Papers by Reza MehrAfarin
Reflect the position of the role of the archer in Iran's history and culture

Covering the body against various natural factors (heat, coldness, and wind) as well as doctrine,... more Covering the body against various natural factors (heat, coldness, and wind) as well as doctrine, cultural, and social factors has been prevalent since old ages and with the passage of time and changes of conditions it has undergone many alterations and transformations. Iranian clothing in Parthian period following the conquest of Iran by Alexander the Macedonian and due to the effects of Hellenistic beliefs and culture has been transformed in a way that in addition to protecting the body against the natural factors and observing ethical and cultural issues, aesthetical element, shape, and color of garment have been highly considered too. With respect to the wide territory of the Parthian dynasty, this period are divided into two extensive groups of the eastern and western territories which are different to some extent from the artistic aspect. Sistan, in the east of Iran, by having abundant works remained from Parthian period, particularlyPalace of Koh-e Khajeh,represents the special Iranians' culture of clothing in the eastern territory. Through investigating the frescos in the Palace of Koh-e Khajeh, one can realize the different types of common clothing in this region and the neighboring areas during the Parthian period; and also, we can specify the extent to which Greek clothing has affected the clothing during the Parthian period and then it helps to differentiate it from the local and native garments. Investigating and study of frescos in the Palace of Koh-e Khajeh suggest that its inhabitants' clothing in addition to imitating the color and form of Greeks' clothinghas been also influenced by natural and local factors of the region and religious beliefs.

نشریه تاریخ, 2025
مطالعه تجارت و شیوه تأمین امنیت درقسمتهای غربی شاهراه خراسان بزرگ، در زمان ساسانیان
چکیده
غرب ا... more مطالعه تجارت و شیوه تأمین امنیت درقسمتهای غربی شاهراه خراسان بزرگ، در زمان ساسانیان
چکیده
غرب ایران با نقشآفرینی بسیار، سابقه تاریخی درخشان و جایگاه کلان فرهنگی هنوز در زمینه تحولات عصر باستان وبالاخص دوره ساسانی نیاز به بررسی همهجانبه دارد. این منطقه به علت گذر جاده تجاری خراسان از این همواره اهمیت بالایی در طی دورانها داشته است. ازاینرو در مورد وجهتسمیه، حوزهی جغرافيایی و تاریخ این پهنه در محافل علمی، نقد و تحلیلهای متعددی صورت پذیرفته است. گذر جاده تجاری خراسان از کرمانشاه مبحث تجارت را وارد مطالعات باستانشناسی منطقه میکند. وجود جاده تجاری که امتداد این از تیسفون و کرمانشاه امروزی بوده است باعث رونق تجارت از دیرباز تا امروز در این منطقه شده است. در نوشتههای مورخین و جغرافی نویسان، غرب ایران بانام جبال ناحیه وسیعی را شامل میشود. این منطقه در طول تاریخ همواره دربرگیرنده قلمروسیعی از خاک ایرانزمین محسوب میگردید. این منطقه یکی ازمراکزعمده سکونت و فعالیت تجاری بوده است که رد پای این در سراسر تاریخ ایران در دوره باستان و اسلام دیده میشود و دلیل این جاده تجاریای است که بخشی از شاهراه خراسان بزرگ است. در امتداد تمام جادهها عوارض و تعرفه از کاروانها وصول میشد. با توجه به تردد کاروانیان و گمرک سنگین بر روی این جاده تجاری، حفظ امنیت و آسایش تاجران و شهرهای قرارگرفته بر سر این مسیر تجاری در اولویت دولتها قرار میگرفته است. با توجه به اهمیت این جاده در دوران ساسانی چگونگی تأمین امنیت این، در این مقاله تلاش شده است ضمن معرفی شاهراه خراسان در قسمتهای غربی پادشاهی ساسانی، مسئله چگونگی تأمین امنیت این را نیز بررسی کند.
The Impact of the Hydrology and Geographical Environment on Ancient Settlements of Zahak Domain in Sistan

