Archaeological Survey at Markazi and Mazayjan District in Bavanat County

Regarding the Bavanat region, lack of systematic archeological studies results in a lack of knowledge about the cultural evolution of this area during different cultural periods, from the prehistory up to the present time; it is therefore considered necessary to conduct archeological surveys in order to identify and introduce the sites from different cultural periods. Note that although certain visits have been made previously with the aim to register archaeological sites in the area, their results do not present any valuable information about their cultural situation. Therefore, the present survey managed to study and register all cultural sites in the area through field surveys. We hope that these results will pave the way for further complementary studies in order to gain more precise knowledge about the different cultural periods in Bavanat. The first season of the survey was conducted in April and May 2015. Archeological research was carried out in a survey and intensive way to identify all sites and relics that reflect the activities of past human societies in the region. During the conducted researches, 200 sites that dated from the Neolithic Period to the late Islamic era were registered. These sites include hills and ancient sites, historical castles, historical places of worship, mosque, bridge, cemetery, mill, petroglyph, ancient mines, and slag site.
Keywords: Fars Cultural Sphere, Bavanat Region, Prehistory, Settlement Pattern.
 
Introduction
Fars Cultural sphere has different perspectives, including mountainous areas with cold weather, central part with a temperate climate while the southern part which is limited by the northern Persian Gulf coasts; experiences warmer conditions. The analysis of socio-economic structures has been done based on the surface finds from the Kur river basin, whereas the Fars cultural zone has many different environmental zones, all with distinctive influences on the formation of settlements in each period. The valleys and different regions should therefore be evaluated separately, in order to achieve a better understanding of the prehistory of Fars. According to the importance of the issue, The first season of the survey was conducted in April and May 2015. It is attempted to determine the studied region according to the natural geographical range without considering new political borders. To this end, the Bavanat River Basin which is located in two central and Mazayjan Districts s of this county was fully investigated. Archeological research was carried out in a survey and intensive way to identify all sites and relics that reflect the activities of past human societies in the region. In this research, in addition of using all the information of historical texts and environmental studies, it was tried to conduct a field study in the basin of Bavanat River and by analyzing movable and immovable surface findings, the relationship between cultural sites and settlement patterns are investigated and meanwhile by comparing with the adjacent regions, the relationship between these cultural sites in different periods with the environment and geography of the region is investigated. In general, the most important goals of this archaeological research in 2015 are as the following: identifying all cultural works of different periods of the region; preparing archaeological maps of the studied region in the alternation of different cultural periods, studying and investigating the process of settlement changes in different periods, presenting the sequence of the relative chronology of the region based on surface findings, measuring the effect of environment on the formation of settlements, explaining the cultural position of the studied region in cultural areas of the country, recognizing regional and trans-regional interactions based on surface findings.
 
Identified Traces
Bavanat county is located in the northeast of Fars province and consists of three District central, Mazayjan and Sarchahan. The highest altitude of the region is located in Khataban Mountain with a height of 3482 meters above sea level and the deepest region is located in Marvast Plain with a height of 1670 meters above sea level. This region has high altitudes and several water resources and drainage basins such as rivers, springs and streams flowing in the region. The most important water source in this region is Bavanat River, which has a main role in the formation of the settlements of the region.
Following his studies in several regions around Iran, Stein conducted brief surveys and exploration in Bavanat as well (Stein, 1936). Furthermore, Helwing and Askari investigated a number of sites in Monj as part of ICAR’s survey in the Marvsat Dam basin (Helwing, 2007). During the conducted researches, 200 sites that dated from the Neolithic Period to the late Islamic era were registered. These sites include hills and ancient sites, historical castles, historical places of worship, mosque, bridge, cemetery, mill, petroglyph, ancient mines, and slag site. The oldest signs of settlement in this region were related to the Neolithic Period that this type of pottery was already identified in Marvast Plain, known as Mushki. From Achaemenid period onwards, an increase in the number of settlements in the region can be seen. Different sites and stone graves, known as Khereftkhane, were identified from the Parthian and Sassanid Periods. In Sassanid Period the settlements increased a lot so that they can be seen in the entire region, landscapes and works of the Sassanid era. Based on their use, these works can be divided as religious, ritual and burial works, settlement sites, castles, and fortresses. Sites with pottery dated back to the early Islamic and medieval Islamic centuries are seen. Moreover, during the Timurid Period, there had been a large increase in the population of this region and inscriptions of the central mosque of Bavanat City are proof of this claim. Since then, until the contemporary period, different settlements were identified in this county. Other important findings identified in this study were a large number of the petroglyph.
 
Conclusion
During the conducted researches, 200 sites that dated from the Neolithic Period to the late Islamic era were registered. No settlements were found from Jeri and ShamsAbad Periods. Buff pottery with a black figure, known as Bakun, was also identified in some sites. In the early 4th millennium BC, in Fars, the Lapui red pottery, replaced with the Buff pottery of Bakun identified on the surface of several sites. In addition to Lapui pottery, the use of some painted pottery became common in some parts of Fars regions which Sumner describes it as Aspas pottery, and considers it concurrent with the late Lapui period. After that, only from one of the sites pottery with coarse gravel temper was obtained which maybe of a kind of early Banesh pottery. Since then, no cultural works have been identified until the Achaemenid Period. From this period onwards, an increase in the number of settlements in the region can be seen. In Sassanid Period the settlements increased a lot so that they can be seen in the entire region, landscapes and works of the Sassanid era. Sites with pottery dated back to the early Islamic and medieval Islamic centuries are seen. Evidence for early and middle Islamic centuries just some potteries were found on the surface. There is an increase in settlements from the Teimuri period. Jame mosque belongs this period too, which its wooden pulpit with an inscription belongs to the Teimuri period now keep in Islamic hall in the National Museum of Iran. Also, many historical monuments and sites remain from the Safavieh periods such as the Emamzadeh Hamzeh Bazm monument, Bard Shiraz Karvansaray, Sourian bridge, and sites with blue on white painting potteries which are diagnostic potteries belong to this period. This evidence show the importance of this region in the Safavieh period. After this, and more especially in the Qajar period many castle-villages have seen here that in the Pahlavi period with land reforming and changing the lord and peasant society structures these castle-villages lost their usage and modern village forming till today.