THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSIONS OF THE ITALIAN POST-EARTHQUAKE COOPERATION PROJECT AT ARG-E BAM, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, IN COLLABORATION WITH ICHTO SINCE 2004

Jung, Michael; Torrieri, Vincenzo

doi:10.22034/jsbs.2021.146228

THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MISSIONS OF THE ITALIAN POST-EARTHQUAKE COOPERATION PROJECT AT ARG-E BAM, UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, IN COLLABORATION WITH ICHTO SINCE 2004

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Michael Jung ¹

Vincenzo Torrieri ²

¹ Museo d’Arte Orientale ‘Giuseppe Tucci’, Museo delle Civiltà, Roma, Italy.

² Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belli Arti e Paesaggio per l’Abbruzzo/sede locale di Teramo, Italy.

10.22034/jsbs.2021.146228

Abstract

Immediately after the disastrous earthquake in 2003, ICHTO, together with UNESCO, ICOMOS, and ICCROM, set about planning for the recovery of Bam’s cultural heritage. Italy was involved in the project from the very outset. The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage selected as project seismic improvement measures and restoration of the imposing tower n. 1 of its city walls. The assistance of archaeologists during the work was of paramount importance to ascertain the very nature of the tower, in order to contribute to a correct methodology for consolidation and restoration. The sondage revealed a complex stratification of the monument, with at least five major building phases and numerous secondary phases due to secondary restoration and routine maintenance works consequent upon earthquakes and wars. Once the restoration was concluded, a new project was inaugurated in 2017, involving the excavation of Shator Galu/ or Tower n° 46. We supposed that the ruins of one ancient city gate were to be found beneath the debris of the fortifications that had collapsed during the earthquake. The preliminary findings of the new excavation and the stratigraphic analysis undertaken in collaboration with the Iranian team under the direction of Joodaki Azizi and Leila Fazel identified some important architectural elements of the ancient settlement. Starting from our supposition, the discovery of the northern and southern wing of the city gate in its last phase constitutes definitive proof of its existence. Other important discoveries include the partial excavation of a conduit, possibly part of the Shotor Galu mentioned in written sources. The resumption of the interrupted excavation, much to be desired, could shed new light on the ancient history of Arg-e Bam.

Keywords

Bam Post-Earthquake restoration

Italian -Iranian mission

excavation- tower n° 1- western bastion

city gate

چکیده: بلافاصله پس از زلزلۀ فاجعه‌بار سال ۱۳۸۲، سازمان میراث فرهنگی، صنایع دستی و گردشگری به همراه یونسکو، ایکوموس و ایکروم جهت مرمت میراث فرهنگی بم برنامه‌ریزی کرد. کشور ایتالیا از همان ابتدا با این پروژه همکاری داشت. وزارت میراث فرهنگی ایتالیا پروژۀ اقدامات بهسازی لرزه‌ای و مرمت برج شمارۀ 1 حصار شهر را انتخاب کرد. کمک باستان‌شناسان در طول پروژه برای تعیین ماهیت برج بسیار مهم بود، تا با روش‌شناسی صحیح به تحکیم و مرمت بنا کمک کند. گمانه‌ها، لایه‌نگاری پیچیدۀ بنا را آشکار کردند. در طول این پروژه حداقل پنج فاز ساختمانی اصلی و تعداد فراوانی فاز ثانویه شناسایی شد که این بازسازی‌های ثانویه و کار‌های معمول مربوط به نگهداری بنا به خاطر زلزله‌ها و جنگ‌ها بوده است. پس از اتمام مرمت، پروژۀ جدیدی در سال ۱۳۹۶ آغاز شد که شامل کاوش شتر گلو یا برج شمارۀ 46 بود. گمان ما بر این بود که خرابه‌های یک دروازه شهر باستانی در زیر آوار استحکاماتی که در اثر زلزله فرو ریخته بود، پیدا شود. نتایج اولیه کاوش جدید و تحلیل لایه‌نگاری با همکاری گروه ایرانی و به سرپرستی جودکی عزیزی و لیلا فاضلی انجام شد، که برخی از عناصر مهم معماری مربوط به استقراری باستانی را شناسایی کردند. یافتن بال شمالی و جنوبی دروازۀ شهر در فاز آخر آن با فرض ما آغاز شد و در نهایت دلیل قطعی وجود آن اثبات شد. دیگر یافته‌های مهم شامل کاوش بخشی از یک کانال یا مجرای آب بود که احتمالاً قسمتی از یک شترگلو است که در منابع نوشتاری به آن اشاره شده است. از سرگیری کاوش‌های منقطع که مد نظر ما است، می تواند تاریخ باستانی ارگ بم را روشن کند.

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