaps the formation of Persian sacred sanctuaries and the presence of the Iranian figures in the form of prominent clerics of the Anatolian gods are the most obvious signs of a dual culture founded in Asia Minor during the Achaemenid period, a dual culture that appears in the form of Artemis Persike and Cybele, the Great Mother of Gods, as two Persian-Anatolian goddesses, insofar as the incumbency of the Great Temple of Artemis at Ephesus has given to an Iranian House for a long period. The study on the Persian-Anatolian culture has always been in the context of the Persian-Greek studies and has not been dealt with as it was worthy of. According to a traditional belief among part of historians and archaeologists, the Achaemenid presence in Anatolia is merely a political rule, and the main throne in Anatolia is for Greek culture in this period. It is undeniable that a significant part of Anatolian culture's heritage has a very close connection with the Greek and Ionian culture, but this one-sided view has prevented new commentaries, especially in the historiological and archaeological circles of Iran. Today, the examination of the written documents and the archaeological evidence of different parts of Anatolia has proven that the prevalence of Persian culture in Asia Minor was much more than it was supposed to have, until the emergence of the same ritual among the Iranian immigrants and the native inhabitants of Anatolia around the axis of a goddess Leads to the appearance of an unified religion. Evidence suggests that the emergence of this new religion will provide the new cultural exchanges among the Anatolian natives and the immigrants and its effects will continue until the rise of the Roman Empire. In the study on the theological aspects of the personality of Persian Artemis or Artemis Persike it is inevitable to look into numismatics and inscriptions data. The focus of this paper is on the comparative study on the archaeological evidence including the coins and the related inscriptions, as well as classical texts in redefining the historical features of a new goddess, which is the result of the administration of the Achaemenid Empire and beyond that resulting from new cultural and political relations in the region.

Inscriptions as the first form of written historiography have an important role in clarifying many historical unknowns. Examining these works from different aspects can open up beyond history, civilization, and culture to contemporary scholars. Considering that the two Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties among the ancient dynasties of Iran, in the land of Pars, ultimately conquered power ruled a great part of the civilized world , And in terms of progress in civilization, art, the preservation and development of the culture of the Old East and exceled the other contemporary civilizations of that time, the inscriptions belonging to these two ancient dynasties have attracted attention to us. The study of the Achaemenid and Sasanian inscriptions in this paper, is comparing them with the help of modern inferential statistics methods. In spite of the importance of interdisciplinary studies and the application of statistics and mathematics in archeology, no research has ever been carried out In this research, the descriptive-deductive research method is based on the gathering of library and documentary information. The statistical population consisted of all inscriptions left from the Sassanid and Achaemenid periods and a random sampling method. These methods include descriptive and inferential statistical methods, in particular testing statistical hypotheses such as student test, Chi-Square Test and its related results. In the present article, due to the numerous of Achaemenid and Sassanids inscriptions inside and outside the Iranian plateau and the quantitative limitation of the article has been derivationed random sample of 87 inscriptions from a collection of inscriptions Two periods only inscriptions which are located within the geographical boundaries of ancient Iran.(39 inscriptions are from the Achaemenid period and 48 inscriptions are from the Sassanid period). The variables, the number of rows, the number of languages used in each, the place of the inscriptions, along with the shape or absence, the scattering of the collection, the language, substance, and the current location of the maintenance are considered which variable number of rows and the number of language used quantitatively and the rest are measured qualitively. In order to answer the main question, which differences are between the inscriptions in terms of the variables mentioned above? Research findings show that there is a significant difference between the inscriptions under investigation in these two periods, statistically and these differences, , can be analyzed historically. Among them, in the Sassanid period, familiarity with the paper was more extensive than the Achaemenid period and as a tool beside the inscriptions. This subject itself can be a reason for the difference in the lines in these two periods and the increase in the lines of the Achaemenid script verses the Sassanid Or that the wars between the Sassanids and the eastern Roman Empire caused the gradual influence of the culture of the archaic tradition of the eastern Roman Empire and because of the fact that the use of rocks was very common in the construction of Sassanid arches; therefore, in this period rocks replaced the gold and silver of the Achaemenid inscriptions and It was used as the main material in architecture and inscription, which is consistent with the results obtained..