Chahār Qāpi, a Fire Temple in Khurbarān Kust (Sassanid’s Western State)
The four arched of Qasr-e Shirin which is known as Chahār Qāpi with sides of 25 meters is conside... more The four arched of Qasr-e Shirin which is known as Chahār Qāpi with sides of 25 meters is considered as one of the biggest fire temples of Sassanid era in Iran which was probably made above 14 centuries ago according to historical sources and archaeological artifacts. It is likely that Chahār Qāpi was made by the order of king as regards its dimensions, stability and beauty as well as supplied accessories. A further glory for this structure comes from the fact that it was located in the vicinity of Khosrow palace – what has already raised speculations that the temple was built so that the members of the king’s court would perform their rituals in a way befitting the royal dignity. This could be particularly true when considering that the Sassanid rule was deeply rooted in religion and the kings of this dynasty considered themselves as the guardians of Zoroastrianism. Therefore, making water and fire temples was extremely important in the Sassanid dynasty. Chahār Qāpi has a strong and remarkable foundation and jamb, even though it was destroyed by the Romans and later abandoned when new rulers with new religions came to power in Iran. These elements are undoubtedly signs of its greatness in its days of architectural glory. Chahār Qāpi which has four thresholds is among fire temples that have vendor corridor as well as very beautiful interior decorations. This structure was surrounded by a collection of rooms and facilities parts of which were discovered by archaeologists in recent years and then restored by them. The architecture style of this temple is completely Sassanid. Common materials of the era like rubble stones and gypsum mortar were used in its construction. There was also a lofty dome at its top. This article has tried to offer a clear picture of sites used to perform rituals of Zoroastrianism during the Sassanid era. The sites are commonly known as Chahār Tāqi each with the form, construction materials and decorations particular to a specific section of the Sassanid society. The Chahār Tāqis built for the royals were much stronger and bigger and had more decorations and corridors. The information presented in this article has been collected from observations of Muslim historians and geographers as well as the findings of archaeologists in order to provide a clear image of Chahār Qāpi. According to information obtained as the result of this research, the fire temple of Chahār Qāpi was simultaneously constructed with the palace of Sassanid king Khosrow Parviz. The cruciform plan of this monument that comprises of two perpendicular axes recalls the style of some Sassanid palaces, especially in the beginning of this dynasty
Historical Studies, Nov 22, 2017

Book review “Median Archaeology”
Critical Studies in Texts & Programs of Human Sciences, Sep 23, 2017
دوره ماد از مهم¬ترین ادوار تاریخی ایران بشمار می¬رود. زیرا در این دوره اقوام ایرانی/آریایی برای ن... more دوره ماد از مهم¬ترین ادوار تاریخی ایران بشمار می¬رود. زیرا در این دوره اقوام ایرانی/آریایی برای نخستین بار موفق به تشکیل حکومت در غرب ایران کنونی گردیدند. این دولت زمینه پیدایش و شکوفایی امپراتوری هخامنشی را فراهم نمود و بسیاری از اصول حکومت¬داری، اجتماعی، مذهبی و بطور کلی بنیادهای تمدنی را به شاخه دیگری از ایرانیان منتقل ساخت. از این حکومت به دلیل کمبود منابع مستند تاریخی، خصوصاً ایرانی و آثار باستان¬شناختی اطلاعات چندانی در دست نیست. این عوامل سبب گردیده است تا انتشارات قابل توجهی از دوره ماد در دسترس باستان¬شناسان و مادپژوهان قرار نداشته باشد و دانشجویان رشته باستان¬شناسی از بدو تاسیس این رشته متکی به جزوات پراکنده¬ای باشند که به گونه¬ای ناقص و تکراری در اختیارشان قرار می¬گرفت. انتشار کتاب باستان¬شناسی دوره ماد خلأ اطلاعات باستان¬شناسی این دوره را تا حدود زیادی ترمیم نمود و برای دانشجویان رشته باستان¬شناسی این فرصت را بوجود آورد تا در یک مجلد، کلیه اطلاعات مربوط به سرفصل دروس عنوان یاد شده را مورد مطالعه قرار دهند. کتاب مذکور دارای امتیازات فراوانی است که سعی می¬شود ضمن برشماری و یادآوری آنها به برخی از کاستی¬ها نیز اشاره شود تا نویسنده کتاب ضمن بازبینی در چاپ¬های آتیه، در صورت صلاحدید، از این پیشنهادات نیز استفاده نماید.

