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Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

Journal of Sistan and Baluchistan Studies

EXCAVATIONS AND MATERIALS FROM QALʽA-YE TEPE, SISTAN (IRAN): AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT OF THE 60S OF THE LAST CENTURY

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author
Dipartmento Asia, Africa e Mediterraneo, Università degli Studi di Napoli, L'Orientale, Napoli, Italy.
Abstract
The paper addresses a particularly interesting and complex archaeological site, partially excavated in the 60s of the last century in Iran in the far eastern region of Sistan. The article proposes a preliminary study of Qalʽa-ye tepe, with particular reference to ceramic production. The author surveys the collections of unglazed and glazed pottery fragments at that time kept in Italy, providing a description of fabrics and shapes. The excavation led by the Italian Archaeological Mission of IsMEO (Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente), then IsIAO (Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente), now ISMEO (Associazione Internazionale di Studi per il Mediterraneo e l’Oriente), directed by the late Prof. Umberto Scerrato had, at the time, revealed interesting archaeological and chronological data, although they were never published. However, the excavations at Qalʽa-ye Tepe were particularly significant as they presented a very long chronological sequence with three main phases ranging from the 3rd century BCE to the beginning of the 11th-12th century CE. The archaeological area of the surrounding plain – ellipsoidal/oval in shape – with the longest west-east axis of 125 m and the shortest north-south one of 85 m, constitutes a kind of fortress with the characteristic shape of the ancient nomadic camps found throughout Asia. The site, formed by the decay of raw earth structures, is located about 20 km northeast of Zabol, near the village of Qazemabad, a few kilometers north of the ruins of the old Zahedan, the Zaranj of the Islamic era.
Keywords

چکیده: این مقاله به محوطه‌ای جذاب در شرقی‌ترین منطقة سیستان ایران می‌پردازد که بخشی از آن در دهه ۱۳۴۰ حفاری شده است. این مقاله یک مطالعة مقدماتی دربارة قلعه تپه، به ویژه در مورد تولید سفال است. نویسنده به بررسی مجموعه‌ای از قطعات سفالی بدون لعاب و لعاب‌دار موجود در ایتالیا پرداخته و بافت‌ها و اشکال آن‌ها را توصیف می‌کند. این کاوش‌ها توسط پروفسور فقید اومبرتو اسکراتو، مدیر کاوش‌های باستان‌شناسی ایتالیایی IsMEO، IsIAO و ISMEO انجام شده است. این اکتشافات داده‌های باستان‌شناسی و گاه‌شماری جالبی را آشکار کرده‌اند، اگرچه هرگز منتشر نشدند. اما، کاوش‌های قلعه تپه از اهمیت ویژه‌ای برخوردار بوده‌اند، زیرا یک توالی زمانی بسیار طولانی را با سه مرحله اصلی از قرن سوم قبل از میلاد تا قرون یازدهم و دوازدهم پس از میلاد ارائه داده‌اند. این محوطه باستان‌شناسی بیضوی شکل، با طولانی‌ترین محور غربی-شرقی به طول ۱۲۵ متر و کوتاه‌ترین محور شمالی-جنوبی به طول ۸۵ متر، نوعی دژ با ویژگی‌های اردوگاه‌های عشایری باستانی است که در سراسر آسیا یافت می‌شود. این محوطه که بر اثر پوسیدگی ساختارهای خاکی خام به وجود آمده است، در حدود ۲۰ کیلومتری شمال شرقی زابل، در نزدیکی روستای قاسم آباد، در چند کیلومتری شمال ویرانه‌های زاهدان قدیم یا زرنج دوران اسلامی قرار دارد.

کلیدواژه: سیستان، ایران، باستان­شناسی، قلعه تپه، سفال.

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Volume 3, Issue 1
June 2023
Pages 1-37

  • Receive Date 08 March 2023
  • Revise Date 03 May 2023
  • Accept Date 15 May 2023
  • Publish Date 20 June 2023