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Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

QAL’E ASRAR: A NEWLY DISCOVERED SITE FROM THE LATE IRON AND ACHAEMENID PERIOD IN EASTERN IRAN

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
1 Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and handicrafts, Tehran, Iran.
2 M.A. in Archaeology, University of Birjand, Iran.
3 Ph.D. in Islamic Archaeology, University of Mazandaran, Iran.
4 Assistant professor, Department of archaeology, Lorestan University, Iran.
5 Ph.D. in Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran.
Abstract
Eastern Iran, which today almost corresponds to the province of South Khorasan, is unknown in terms of archaeological studies. The sequence and cultural characteristics of the region during various prehistoric and historical periods are still unknown. Archaeological excavations have recently begun in the area, which promises a bright future for the region's archeology. Due to the lack of excavations and, as a result, the lack of data with a clear and reliable stratigraphic and chronological context, it is sometimes possible to suggest evidence for recognizing and introducing the cultural characteristics of a period through a superficial study of an area. This is an issue that has been addressed in this article. Qal’e Asrar, 63 km northeast of Birjand, is a site discovered in the survey and identification program of Darmian city in 2016.  This area is a small monolithic castle that surface evidence, such as pottery pieces and, most importantly, a sealed piece of pottery, shows that it belongs to the late Iron Age and the Achaemenid period. Thus, the cultural material of Qal’e Asrar has been introduced as a feature of the pottery traditions of the late Iron Age and the Achaemenid period in this region of eastern Iran.
Keywords

چکیده: شرق ایران که امروزه تقریباً با استان خراسان جنوبی مطابق است از نظر مطالعات باستان‌شناسی ناشناخته است. توالی و شاخصه‌های فرهنگی منطقه طی ادوار مختلف پیش از تاریخ و تاریخی همچنان ناشناخته است. به تازگی کاوش‌های باستان‌شناسی در این منطقه آغاز شده که نویدبخش آینده‌ای روشن برای باستان‌شناسی منطقه خواهد بود. با توجه به کمبود کاوش‌ها و در نتیجه فقدان داده‌هایی با بستر لایه‌نگاشتی و گاهنگاشتی مشخص و مطمئن، بعضاً می‌توان از طریق بررسی سطحی یک محوطه شواهدی برای شناخت و معرفی شاخصه‌های فرهنگی یک دوره پیشنهاد نمود، موضوعی که برای تحقق بخشیدن به آن در مقاله حاضر تلاش شده است. قلعه اسرار در ۶۳ کیلومتری شمال شرق بیرجند محوطه‌ای است که در برنامه بررسی و شناسایی شهرستان درمیان در سال ۱۳۹۵ کشف شد. این محوطه یک قلعه کوچک تک‌دوره‌ای است که شواهد سطحی همچون قطعات سفالی و از همه مهمتر یک قطعه سفال مهر شده، نشان می‌دهد که متعلق به اواخر عصر آهن و دوره هخامنشی است. به این ترتیب مواد فرهنگی قلعه اسرار به عنوان شاخصه‌ای از سنت‌های سفالی اواخر عصر آهن و دوره هخامنشی در این منطقه از شرق ایران معرفی شده است.

کلیدواژه: شرق ایران، قلعه اسرار، اواخر عصر آهن، دوره هخامنشی.

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Volume 3, Issue 1
June 2023
Pages 39-47

  • Receive Date 09 February 2023
  • Revise Date 20 May 2023
  • Accept Date 25 May 2023
  • Publish Date 20 June 2023