Elamite civilizationis the most ancientcivilizationthat was formedinside thepresent bordersof Ira... more Elamite civilizationis the most ancientcivilizationthat was formedinside thepresent bordersof Iran. It had dominatedlarge partsof theWesternand South-Western Iran, sincethe late fourth millenniumtill the mid-first millennium B.C. Like other ancientcivilizations, Elamite civilization had been established based onreligion andits people's beliefs. In the ancient, base of religion was formed by myths,so identification of Elamitemythscan playan important roleto understand the culture and religion ofthesepeople. Till now, any written document of Elamite myths has been obtained, but according tothe similarities between Elamand Mesopotamian culture, by comparing the my thological sceneson Elamite seals with Mesopotamianseals and myths, in this article it has been tries to present some Mesopotamian myths, those which are also common in Elam. These myths include: "Rising of Shamash", "Etana; the first king", "Zu and tablets of destiny" and "Gilgamesh".

Archaeological Survey of Kooh-e
Kooh-e Khajeh (Kajeh Mountain), with 120m height and 2-2.5km in diameter, is located at Hamoon La... more Kooh-e Khajeh (Kajeh Mountain), with 120m height and 2-2.5km in diameter, is located at Hamoon Lake like an island. Since the archaic era, due to its specific geopolitical location, religious sacredness, and the natural beauty especially at the times of water-richness at Hamoon, this place caused the formation of settlements. Based on an intensive archaeological survey conducted in this region, seventeen sites have been identified of which thirteen possess earthenware. Through typological and chronological studies of potteries found at surface level, two era of settlement have been identified in this Mount: one refers to the pre-Islam era beginning from 3rd century B.C. until the end of Sassanians; the second belongs to the Islamic era particularly on the basis of glazed potteries scattered on the surface as well as some structures built during 6th and 8th century Hegira. The buildings and structures related to the pre-Islam era include palaces, defensive forts and citadels, and tem...

Sistan, in the eastern half of Iran, is one of the most important archaeological regions from whe... more Sistan, in the eastern half of Iran, is one of the most important archaeological regions from where archaeological sites belonging to the Bronze Age onwards have recovered in abundance. During the Achaemenids, this region was known as Dranka/Zranka that remarkably covered a vast area and population. Greeks called this vast territory as Drangiana. According to Greek historians, Drangiana consisted of two main parts: the northern part was Prophtasia and the southern was known as Agriaspǽ/ Ariaspǽ. It is said that Alexander the Great spent the winter in Ariaspǽ while on his way to conquer India. Greeks called the people of Ariaspǽ as Evergetǽ (donor). They not only helped Syrus the Great in his war against Massagetai at a time when he was suffered food shortages in the Iranian desert but, they also welcomed of Alexander the Macedonian in the winter when he was going to conquer India. So, I tried to determine the actual location of Evergetǽ realm in old Drangiana (Sistan) using historic...
The International Journal of Humanities, 2009
Among the various of Sasanian kings, Narseh (293-302 A.D.) is the one whose important and strikin... more Among the various of Sasanian kings, Narseh (293-302 A.D.) is the one whose important and striking rock relief remained at Naqsh-i Rustam in Iran’s Fars province. This relief records investiture ceremony from Anahita ( known as Goddess of fertility and protector of water). Until now, various views and interprations have been put forwarded about the real identity and historical theme of this relief. But the attribution of a lady to

Analysis of the Settlement Pattern of Historical Sites in Rumeshgan County, Lorestan Province
Romeshgan is a newly established city in the southwestern part of Lorestan province. In the autho... more Romeshgan is a newly established city in the southwestern part of Lorestan province. In the author’s archeological study in 2016, 79 sites related to the historical period were identified in Romeshgan, a large number of which were introduced for the first time. The present study, which is based on field study, library studies and preparation and interpretation of GIS maps of the study area, examines the pattern of establishment of historical sites in the Romeshgan area based on characteristics such as height, slope, access to resources. Deals with water, soil type, topography, access roads, etc. The fundamental question of this study is how important and determining environmental factors have played a role in the formation and distribution of Romanesque historical sites and the main purpose of this study is to obtain an appropriate answer to this question through analysis and Summary of collected data. For this purpose, maps have been prepared based on the available information. The...

