مطالعۀ پتروگرافی سفال‌های عصرمفرغ قدیم (کوراارس) و مفرغ میانی تپه‌کلار کلاردشت

در آغاز هزارۀ سوم پیش ازمیلاد، شواهدی از گسترش فرهنگی جدید در ایران پدیدار گشت که ریشۀ آن به منطقۀ قفقاز بازمی گردد. رایج ترین نام این فرهنگ کوراارس است که اشاره به منطقۀ اولیۀ شکل گیری این فرهنگ دارد. شواهد این فرهنگ از شمال فلات ایران و سواحل جنوبی دریای مازندران تا سواحل شرقی دریای مدیترانه ثبت و گزارش شده اند. برخی برای توجیه این شواهد همگون به تبیین عللی همچون تجارت و تقلید آثار متوسل شده اند. کلاردشت یکی از شرقی ترین مناطق حوزۀ گسترش این فرهنگ است که شواهد آن از تپه کلار و در یک کاوش باستان شناسی به دست آمد. نمونه های سفالی به دست آمده از تپه کلار که در دورترین نقطه از مبدا این فرهنگ قرار دارد، فرصتی برای پاسخ به برخی پرسش ها را فراهم کرد. پرسش های این پژوهش عبارتنداز: 1 باتوجه به کانی های موجود در سفال های فرهنگ کوراارس و مفرغ میانی، چه میزان شباهت یا تفاوت بین آن ها وجود دارد؟ 2 براساس مطالعۀ پتروگرافی نمونه سفال های تپه کلار می توان کدام یک از نظرات پیرامون نحوۀ گسترش فرهنگ کوراارس را برای ظهور این فرهنگ در تپه کلار منطقی تر دانست؟ در این پژوهش 15 نمونه قطعه سفال از داده های کاوش انتخاب شد؛ 10 نمونه متعلق به فرهنگ کوراارس (مفرغ قدیم) و 5 نمونه از مفرغ میانی. نتایج پتروگرافی و داده های نقشۀ زمین شناسی منطقه نشان می دهند که سفال های کوراارس (مفرغ قدیم) و سفال های مفرغ میانی با ساختار منطقۀ البرز مرکزی همخوانی دارد، و وجود کانی کمیاب نفلین (na,k) alsio4 (کانی تحت اشباع از سیلیس) و هم چنین دانه های یاقوت در بافت برخی سفال ها و ساختار زمین شناسی منطقه موجب تقویت این عقیده شد که سفال های کوراارس و مفرغ میانی تپه کلار، تولید محلی و منطقه ای هستند (وارداتی از قفقاز یا نواحی دوردست نیست)؛ اگرچه در کیفیت سفال به لحاظ بافت سفال تفاوت وجود دارد. نتایج این پژوهش ثابت کرد که سفال های کوراارس به علل دیگری به غیر از تجارت به محوطۀ کلار وارد شده اند.

Study of the Early and Middle Bronze Ages Pottery Making in Kelardasht Through Petrography