After more than a century of archeological investigations in Iran, some regions have not yet been fully investigated. This is the result of lack of intensive archaeological surveys in these regions. This phenomenon is remarkable in North of Iran (western part of Mazandaran and Gilan). In Northern provinces, in addition to the above mentioned factors, climate situations have raised more questions about the prehistoric cultures, especially before the Iron Age. Mountainous areas in Alborz are suitable places to find the answers for pre-historical cultures in western Mazandaran and Gilan. In the summer of 2011, an archaeological survey conducted by Khazaie Kouhpar in Kojour region in mountainous area of western Mazandaran for research about the archaeological sites (especially prehistoric ones) to study of chronology of this region from oldest times until modern era. Before us several archaeological survey conducted in Kojour but any prehistoric site (before Iron Age, eg. Bronze Age or Chalcolithic Period) reported by them. This happened for some reasons such as high rate of sedimentations and some of reasons are from human errors especially lack of qualified prehistoric experts and used methods for their surveys. Khazaie because of his personal interests focused on Kojour region and his study on reported data by other scientific analysis choice this region to assessment the claims on prehistoric populations of Alborz's northern slopes. This survey because of some problems-especially financial problems- was short and in limited area. Finally after a month intensive archaeological survey in central part of Kojour we find 47 archaeological sites; our assessment for the chronology was according to pottery data and comparison with adjacent regions (Relative Chronology), therefore Kojour settled from prehistory to Islamic periods. Evidences of probably Neolithic period was found from 2 sites, however there is some suspects among us, because that this potteries are from surfaces and all of them are local with now any similar sherdes in other region, therefore our deduction was according to their appearance features; pottery of chalcolithic period was found from 2 sites, this sherds are completely similar to Iranian Central Plateau in Chalcolithic Period. Pottery sherdes found in Kojour are similar to pot sherds of Sialk III and Hissar I and Tape Qabrestan that are located cross the southern slopes of Alborz mountains and show some contacts between this regions; pottery of Bronze Age was found from 2 site, one of them is a large sites with a large number of pottery of Yanik pottery tradition (Early Bronze Age) similar to Tape Kelar and suggesting that western part of Mazandaran province is different of its eastern part at least in early Bronze age however at this sites we see some of Gorgan Pottery tradition; before or survey about 6 Iron age site recorded and we find 2 more site. Finally now we have 8 sites that dated to Iron ages. Evidence of historical pottery in 22 sites was recorded and in 20 sites pottery of Islamic period was observed. The pattern of sites distribution cross the periods shows meaningful changes. All the sites during the each period with regard to population pressure (based on the number of sites and their area) have different distance from water sources and suitable land for irrigation and cultivation with low slope. The results of this survey are now hopeful data about the future investigations in north of Iran especially on prehistoric periods. Recently some new data reported in Kojour that found some pottery of Cheshmeh Ali pottery. The reported site that located in Kojour region is near to our study area and show that our first assessment about our pottery could be true.

From the middle of the first millennium B.C, gradually multilateral communications between Iranian and Greek societies were established. These communications most of which were unfriendly, led to a mutually cultural influence. With the winner of Macedonians over Iran, Greeks styles and pictorial implication along with religious and political meanings got used both privately and publically. With the advent of Parthian, traditional art of this land was a compounds of Iranians and Greek Items. The combination of Greek art with the national art of the east lands (particularly Iran and Egypt) resulted in the specific kind of art, called Hellenism. We know that with the advent of Alexander, a considerable number of Greeks from various social groups came in to Western Asia. They settled either in new Greek colonies or in the cities that preceded Alexander's arrival in the east. Most of the cities that embraced Greek newcomers were located on important routes for commercial convoys, and this was one of the factors contributing to the expansion of the Hellenistic cultural domain. In addition to its cultural effects, this new culture also resulted in changes in the culture, art, and worldview of the people of Iran and the East. Once Solokian powered in Iran autonomous and nonautonomous governments got created in various parts of Iran which until the end of Pertain dynasty had continued their political life. Ilimaids was one of the most important semi-independent Governments in Iran during this time which after developing the power of the Seleucids in Iran, formed a local government in the northern regions of Khuzestan and the southern parts of Zagros Mountain ranges, and ruled until the emergence of the Sasanids. Due to the strategic location of the land of Ilimaids, one of the largest and most important trade routes passed through it, making it one of the economic centers of the Seleucids and Parthian era. The culture and art of the Ilimaids, while possessing indigenous elements and characteristics have been affected by Greek and Sami’s culture and art. Among the factors spread the beliefs and elements of Sami and Greek among the Ilimaids, the presence and dissemination of the culture of Hellenism in this region and its commercial relationship with the Mesopotamia and especially with the Palermean should be considered. While studying the culture and art of Ilimaids in general, this research aims to investigate and analyze how the figures, cultural, and artistic elements of Hellenism and Sami influenced this culture, in particular. The research method is descriptive, analytical, and comparative, and the data gathered in library.