Mediterranean Archaeology & Archaeometry, 2015
The aim of this study is to determine whether pottery shards from new archaeological survey in so... more The aim of this study is to determine whether pottery shards from new archaeological survey in south region of Sistan are locally made or imported. Many artefacts especially pottery shards have been found during the archaeological survey. These pottery shards are variable in color; from buff, grey, black, and red. The analytical techniques involved X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), that were applied to determine the major and trace elements and also the mineral content of the pottery shards. The results show that most of the pottery shards taken from archaeological survey in Sistan are locally made. Two of the samples from Islamic Period however shows a different content of chemical composition compared to other shards suggesting a different that Sistan origin. A prehistoric shard also shows a different in chemical composition and not originated from Sistan area. The analysis of pottery shards indicate that since prehistoric period, there has been a local product...

A Review on Chronology of Palace of Kuh-e Khajeh (Qaleh Kaferun) Relying on the Surface Potsherd
The International Journal of Humanities, 2014
Kuh-e Khajeh in Sistan, a mesa 120m height in respect of Sistan plain flat, is located 20 Km sout... more Kuh-e Khajeh in Sistan, a mesa 120m height in respect of Sistan plain flat, is located 20 Km south-west of Zabol. This is one of most important historical area in Sistan. In account of its religious and political importance, a series remarkable of structures were built on its flat surface and eastern slight slopes since very ancient times. Despite of the studies of archaeologists and scholars, there have been provided no certain chronology about it and a few studies which have been done are merely based on the architecture of this site. In this research, based on the pottery data it is tried to make a relative chronology on palace of Kuh-e Khajeh. In doing so, the required data was gathered under systematic survey method in the castle’s area. Considering that the recognizing the potteries’ specifications is an important task in the archaeological studies, therefore, the study of potteries’ specifications was given a specific priority. And in doing so, the collected remarkable potter...

Parseh Journal of Archaeological Studies, 2020
هدیکچ یرــشب عــماوج یــنیب ناهج رــگ یلجت هــک تــسا یــنیماضم و مــیهافم لــماح نارــیا رــنه ر... more هدیکچ یرــشب عــماوج یــنیب ناهج رــگ یلجت هــک تــسا یــنیماضم و مــیهافم لــماح نارــیا رــنه رد اــه هیام شقن دوــجو هب رتــسب نآ رد هــک تــسا یــثاریم رــگنایب ددــنب یم شــقن اــهرهمُ رــب هــک یــشوقن .دــنیآ یم رامــش هب رد یزــلف کبــشم یاــهرهم یوررــب یــناویح شوــقن لــیلحت و هــعلاطم هــب ور شِــیپ قــیقحت .دــنا هدمآ ،نارــیا رد غ رــفمرصع یاــه گنهرف هــجوت بلاج یاــه هدیدپ زا یــکی .دزادرــپ یم نارــیا قرــش بونج ۀــقطنم نــیا صاــخ یــگژیو و صــتخم هــک تــسا نارــیا قرــش بونج رد یزــلف کبــشم یاــهرهم جاور هرـقن سـنج زا نـینچ مه و غ رـفم سـنج زا یـلک روـط هب ،اـهرهم زا هـنوگ نـیا .تـسا یـمیلقا و یـیایفارغج زا فدــه .دنا هدــش هتخاــس هدــشمگ موــم شور هــب هــک هدوــب یــنوگ انوگ یاــهژایلآ زا رداــن یدراوــم رد و ندرـک شـقن رد هـک تـسا یـلماوع ندرـک صخـشم و اـه نآ نـیماضم و مـیهافم تخانـش ،رـضاح شـهوژپ هرــیاد ،عــبرم لکــش هب اــهرهمُ نــیا هــک تــسا رــکذ هــب مزلا .دــنا هدوب لــیخد روــبزم نارود یاــهرهم شوــقن هـطبار رد نوـنک ات .تـسا یـناویح و یناـسنا ،یـه...

