Archaeology
Hamed Vahdati Nasab
Abstract
Carlton Stevens Coon is one of the most prominent figures in the Prehistoric Archaeology of Iran. He conducted the first systematic field expeditions in the Iranian Archaeology 70 years ago. For many years his works have been taught in the Iranian universities. Now and after almost seventy years, a need ...
Read More
Carlton Stevens Coon is one of the most prominent figures in the Prehistoric Archaeology of Iran. He conducted the first systematic field expeditions in the Iranian Archaeology 70 years ago. For many years his works have been taught in the Iranian universities. Now and after almost seventy years, a need for critical review of his works sounds inevitable. In this research, such review was performed based on five categories: theoretical approaches of the field works, degree of specialty, fieldwork approaches, data collecting methods, and data processing procedures. The results indicate that his theoretical and practical approaches have suffered from many weaknesses. Coon’s main concern was to find human remains (Neanderthals in particular) rather than conducting clean archaeology excavations. On the other hand, his horrifyingly racist publications, rumors about his employment as an intelligence operative by the CIA during the WW II and the Cold War, plus countless unanswered questions concerning the sites he chose to excavate in Iran, all support this hypothesis that Archaeology was not his first priority in Iran.
Archaeology
Mahsa Veisi
Abstract
This study examines the reasons for the commitment to change in the Archaeology curriculum at all levels of its curriculum, not based on preferences but on the basis of competency-based curriculum models. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this field have not been reviewed for more than thirty ...
Read More
This study examines the reasons for the commitment to change in the Archaeology curriculum at all levels of its curriculum, not based on preferences but on the basis of competency-based curriculum models. The undergraduate and postgraduate courses in this field have not been reviewed for more than thirty years, and the PhD curriculum has been the same since its beginning. Today, in the world, curricula are shifting to skill-based, and many elements are being considered in formulating these programs. This study, considering the skills defined for archaeological graduates in the US Occupational Information Network (O * NET) as an index of the content analysis of archaeological educational competence in Iran, examines the relevance of this. The chapters deal with the skills. Its main purpose is to emphasize the need to review these courses based on a competency-based curriculum approach. The collection of data required in this study is library and documentary, and the method of data processing is descriptive and explanatory.
Archaeology
Seyyed Milad Hashemi
Abstract
Professor Robin W. Dennell is a well-known British archaeologist specialized in Asian Paleolithic studies. One of his books, entitled “The Paleolithic Settlement of Asia”, published by Cambridge University Press, is reviewed here. It is considered a skillful synthesis of archaeological, paleoanthropological, ...
Read More
Professor Robin W. Dennell is a well-known British archaeologist specialized in Asian Paleolithic studies. One of his books, entitled “The Paleolithic Settlement of Asia”, published by Cambridge University Press, is reviewed here. It is considered a skillful synthesis of archaeological, paleoanthropological, and paleoclimatological evidence of Early and Middle Pleistocene periods in Asia. The book comprises some important and rather innovative ideas about the subject which the author had been developing during his academic life; for instance, among them are the idea of the presence of an extensive grassland belt stretching from northeast Africa to east Asia during Early Pleistocene, which facilitated the dispersal of hominins out of Africa (Out of Africa I). Another novel hypothesis that is discussed in the book is the controversial idea that Asia could be considered where Homo erectus was originated. Apart from what is mentioned, a large part of the book is dedicated to the climatic fluctuations and the evolution and dispersal of hominins during Early-Middle Pleistocene periods. The evidence used in the book has been recovered from well-known archaeological sites containing hominin fossils and faunal remains, as well as from major maritime and continental sites within which paleoclimatic investigations have been conducted. The mentioned book is considered one of the pioneering attempts to modify the absolute Afrocentric view in Lower Paleolithic Archaeology.
Archaeology
Mozhgan Jayez
Abstract
Drawing archaeological finds is one which stands out among the other means of documentation and information transfer in archaeological science. A wide range of objects is drawn during archeological activities. The present paper criticizes the translation of a book on the drawing of archeological objects. ...
Read More
Drawing archaeological finds is one which stands out among the other means of documentation and information transfer in archaeological science. A wide range of objects is drawn during archeological activities. The present paper criticizes the translation of a book on the drawing of archeological objects. The main book in the original language is outdated, but it is a relatively reliable source. Considering that this book was regarded as one of the most important sources of drawing even before translation, its translation into Persian doubles its importance to Iranian archaeologists. The translated version of the book, which is published in Iran, suffers from the literal translation, unfamiliar and unusual equivalents, and low quality of the printed images, which play a major role in increasing the readers’ understanding of the content of the book. It should be considered that mastering the English language and having extended knowledge of the wide range of objects and archaeological finds are necessary for the translation of sourcebooks.
