Persica Antiqua

In the second half of the fourth millennium BCE, a settlement was established at Shahr-i Sokhta in Sistan​​. Simultaneously, during this period, the Porto-Elamite horizon emerged in a large zone of the Near East, especially on the eastern part of the Iranian Plateau. During the first quarter of the third millennium BCE and the early urbanization phase, Shahr-i Sokhta, an early urban center, expanded largely, and many satellite sites developed around it. To obtain some information on the economic and cultural interactions between Shahr-i Sokhta and these peripheral settlements, Tepe Talebkhan has been chosen for excavations and further detailed studies. In the article, by using the materials found during the fifth season of excavations at Tepe Talebkhan, the focus was to shed more light on the main cultural characteristics of the site and its mutual ties with Shahr-i Sokhta. Ceramic data indicates that the settlement was founded at the end of Shahr-i Sokhta III period and continued through the entire posterior period i.e. Shahr-i Sokhta IV. The carbon 14 results also provided an absolute date for the settlement sequence between 2500 and 2300 BCE. 

Kuh-i Sukhteh in Omidiyeh, one of the most important but less-known areas in southwestern Iran, is between Omidiyeh and today’s Aghajari. This area was considered a part of the Asak region (one of Arjan environs). Active sources of fire plagued this area in ancient times due to its natural bed, and it was probably a place for the construction of shrines, including the Zoroastrian fire temple. This spatial feature was observed and written about by travelers and authors of the first and middle Islamic centuries. Historical texts refer to this area as a volcano, fire, fire temple, and fire altar. This research aims to compare the material presented by historical texts with archaeological data to locate the Asak fire temple. Conducting this research is necessary to complete the puzzle of the communication route between Ramhormoz and Arjan and identify the architectural structures related to the settlement and possible Zoroastrian shrines in this route. This research tries to answer this question: What is the connection between the Kuh-i Sukhteh area and Zoroastrian religious buildings in the Sasanian and the first Islamic centuries? Conclusion: Based on information from the historical and geographical texts of the first to middle Islamic centuries and archaeological data, including pottery and architectural remains, the Kuh-i Sukhteh in Omidiyeh is an adaptable place for the ancient fire temple of Asak. However, archaeological excavations seem necessary to document more architectural structures. The present study’s data result from authors’ survey studies and citation studies, and we have concluded by historical, descriptive analysis.

Drawing on Manichaean Middle Iranian texts and adopting a textual approach, the present article tries to define the meaning and usage of some technical terms (termini tecnichi) in Manichaean theology, especially the words “angel” (frystg, fryštg) and “apostle, messenger” (frystg, fryštg). The use of a word for two meanings and/ or two concepts in the Manichaica was a result of the redefinition that each of the different Manichaean communities presented for the concepts of ‘angel’ and ‘apostle, messenger’. The article shows that the Iranian term frys/štg has been redefined and expanded in meaning in Manichaean literature under the influence of Syriac writings; a redefinition that could generate an angel from an apostle / a messenger and a king from the angel. Here, we also examined the technical terms xwdʾy/ xwdʾwn ‘lord’, by / bg ‘god’, yzd ‘god’ and bgpwhr / βγpšy / βγpšʾk ‘son of God’ (βγpwryšt / βγpšyt ‘the sons of God’) βγpwr(ʾ)yc ‘daughter of God’ showing the contexts in which these terms appear and what examples they refer to. Our study shows that some of them were used not only for angels and historical figures (like Mani and Manichaean leaders and electi, as well as previous apostles), but also included at least one of Manichaean gods, i.e. ‘Third Messenger’.

Understanding the descriptions of graves and historical mortuary practices is crucial for interpreting contextual information and broader social significance. This study employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from archaeological literature, anthropological evidence, and sociological theory to expand the range of possible interpretations. The research is based on ethnoarchaeological research on the mourning ritual of the Bakhtiari people in southwest Iran. A ritual that exemplifies memorials is embodied in monuments called Mafegeh for individuals or groups whose remains are elsewhere. The conceptual framework encompasses the theoretical and methodological aspects of comparing ethnographic and archaeological data. This framework provides a comprehensive approach to effectively analyzing and drawing connections between these two data types. Fieldwork involves conducting archaeological surveys, interviews, and direct ethnographic observations to document the Mafegeh. The study shows theoretical considerations and emphasises the reluctance to forget the dead. Nonreligious beliefs and mental states underlie many motivations of this practice. It may be that mafageh is driven by other symbolic, emotional, and practical reasons, and that has little to do with a belief in immortal souls. Such historically and culturally recurring funerary practices suggest that humans are predisposed to believe in and prepare for an afterlife. A possible reason would have been that the deceased had died elsewhere; thus, the memorial structure was erected to honour him. The research exclusively involves men, and no instances related to women were found.

The late Pleistocene period witnessed significant shifts in human lifestyle and behaviour across various regions in the Old World, as indicated by prehistoric archaeological evidence. These shifts reflect a transition from hunting to a greater emphasis on activities related to gathering plants. Archaeological findings demonstrate the utilization of plants in diverse forms, including the emergence of Bedrock Ground Stone (BGS) at prehistoric sites. In the realm of archaeological research, these remains are deemed crucial man-made artefacts, shedding light on essential aspects such as nutrition, culture, vegetation, food processing, and the presence of medicinal and toxic substances within ancient human societies. Given the existing research gap and the paramount significance of these artefacts in archaeological and anthropological studies, the Diyarmehr Institute for Paleolithic Research, for the first time in Iran, has committed to undertaking comprehensive and scientific investigations of the BGS in the Nawadrwn valley in the  Kermanshah region. Owing to its geographical positioning and environmental abundance, the west-central Zagros range has historically attracted and served as a conducive habitat for diverse human groups across various epochs. This study represents a multi-disciplinary research endeavour focused on 24 bedrock groundstones (BGS) discovered in the Prehistoric Bawa Yawan rockshelters within Nawdarwan valley. Detailed morphological and geochemical analyses have unveiled their multifaceted utility, encompassing purposes such as herbal processing and extraction, and their use in three instances as stone lamps.

The topic of Iranian identity is one that many are willing to recognize, while only a minority choose to reject it. The author of the book in question belongs to the latter group. The title suggests that the author intends to challenge both Iran and the historical foundations of Iranian and national identity. Influenced by contemporary theoretical discussions that overlook the historical and cultural contexts of the nations being examined, he tends to regard Iran and its national identity as constructs devised by Orientalists. He does not acknowledge the historical importance and development of the term "Iran" itself. The author of the book Iran as Imagined Nation: The Construction of National Identity, who draws inspiration from Edward Said's Orientalism and Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities, contends that both Iranian and non-Iranian authors view Iranian and national identity as a historical phenomenon. These authors, influenced by racial and ideological perspectives and western methodologies, have narrated history in a way that is both ahistorical and misleading, replacing genuine historical events with fabricated stories. This article does not critique every chapter of the book Iran as Imagined Nation: The Construction of National Identity. Instead, it will concentrate on chapters that present weak or incorrect claims regarding Iran's historical roots, its attributes, and its ethnic and linguistic diversity, with the aim of clarifying and illuminating these issues.