Due to its strategic and unique location, Mount Oshida (Kuh-e Khvājeh) in the Sistān plain, has b... more Due to its strategic and unique location, Mount Oshida (Kuh-e Khvājeh) in the Sistān plain, has been alternatively used since a long time ago to this date. On the southern slope of this mountain, the ruins of a palace known as Qalʿa-ye Kāferān appear after the Muslims’ arrival and domination over the region. This castle was explored and excavated during the second and third decades of the twentieth century by scholars such as Stein and Herzfeld, and its decorations have been widely mentioned. However, its stuccos have not been analyzed in terms of their types, forms, and patterns up to this date. Hence, there are some disagreements about their construction date, as some scholars consider these architectural decorationsto belong to the Parthian period while others connect them with the Sasanian period. In the present research, it has been attempted to study and evaluate the stuccos in the palace of Kuh-e Khvājeh in the framework of a typological comparison according to the archaeolog...
The ethical policy of Persica Antiqua is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guid... more The ethical policy of Persica Antiqua is based on the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines and complies with International Committee of Persica Antiqua Editorial Board codes of conduct. Readers, authors, reviewers and editors should follow these ethical policies once working with Persica Antiqua. The ethical policy of Persica Antiqua is liable to determine which of the typical research papers or articles submitted to the journal should be published in the concerned issue. For information on this matter in publishing and ethical guidelines please visit www.publicationethics.org.

Arabs did not know the techniques of coin minting at the time of Jahiliyah and at the beginning o... more Arabs did not know the techniques of coin minting at the time of Jahiliyah and at the beginning of Islam, but they accepted the coin in their economic system due to the trade and business position of the city of Mecca, And used the Sassanid silver dirhams, gold solidus and Byzantine copper follies Until the conquest of the lands of Iran and parts of the Byzantine Empire, they also acquired coin minting technology and minted coins by the peoples of those lands. Today, the first Islamic dirhams have been named Arab-Sassanid, which has a high status in terms of research. The numismatics of Arab-Sassanid coins can be a turning point in the coinage of Sassanid and Islamic coins, which, with their study, a lot of information about the process of conquests, conquerors and rulers, political and administrative geography, and … will be gained. But the focal point of this study was to study the evolution of minting these coins from the early moments to the last days, by carefully examining the characteristics of these coins, such as the type of scripts, motifs, dates, mint names and the names of the rulers. As a result, it became clear that at the beginning of the conquest of Iran, some coins were minted with the date of last year of Yazdgird III-the last Sasanian king-, 20 Yazdgirdi (AH 31). After that, the Kufic phraseswere added around it; after some time, Yazdgird's name changed to Khosrow's name. The firstcoins with Arabic names were minted, during the reign of Abdullah ibn Amir, Muawiyah bin Abi-Sufyan and other rulers in Pahlaviscripts (some in Kufic scripts).In these coins, the motifs were still like Sassanid coins.
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Papers by Reza MehrAfarin
چکیده
غرب ایران با نقشآفرینی بسیار، سابقه تاریخی درخشان و جایگاه کلان فرهنگی هنوز در زمینه تحولات عصر باستان وبالاخص دوره ساسانی نیاز به بررسی همهجانبه دارد. این منطقه به علت گذر جاده تجاری خراسان از این همواره اهمیت بالایی در طی دورانها داشته است. ازاینرو در مورد وجهتسمیه، حوزهی جغرافيایی و تاریخ این پهنه در محافل علمی، نقد و تحلیلهای متعددی صورت پذیرفته است. گذر جاده تجاری خراسان از کرمانشاه مبحث تجارت را وارد مطالعات باستانشناسی منطقه میکند. وجود جاده تجاری که امتداد این از تیسفون و کرمانشاه امروزی بوده است باعث رونق تجارت از دیرباز تا امروز در این منطقه شده است. در نوشتههای مورخین و جغرافی نویسان، غرب ایران بانام جبال ناحیه وسیعی را شامل میشود. این منطقه در طول تاریخ همواره دربرگیرنده قلمروسیعی از خاک ایرانزمین محسوب میگردید. این منطقه یکی ازمراکزعمده سکونت و فعالیت تجاری بوده است که رد پای این در سراسر تاریخ ایران در دوره باستان و اسلام دیده میشود و دلیل این جاده تجاریای است که بخشی از شاهراه خراسان بزرگ است. در امتداد تمام جادهها عوارض و تعرفه از کاروانها وصول میشد. با توجه به تردد کاروانیان و گمرک سنگین بر روی این جاده تجاری، حفظ امنیت و آسایش تاجران و شهرهای قرارگرفته بر سر این مسیر تجاری در اولویت دولتها قرار میگرفته است. با توجه به اهمیت این جاده در دوران ساسانی چگونگی تأمین امنیت این، در این مقاله تلاش شده است ضمن معرفی شاهراه خراسان در قسمتهای غربی پادشاهی ساسانی، مسئله چگونگی تأمین امنیت این را نیز بررسی کند.