Archaeology
Kourosh Roustaei
Abstract
This is a critical assessment of the second volume of the book An Illustrated English-Persian Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology, written by Seyed Mansour Seyed Sajadi. The book suffers from several shortcomings which have been discussed in detail, especially the ambiguities and wrong information ...
Read More
This is a critical assessment of the second volume of the book An Illustrated English-Persian Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology, written by Seyed Mansour Seyed Sajadi. The book suffers from several shortcomings which have been discussed in detail, especially the ambiguities and wrong information of the entries. It is obvious that the sources of gathering information about the entries, especially those related to the Iranian archaeology, have been outdated. No mention of the new sites and regions explored in Iran during the last two decades is seen in the book. Even the information of classic sites, like Sarab and Sialk, excavated over thirty years ago, is, in most cases, superficial and incomplete. Almost all dates for the Iranian sites are wrong. There is little attention to the Iranian entries than they deserved. With several examples, it has been shown that the word “prehistoric” in the title of the book is nothing but a superficial endeavor to attract the readers. The frequency of wrong, vague, and incomplete information in the book is too high to be regarded as a reliable source of information for students.
Archaeology
Yaser Malekzadeh; Sorour Khorashadi
Abstract
The book of Perceptions of Classical Armenia: Romano-Parthian Relations, 70 BC-AD 220 is a Persian translation of a master thesis at Louisiana State University: Perceptions of Classical Armenia: Romano-Parthian Relations, 70 BC-AD 22. This research has mainly focused on the military actions of the Roman ...
Read More
The book of Perceptions of Classical Armenia: Romano-Parthian Relations, 70 BC-AD 220 is a Persian translation of a master thesis at Louisiana State University: Perceptions of Classical Armenia: Romano-Parthian Relations, 70 BC-AD 22. This research has mainly focused on the military actions of the Roman emperors from 70 BC to 200 AD. By comparing the various views on the foreign policy of the Romans in the Eastern regions, the political controversy, and especially the conflict between the Romans and the Parthians during these periods, it was aimed to show the image of the Parthians that Romans had in their mind. This article is a review of the research. A comparative study is conducted between the original English version of the book and its Persian translation to examine the accuracy of the content of the work and the translation. Having in mind that there are several well-known works on this subject that have been published in the West. Translating a mediocre work by a translator with a poor command of English language does not seem beneficial. Therefore, it would be more suitable to select another book and/or translator for this subject.
Archaeology
Hamed Vahdati Nasab
Abstract
The book of Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee: How Our Animal Heritage Affects the Way We Live, written by Jared Diamond is one of the best works in linking the evolutionary biology and cultural complexity of human societies. The author attempted to search for many of the social behaviors of modern ...
Read More
The book of Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee: How Our Animal Heritage Affects the Way We Live, written by Jared Diamond is one of the best works in linking the evolutionary biology and cultural complexity of human societies. The author attempted to search for many of the social behaviors of modern humans in inherited biology from ancient ancestors of humans and has been very successful in this regard. Perhaps the only disadvantage of the book is the lack of updating its content, a subject that has been criticized. In this article, the author attempts to express the contents of a book and, in some cases, update it in cases where more recent discoveries than the time of writing the book have been confirmed by some writers. This book is divided into five sections. The first and second sections (the first seven chapters) deal with evidence about bones, tools, and genes, which are utilized for archeological and biological documentation. The third section (chapters 8-12) pertains to the cultural characteristics which distinguish humans from animals. In the last two sections of the book, the author succinctly reviews the devastating features of humankind and trace the origins of some of these features in the ancient biology.
Archaeology
Hasan Basafa; Mohammad Sadeghdavari
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 19-31
Abstract
The book "Archeology of Ancient Iranian societies in the Third Millennium B.C” is one of the specialized books about the third millennium archeology of the Iranian plateau with a special look into the southeastern region of Iran. This book is written by "Enrico Ascalone", translated by "Seyed Mansour ...