AbstractDue to the long lasting durability of pottery, they remain unchanged and plays an important role in archaeological researches. Aside of its difference usage in archaeological research such as dating, artistic and subsistent and communications and exchanges among people of different regions, is used in technology level. Archaeological site of Tape Kelar Hill, situated near Hasankif city, in Kelardasht, is one of the most important prehistoric sites in southern coast of Caspian Sea, which includes cultural materials from the Late Chalcolithic from the fourth millennium B.C. to the Islamic era. The significance of this site has become twofold considering the previous views issued about prehistoric cultures in western Mazandaran and Gilan provinces. The Early Bronze Age potteries of this site are of KuraAraxes. These are the most important finds of this site. The main research question of this article pertains to the structure of the pottery in this area in two periods and aims to see whether or not the initiation of KuraAraxes pottery has resulted from external factors and there is difference between Early and Middle Bronze Ages? In this study, 15 pieces of pottery from Early and Middle Bronze ages were studied via petrography method in order to compare in terms of composition and mineral tissues. Research has shown that the pottery of this site, in spite of experiencing some changes in the tissues, is local production. Therefore, it is rebutted to claim that the pottery of this culture is simulated by indigenous potters.Keywords: KuraAraxes, Middle Bronze Ages,Tape Kelar, Petrography.IntroductionPetrographic study of KuraAraxes pottery, despite its prevalence outside of Iran, has not received much attention from Iranian archaeologists. The first petrographic study of KuraAraxes pottery in Iran was also conducted by Western archaeologists. The study of KuraAraxes pottery in areas far from emergence region of this culture in Iran requires data from sites that had a stratigraphicchronology continuity that was not available until the excavation of Tapeh Kelar.In terms of the location of the sites studied by the petrographic method prior to the present study, two general classifications can be proposed: first, the sites that were within the geographical area of the origin of the KuraAraxes culture, and second, the area Those who are far away and outside the region of origin and only in the second stage of the development of the KuraAraxes culture reached this culture.This classification can be useful in analyzing the existence of transregional connections with the Caucasus or northwestern Iran, along with comparing the minerals of Tapeh Kelar pottery with the petrology of Kelardasht region. In this research, the authors have studied KuraAraxes pottery obtained from the excavations of Tapeh Kelar site based on petrographic method.This research is based on two questions. The first question of this research is that according to the minerals in KuraAraxes and Middle Bronze Age pottery, what are the similarities or differences between them? And the second question includes the question that based on the petrographic study of the pottery samples of Tapeh Kelar, which of the ideas on how to spread the KuraAraxes culture can be considered more logical for the emergence of this culture in the site? Based on visual evidence and cultural materials that show major changes in the transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to the Early Bronze Age, it can be expected that major changes have occurred in the field of process of pottery making and heating.DiscussionIn this study, 15 sample of potsherds obtained from excavations at Tapeh Kelar were selected. Samples were selected from Early Bronze Age (KuraAraxes) and Middle Bronze Age contexts. Of these, 10 samples belonged to the Early Bronze Age and 5 samples belonged to the Middle Bronze.10 samples of the Early Bronze Age were selected for the study. Samples can be divided into two main categories based on texture: samples with porphyry (coarsegrained) texture and samples with silty (finegrained) texture. 9 samples have porphyry and coarsegrained texture and only sample number 4 has silty texture. 5 samples of pottery belong to the Middle Bronze Age. The samples have a dark background and a dark color.Two types of silty tissue (samples 2, 4 and 5) and porphyry can be seen in the samples. Minerals detected in the samples are: quartz (clear and cloudy), plagioclase, amphibole and pyroxene, iron oxide, mica, Intrusive and extrusive volcanic rocks, silt and shale, chalcedony, agate and nepheline.In the studied samples, some minerals are interesting. Nephline is rare in Iran. In Iran, due to the scarcity of alumina and other items that required nepheline, this mineral was importef from other countries due to its scarcity. Since the 1960s, several sources of nepheline have been reported in the northwest, such as Kalibar, Razgah, Bozqush, and Azarshahr.Two other regions, namely the north of Shahroud and the central Alborz region, also have this mineral. In the north and northeast of Shahroud city in the Sultan Meidan area, the presence of nepheline mineral has been reported. However, due to the fact that the spread of KuraAraxes culture was not to Shahroud city, the existence of Shahroud nepheline mineral has no role in the subject of this article. The third region, which is the central Alborz, is important in two ways: first, this mineral has been reported in it, and second, the Taph Kelar site is also located in the same region. As mentioned, in the geological map of Marzanabad sheet, the existence of nepheline mineral is mentioned.ConclusionThe results of this study, as well as studies conducted elsewhere; show that each region has a regional diversity that itself indicates the local production of KuraAraxes pottery. If that KuraAraxes pottery was produced in one or more workshops in the motherland of the culture and then shipped to other areas, these potteries should not be so different and heterogeneous.Nevertheless, two points should be considered: First, the studied site (Tapeh Kelar) may not be the oldest KuraAraxes site in Alborz. In addition, ripple in the stream theory must be considered. The time difference between the region of origin of culture and distant regions has lasted for more than two hundred years.In this theory, the spread of KuraAraxes culture has been gradual and in several waves and stages, so it is possible that this expansion, even if it is due to migration from the Caucasus, is different from the Caucasus region in terms of mineralogical structure. This study shows that longdistance and direct exchange in the spread of KuraAraxes culture to the Kelardasht area is not approved.For better results, it is necessary to obtain more information, especially in archaeological site that transition from the Late Chalcolithic period to the early Bronze Age is uninterrupted, and also genetic studies on human remains of such sites to genetic changes in the inhabitants of the areas in the transition from the Late Chalcolithic Period to the Early Bronze Age Evaluated.