Journal of Archaeology and Archaeometry

The Iranian Plateau is, in the late 4th millennium B.C., with Mesopotamia and Egypt the birthplace of writing in the World. We propose here to consider the Proto-Elamite (Early Proto-Iranian) and Linear Elamite (Late Proto-Iranian) scripts, not as two different writing systems, but as the same system at two different chronological stages of evolution. Between 3500 and 1850 B.C., the continuous history of writing in Iran may be consequently understood according to 6 distinct phases (I: 3500-3300 B.C.; II: 3300-3000/2900 B.C.; III: 3000/2900-2300 B.C.; IV: 2300-2000 B.C.; V: 2000-1850 B.C.; VI: after 1850 B.C.).

This article introduces six examples out of a larger corpus of evidence for early administration and writing that has been recovered from the site of Tepe Sofalin, which lies on the Rey Plain of the north-central Iranian Plateau. These documents illustrate the transition from tokens and Bullae to numero-ideographic and ultimately early Proto Elamite tablets. The form and content of the corpus of evidence material that has so far been excavated at Tepe Sofalin is entirely consistent with that of late Uruk related/Susa II and early Proto Elamite administrative documents and tablets that have been found in different parts of Iran and are known to date from c. 3500 to 3000 B.C. Here, the site of Tepe Sofalin is introduced, one Bullae, four numerical tablets, and one early Proto-Elamite tablet are described, the chronology of the site is discussed and the broader import of these findings is outlined.

The Qara Zia-eddin plain is considered a prime example of land use in Southeastern Urartu in the Khoy region of West Azerbaijan. Since 2016, archaeological investigations have been carried out in the Bastam hinterland through the Iranian-Austrian cooperation with the aim of investigating the interaction of settlements with local hilltop fortresses and the use of landscape use in the time of the Urartian Kingdom. The starting point of the project work was in the south of the Qara Zia-eddin plain, with the special focus on the range of hills near the village of Chors. The Urartian fortified settlement of Anaqizly Tappeh was explored using both geomagnetic and archaeological surveys.

One of the issues and problems in the field of recognizing BMAC is to explain the time period for the beginning and end of this culture in its geographical area and especially in Bactria region. A brief look at the sources related to this culture shows that different histories are presented for the period of emergence and end of this culture in different regions of Bactria (Northern Bactria, Southern Bactria and Eastern Bactria). Interval for the emergence of BMAC, different dates are suggested in the period between 2400 to 2100 B.C. and for its end, the date is 1700 or 1400 to 1300 B.C. This concern in the field of chronology, research and study has made it difficult to identify, correctly introduce the works and findings, as well as to compare this culture with neighbor zones and cultures. In this article, an attempt has been made to explain and propose the chronology of this culture in the Bactria region by examining the different opinions of archaeologists and examining the maximum dates of the carbon 14.

According to historical and geographical sources, Totanjeh has been one of the important cities of Tabaristan in the early Islamic centuries. This city had a military function in the Abbasid period. In historical sources, Toranjeh has been recognized as Borji, Toranji, Torji, Tariji, Toranjir, and Tazhir which is located in the lowland zone between Mamatir (Babol) in South, Mileh (Southeast of Amol) in West and Sari in the East. The noteworthy political and military aspects have focused on the localization of Toranjeh city in early and medieval Islamic periods by historical sources and archaeological findings. On the base of documentary evidence, it can be given that the cultural sequence of the city of Toranjeh is divided into three phases. The formation of the Espahbodan Tabarestan reign, the development phase, and finally the collapse of the Samanid rule in the Mazandaran Marashyan period. The authors in the framework of a program of archaeological research surveyed Abolhasan kola-i- Babol located in the province of Mazandaran. The findings and review of archaeological and historical evidence suggest that the studied area (the village of Abolhasan kola-i- Babol) is the probable location of the city of Toranjeh.

The rock paintings of Iran are extremely significant and after five decades of research on them, nearly twenty different regions have been identified in different parts of the Iranian plateau. Each of these regions has its own unique local style. One of the most important areas is the “Eshkaft-e-Ahou” site, which has been identified for nearly two decades, but unfortunately, no research has been conducted on it. This research, using field and library methods, describes and compares the motifs of this site, and at the end, after investigating the climatic texture of the region, the authors have tried to reconstruct the life style of the creators of the paintings. This area is located in a very impassable region and in the highest area of the Gav-Bast Mountains. In order to reach the site, one must ascent a long distance with a steep slope of the mountain. Due to the characteristics of the motifs of this place and the potential for shelter, it is possible to determine that a small population of hunters have used this place. This rocky shelter is considered a very inappropriate place in contrast to today’s concepts of settlement definitions.