Read More
The book "Archeology of Ancient Iranian societies in the Third Millennium B.C” is one of the specialized books about the third millennium archeology of the Iranian plateau with a special look into the southeastern region of Iran. This book is written by "Enrico Ascalone", translated by "Seyed Mansour Seyed Sajadi" and published by the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities with the aim of being lectured as the main or supplementary source for the course-"Iranian Archaeology at the Beginning of Urbanization". What is mentioned in the introduction of the book by the author is the identification of the cultural poles of Iran's plateau during the third millennium B.C, the degree of repulsion and attraction between those poles, and then the study of the special fields of trade. In this regard, the analysis of the business systems with Susa centrality-as an Elamite unit-was his aim. The present paper tries to study and analyze the book in terms of its form and content-especially formal comprehensiveness, logical order and principles-according to the author's approach, which is of analytical approaches to urban archeology and finally its strengths and weaknesses are explained. The results indicate many merits in terms of content and respect for the authoring principles of an impartial work. On the other hand, the book has weaknesses in translation, editing and matching of specialized terminology, the use of archaeological resources, and archaeological fundamentals of the peripheral regions of Iranian Plateau.
Archaeology
Kourosh Roustaei
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 59-77
Abstract
This paper critically reviews the Farsi translation of the book entitled Field Methods in Archaeology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the quality of the Farsi translation by presenting some of the shortcomings and misunderstanding frequently occurring in the translated book. These ...
Read More
This paper critically reviews the Farsi translation of the book entitled Field Methods in Archaeology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and discuss the quality of the Farsi translation by presenting some of the shortcomings and misunderstanding frequently occurring in the translated book. These shortcomings are classified, exemplified, and discussed by numerous sentences, phrases, and technical and ordinary terms and words as well. The main arguments are discussed under the following subjects: imprecise translation, vague or wrong translation, difficult reading, and inconsistencies in translation. Perhaps, the most obvious problem of the reviewed book is verbatim or literal translation. Lacking rightful and clear understanding of the original text is another major pitfall of the translated book. Using wrong, improper, or vague equivalents is still a further problem of the book under review. These subjects have been exemplified by many examples
Archaeology
rahmat abbasnejadseresti
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 79-98
Abstract
Southwest Asia has a great importance in Prehistoric Archaeology. The region of the Fertile Crescent, in which sedentism and domestication have been adopted by humankind for the first time, is located in this region. Mesopotamia is one of the most important parts of this region and has a special role ...
Read More
Southwest Asia has a great importance in Prehistoric Archaeology. The region of the Fertile Crescent, in which sedentism and domestication have been adopted by humankind for the first time, is located in this region. Mesopotamia is one of the most important parts of this region and has a special role in livelihood, economic, and social events of prehistoric times. The present paper, in line with the critical approach to academic teaching books, criticizes the form and content of the book of Prehistoric Mesopotamia written by Dr. Hassan Talaei, published by the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (SAMT). Like any other work, this book has some advantages and disadvantages. The most desirable feature of the book is the relatively comprehensive information from the prehistoric of Mesopotamia that is readily accessible to the reader by a fluent and comprehensible text.The universality of the book in terms of its components is one of its most obvious drawbacks. The useful and relatively descriptive discussions that are presented in the book are not crystallized in the index. The tables, images and maps used in the book do not have enough desirability. The empty compilation and conclusion is completely evident in the book. The lack of analysis of archaeological data and the lack of critique of the Mesopotamian prehistoric theories are the most important book flaws.The periodization of the Neolithic period has not taken place in a specific framework; therefore, the reader of the book can hardly grasp the exact understanding of the Neolithic periods and their evolution whereas the Epi-Palaeolithic, Proto-Neolithic and Neolithic periods of the Levant and Mesopotamian regions were precisely categorized since 1990 decade. Archaeological theories of prehistoric cultures of the Mesopotamian lands have also not been criticized in the book. The author of the book should devote a discussion to the status of the Economic-social Complexities of North and South of Mesopotamia during the Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age.
Archaeology
Mohamad ghomrifatideh
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 133-148
Abstract
Most of the archaeological information should be gained from the examination and study of the past human societies. This information is usually obtained from the archaeological fieldworks that are divided into two main categories: surface survey and excavation. Since all of the antiquities are endangered ...
Read More
Most of the archaeological information should be gained from the examination and study of the past human societies. This information is usually obtained from the archaeological fieldworks that are divided into two main categories: surface survey and excavation. Since all of the antiquities are endangered in one way or another, all surface evidence should be recorded carefully. On the other hand, excavation is destructive in nature, so nothing would return to its original position after the fulfilment of an excavation. Therefore, taking the maximum information out of the archaeological deposits needs maximum accuracy, and to gain this goal, archaeologists must use scientific principles. These principles are taught to students under a course entitled “Methods of Excavation and Surface Survey in Archaeology”. The book under review in this paper deals with such topics.
