جواد نیستانی

The hoard of Kalmakarra Cave that includes hundreds of golden and silver objects has been unearthed in 1989 in Pol-e Dokhtar located at Loristān Province by villagers. In addition to aesthetical values, these objects bear archeological significance. Their unique value, with respect to inscriptions in Old Aramaic, Neo- Assyrian and Neo- Elamite on some of them. Deciphering these inscriptions by [Jean] Lambert, François Vallat and Rassoul Bashāsh shed light on an anonymous local governorship of the Neo-Elamite and provided a new chapter in the archeological studies of this particular period in Iran, which this paper will focus on it.

The history of Tabaristän, from the late Sassanid era through the middle Islamic age, underwent significant social and political changes the result of which were independence seeking movements leading to some semi-independent local governments. Each of these governments claimed political and social governance over a particular region. Castles, as important and influential military bases, were means at the disposal of the commanders and governors to maintain their sociopolitical power. Among the known castles in the mountains of Mazandaran province, Pouläd Castle in Nour, the capital of Nour County, is one of the symbols of territorial defense. It is located on a tall mount off the city of Baladeh in Nour County. Being built on an elevated location and overlooking the important surrounding regions and strategic ways has made Pouläd Castle one of the important centers in the sociopolitical changes. The present study follows a field work method as well as a library research method to investigate the defense structure of Pouläd castle and its geopolitical and geostrategic role in the power distribution pattern over the region of Rouyän in Tabaristän during the Islamic middle ages. The results show that the builders had tried their best to enhance the stability of the castle by building several layers of walls, utilizing the slope of the mountain, building several defense towers, and using rocky and impervious points as natural forts. Architectural analysis shows that Pouläd Castle, with both its military and political functions, has had a prominent role in the political changes of western Tabaristän.

Undoubtedly, pottery is among the most important information types that can help understand societies and cultures better. Despite introducing pottery known as Sultān Abād and its classification over the last few decades, very limited information has been published so far on the origin of its type and about archeological sites containing them. The main reason for this seems to be that containers could not be found in archeological excavations, and most of these potteries were obtained through illegal excavations hence; are part of private collections and museums. Consequently, our understanding on their origin, extent and distribution is very limited. In the current study, we attempt to present a brief introduction about the technical and decorative features of this pottery type, its construction origin, historical background and the likely place or places of its production. Then, based on information from recent archaeological excavations and surveys, this pottery type is described and explained.