Kuhdasht

During the surveys to 2014-2019, Northern Kuhdasht county was studied with the aim of identifying the potential of ancient metalwork and the existence of sites related to the metalworking activities. These Surveys have yielded eighty sites containing slag and or possible places related to industrial activities. In this research, the physical and chemical properties of slags recovered from ten places in four sites, namely Changari, Chalghesholeh, Sargiz, and Dalab, have been studied. The main purpose of this study has been to identify the type of smelting and melting techniques used in the past. For this aim, petrographic and elemental analyses have been done on the slag samples to investigate the mineralogical and chemical compositions.

The ancient site of Chiasi, located in Kuhdasht, Lorestan province, boasts a diverse cultural sequence spanning from prehistoric times to the Islamic era. Initial information about this site was first published in Goff’s archaeological reports in 1971, which highlighted the presence of surface materials belonging to the Chalcolithic Age and the Uruk period. Unfortunately, Tepe Chiasi has suffered significant damage over time, primarily due to natural erosion and, more recently, human activities. As a result, many of its cultural contexts have been lost irretrievably. To prevent further destruction caused by urban development in Kuhdasht, extensive archaeological studies were conducted at the Chiasi site. The research project began with a systematic survey of the site, followed by the excavation with 18 trenches measuring 1.5 × 1.5m to delimit the core zone and suggest the protective buffer zone. The analysis of the collected data revealed a lengthy cultural sequence at the site, ranging from the Neolithic Age to the fourth and fifth centuries AH.