Archaeology
Meysam Labbaf-haniky
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 149-162
Abstract
Cities as the cradles of social relations are considered as the significant phenomena in historical and archaeological point of views. Establishing the earliest cities, therefore, has been regarded as a crucial step in the evolution process of the societies. The Sasanian cities, presenting the complicated ...
Read More
Cities as the cradles of social relations are considered as the significant phenomena in historical and archaeological point of views. Establishing the earliest cities, therefore, has been regarded as a crucial step in the evolution process of the societies. The Sasanian cities, presenting the complicated form of the cities during the late antiquity, have been investigated by Reza Mehrafarin in the book entitled ‘Sasanian Cities’. The book, including worthwhile information about some Sasanian cities, has been compiled after the published reports, articles, and books. Nevertheless, like other scientific works, the book contains some major shortcomings in the coverage of the relevant publications and some minor shortcomings in its content.
Archaeology
Reza Mehrafarin
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 163-176
Abstract
Median age is of the most important historical periods of Iran because, during this period, Iranian / Aryan groups were able to form a government in the West of modern Iran for the first time. This government provided the context of the emergence and flourishing of the Achaemenid Empire and transferred ...
Read More
Median age is of the most important historical periods of Iran because, during this period, Iranian / Aryan groups were able to form a government in the West of modern Iran for the first time. This government provided the context of the emergence and flourishing of the Achaemenid Empire and transferred many of the principles of governance, social, religious and civilizational foundations to another branch. Access to the information and documentation of this government are limited due to the lack of historical documentation sources, notably Iranian and archaeological evidence. These factors led to an inadequate access to publications from Median period to archaeologists and Median scholars. Thus, students of archeology relied heavily on the dispersed pamphlets that provided such incomplete and duplicated documents since the establishment of this academic field.Publication of “Median Archaeology” has largely filled this gap for this period and created opportunity for archeology students to study all the information related to the Syllabus of Median archaeology. The book has some advantages and shortcomings that we have enumerated them so as to improve the quality of the book in the subsequent editions.
Archaeology
amirsadegh naghshineh
Volume 17, Issue 4 , September 2017, , Pages 177-196
Abstract
Many books have been written about field archaeology universally, but the number of books published on this subject in Iran is rare. One of the books published on this area in Iran, is "Field Archaeology: An Introduction" by Peter L. Drewett which has been translated into Persian by Hojjat Darabi. The ...
Read More
Many books have been written about field archaeology universally, but the number of books published on this subject in Iran is rare. One of the books published on this area in Iran, is "Field Archaeology: An Introduction" by Peter L. Drewett which has been translated into Persian by Hojjat Darabi. The book has been published in the field of archeology as an academic textbook for the course of "Methods of Archaeological Excavation and Survey", but does not cover all the topics discussed in this course. One of the strong points of the book is that various discussions on the archaeological excavation are briefly presented in a rational and understandable order. In addition, the Persian translation is fluent, although a careful editing may even improve its quality. The main weak points of the book are the lack of attention to the archaeological survey, a close link with the archaeological issues of Iran and the Middle East, and the lack of necessary parts such as introducing sources for further study. Also, a summary and conclusion at the end of each topic could help the reader. All in all, the book can be used as a guide for archaeological excavation, but it suffers from some deficiencies to be considered as a textbook.
Archaeology
Shahin Aryamanesh; Reza Mehrafarin
Abstract
For many years, scholars such as theologists, linguists, and archaeologists have been studying Zoroastrian religion from the beginning. These studies provide us with valuable knowledge of this religion and its believers. However, there are still scholars who are trying to clarify the occasional, not ...
Read More
For many years, scholars such as theologists, linguists, and archaeologists have been studying Zoroastrian religion from the beginning. These studies provide us with valuable knowledge of this religion and its believers. However, there are still scholars who are trying to clarify the occasional, not very clear, cornerstones of this religion in different periods. Scholars spoke only on the basis of historical texts as well as the Zoroastrian religious texts not so long ago, so archaeological excavations and research have now come to help the scholars to shed light on this religion over time. One of the most important books in this regard that uses historical and religious texts and archaeological findings is Zoroastrianism: An Introduction written by Jenny Rose. This book was published in 2011 and reprinted in 2012 and 2014 by I.B.Tauris Publisher. Jenny Rose is a researcher of religion, and her research profile is indicative of her extensive research in Iranian religion, and this work is a proof of many years of her work on religion. As the name of the book indicates, it an introduction to Zoroastrianism, so it not comprehensive, and some criticisms were leveled against it.
