مهدی رهبر

A dakhma, also known as Tower of Silence is a place where Zoroastrian people used to put the dead bodies of their loved ones. A similar structure from the Sasanian period was discovered in Bandian Dargaz, along with excavations conducted at Gelālak of Shushtar, Saleh Davood of Shush, and Shoghab of Bushehr, as well as other researches and excavations across various regions of Iran. It provides evidence that Zoroastrians practiced a burial ritual involving the removal of flesh from the body of the deceased and subsequent collection of bones, which were then placed in a container known as an ossuary. This intriguing method served as a motivation for the author to undertake more extensive studies on Zoroastrian burial rituals. This article focuses on the archaeological excavations conducted in the Torkabad’s Dakhma of Ardakan, Yazd, shedding light on this particular aspect.

Bandian Dargaz site in Khorasan, is one of the fire temples dating back to the Sasanian period. In this fire temple, carved miniature motifs including animals such as goat, deer, ram, cow, horse, snake, scorpion, wolf, fox, turkey, swallow and dove have been found. In this article, carved miniature motifs are examined and analyzed. 

A series of architectural spaces were discovered from the excavation of Tepe C of Bandiān Dargaz, a site revealing both the Islamic and Sasanian periods. The surface layer is related to the Ilkhanid period followed with the layer of the Sasanian period, which further consists of two phases. The architecture of the first phase is the remains of a palace, which had probably been transformed into a set of industrial-production workshops in the second phase of architecture. The remains of the palace include a pillared hall, long halls, and a part that is probably a Mithraeum and was built during the reign of Yazdgerd I.

An archaeological survey was conducted in 2004-2005 in the middle of Mianab Shushtar in Khuzestan, followed by an excavation there in 2005-2006, which led to the discovery of a Sasanian palace as well as valuable stuccoes at two other locations, namely the JilJilak Tepe and behind a Gas Station on the Shushtar-Ahwaz Road. In this article, the discovered stuccoes have been examined, which indicates that the Jiljilak stuccoes can be divided into three categories based on their features and application: a) geometric patterns, b) plant patterns, and c) animal patterns. Comparing these stuccoes with those found elsewhere such as Kuh-e Khwaja, Bīshāpūr, and Bandian in Dargaz shows that they can be attributed to the Parthian-Sasanian period. 

In 1994, it was reported that a group of smugglers had been arrested while excavating the hills of Hossein Abad, south of Susa, about 800m south of an area called Siahchal (Donjon). That excavation led to the revelation of half of a stone coffin or a sarcophagus and eventually led to the discovery of two more sarcophagi, which were located 2.5m from each other. The first sarcophagus was constructed in the form of a tomb with bricks of lion stamp patterns. Both sarcophagi are made of sandstones. The mine of these stones does not appear to have existed in Susa. However, the older fabric of Susa had instances of a sand mass, with underground cellars created inside these stones. Hence, the stones from which the sarcophagi were built could probably relate to Susa. No objects or human skeletal representing burial remnants were recovered from inside of the sarcophagi; however, out of Sarcophagus No. 1, some pieces of earthenware and perfume containers (Alabaster) were found. The bricks used in Tomb No. 1 were bearing lion patterns, as the pieces of earthenware and marble perfume bottles, numerous examples of which were reported from there, demonstrate they could reasonably be attributed to the Achaemenid dynasty.  

An archaeological survey in 2004 in Mianab of Shushtar in Khuzestan, as well as excavations in 2005, led to the discovery of a Sasanian government hall and valuable stucco carvings. This article examines this hall and compares it with sites such as Damghan Hesar Hill and Hajiabad Lord’s House, as well as Chaltarkhan and columned halls of Bandian Dergaz Hill C. The result of this research shows that given the Sasanian columned halls that have so far been identified not older than the time of Bahram V (420-438 AD), the Dastova government hall probably dates back to the middle to the end of the Sasanian period.

INTRODUCTION: The continuity and development of rescue and relief services requires recognition and improvement of the capacities of this field, and above all, it requires a tool to measure the capacity of this policy. The purpose of this research is to design a model for measuring the policy capacity of providing rescue and relief services in Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS). METHOD: This qualitative and applied research was conducted with the content analysis method. In order to collect data, the policy capacity literature and laws in the field of "rescue and relief " and "crisis management" were reviewed. About 12 experts were selected and studied as the statistical population using the snowball method until reaching theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis method (inductive approach) and Maxqda-20 software. Content validity and reliability were checked with Content Validity Index (CVI) test and Holsti’s method, respectively. FINDINGS: According to the findings, about 113 indicators were identified which were classified in three levels including individual (34 indicators), organizational (48 indicators) and systemic (31 indicators). All these three levels consist of the subcategories such as analytical, operational and political-social capacity. CONCLUSION: Policy capacity is a multi-level and multi-dimensional concept. For the development of rescue and relief services, the capacity status of this policy should be determined at different levels and dimensions and due to the needs and conditions, capacities should be upgraded. However, it should not be enough to develop the capacity at one level or one dimension.

Situated approximately 3 kilometers south of Shushter, Gelālak is nestled between two branches of the Karun River: Gargar and Shatit. Gelālak is a locality within the extended site of Dastowā. Archaeological excavations in Gelālak (1986-87, 1987-88, and 1989-90) led to the discovery of a rich collection of tombs, sarcophagi, ceramic and glass vessels, ornaments, metal objects, seals, and coins dating back to the Elymaean Elymaean dynasty of the Kamanskiris.