Archaeology
Behrouz Afkhami
Abstract
Today in the world, Museums have external and internal roles in development. Museums are considered as effective institutions for international collaboration and cooperation, and they play an important role within a country in the development of education, creative skills, and cultural self-confidence. ...
Read More
Today in the world, Museums have external and internal roles in development. Museums are considered as effective institutions for international collaboration and cooperation, and they play an important role within a country in the development of education, creative skills, and cultural self-confidence. Global experiences show that museums have been effective instruments in promoting cultural knowledge in community, based on cultural heritage. They have been effective in cultural entrepreneurship as well. Museum studies and museum curatorship knowledge are considered as the basic and specialized education in the teaching of cultural heritage. Despite the importance of the museum and the great potential of the museum in Iran, this country is faced with poor professional, conceptual, and operational framework of the museum knowledge. Publication of the book entitled "Museum Studies” has partly filled this gap and created an opportunity for those interested in this field of study. Although the book has scientifical and content-based criticisms,it is regarded as one of the pioneers in the field of museum studies, so it is worthwhile and valuable. In this paper, the present book is mainly reviewed and criticized, along with some an. The authors of the book can apply the suggestions if they find them useful.
Archaeology
Abed Taghavi
Abstract
Many studies have been undertaken with respect to the architecture of Islamic mosques in Iran. In most of these studies, mosques have been investigated monographically, so researchers have paid close attention to the physical structure, historical changes, and ornaments. In this book, Barbara Finster ...
Read More
Many studies have been undertaken with respect to the architecture of Islamic mosques in Iran. In most of these studies, mosques have been investigated monographically, so researchers have paid close attention to the physical structure, historical changes, and ornaments. In this book, Barbara Finster has taken into account such a repetitive format. Besides, this book has thoroughly focused on the evolution of early Islamic mosques in Iran. The present review has taken both form and content into account for further evaluation. This book can be regarded as one of the analytic and interpretive books which can open new horizons to Islamic architecture in the early Islamic centuries based on the writer’s postulations. Although this outstanding work has some merits, it is not without demerits particularly with respect to its translation. The selection of inappropriate equivalents for the technical words and some content inaccuracies are some of the major pitfalls of the book.
Archaeology
Javad HoseinzadehSadati
Abstract
Acceleration of technological and scientific discoveries in recent decades led to the ramification of different branches of academic fields, which per se led to the flourishing of publication with the topics dedicated to the basics and introduction of these new fields. “An Introduction to Genetic ...
Read More
Acceleration of technological and scientific discoveries in recent decades led to the ramification of different branches of academic fields, which per se led to the flourishing of publication with the topics dedicated to the basics and introduction of these new fields. “An Introduction to Genetic Archaeology”, by Kamaledin Niknami and Maryam Ramezani falls into this kind of publication, which was published by SAMT in 10 chapters and 424 pages. The book enjoys a good quality print and while some grammatical and misspellings can be seen in few pages, it generally satisfies the reader’s taste. However, the content of the book is not as good as its configuration. Some fluctuation is evident in its narration and its language; the length of the chapters is not balanced, and it does not follow an explicit order from the beginning to the end. Furthermore, the book does not appreciate and respect copy-write rule, and it contains many cases of plagiarisms which are described in the paper in details. With respect to the copy- write and other laws considering this issue in the country, the paper suggests that the book be gathered from the market, and after correcting these pitfalls, it can be redistributed to the book market.
Archaeology
Sorour Khorashadi
Abstract
For many years, Iranian and non-Iranian archaeologists have conducted archaeological research in the peripheral territories of the Persian Gulf as well as its depths, and they have gained valuable achievements. These achievements are mostly in the form of papers, most of which are in English. There are ...
Read More
For many years, Iranian and non-Iranian archaeologists have conducted archaeological research in the peripheral territories of the Persian Gulf as well as its depths, and they have gained valuable achievements. These achievements are mostly in the form of papers, most of which are in English. There are several books on this area, which are published in English. Although some books have also been written by Iranian and non-Iranian scholars, the lack of a comprehensive monograph on the Persian Gulf from the archaeological point of view has been very tangible and obvious. Recently, a Persian book titled, Archaeology of the Persian Gulf in the Parthian and Sassanid Eras, has been published in Persian, encompassing surveys, excavations, and studies conducted by archaeologists in the northern and southern parts of the Persian Gulf in two broad periods of Iranian history, i.e. the Parthian and Sasanian eras. Therefore, the importance of the subject and national sensitivity of the Persian Gulf region justifies the need to evaluate and review the afore-said volume. A critical look at this valuable work reveals some shortcomings in literary editing, coherence, and logical intra-chapter and inter-chapter order of the material, long titles of some chapters, lack of congruency and concordance between the titles and the content in some chapters, an imbalance in dealing with the background of north and south coastal studies in the Persian Gulf in terms of the sequence of chronology, and the existence of few deficiencies in referencing and indexing.
Archaeology
Kourosh Roustaei
Abstract
The book under review is the first volume of the two-volume book of Illustrated Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology (English-Persian). The first volume is basically a dictionary, with a brief explanation for a number of entries. The book is analyzed in various aspects including page layout, writing ...
Read More
The book under review is the first volume of the two-volume book of Illustrated Dictionary of Prehistoric Archaeology (English-Persian). The first volume is basically a dictionary, with a brief explanation for a number of entries. The book is analyzed in various aspects including page layout, writing style, and in particular content. This paper discusses numerous examples that the term "pre-history" for the book is merely an irrelevant title. Also, the "illustrated" aspect of the book, also included in the title, has been seriously debated; a significant number of the book's illustrations are completely useless and have merely increased the volume of the book. Apart from these, the important issue is the errors found in the proposed equivalents, which are not by mistake, but insightful. Another flaw in the book is the unknown and unfamiliar equivalents for the Persian-speaking (archaeologist) reader, which is indicated by numerous examples. Generally, among similar books published earlier in the field of archeology, this book is one of the lowest in quality, where the reflection and precision were apparently neglected when developing the book.
Archaeology
Mohammad Ghamari-Fatideh
Abstract
Central Asia is one of the regions that had interactions with the Iranian plateau during the time, but, unfortunately it is missed in the Iranian archaeological studies. Although this region is attended by some of Iranian archaeologists working in eastern Iran, other archaeologists generally do not have ...
Read More
Central Asia is one of the regions that had interactions with the Iranian plateau during the time, but, unfortunately it is missed in the Iranian archaeological studies. Although this region is attended by some of Iranian archaeologists working in eastern Iran, other archaeologists generally do not have any information about it. Archaeological students do not know something about central Asia, too because they have no lessons about the Central Asia in their courses. However, that is impossible to ignore the interaction between ancient Iran and Central Asia cultures. The Kohl’s book, Central Asia Paleolithic Beginnings to the Iron Age, is one of the best books on this topic, so reading it is so important for the Iranian archaeologists. Kohl has been working in this region for a long time, and he wrote this book thoroughly and comprehensively. . This book is written and fine-tuned in English; of course, in some casesnot referring to some articles, especially in the Iranian arena, can be considered as the flaws in the English text of the book. Unfortunately, the Persian translation of this book is not attractive because the translated text has many mistakes. Inappropriate typing, not regarding the principles of Persian writing and spelling mistakes, wrong translation, and disregarding some keywords, are the main mistakes in the translation of this book.
Archaeology
javad neyestani; Mohsen saadati
Abstract
The ancient city of Rayy is a symbol of the social and cultural life of Iran prior to the arrival of the Mongols. The economic, cultural, and social flourishing of this city during the Islamic era led the city to be mentioned under different names, including the Bride of Cities, Om-al-Belad, and Sheykh ...
Read More
The ancient city of Rayy is a symbol of the social and cultural life of Iran prior to the arrival of the Mongols. The economic, cultural, and social flourishing of this city during the Islamic era led the city to be mentioned under different names, including the Bride of Cities, Om-al-Belad, and Sheykh Al-Belad in some historical sources. “The Book of Rayy: From Its Origins to the Mongol Invasion an Archaeological and Historiographical Study” is about the latest archaeological studies and the urbanization history of the ancient city of Rayy. The book which is written by Roco Rante with cooperation of Ghadir Afrund, was published by Brill Holand Publications in 2014. This book, which combines archaeological data resulted from two seasons of archaeological excavations in 2006 and 2007 in Rashkan Castle of Rayy with historical texts, provides the readers with valuable information on archeology, history, and urbanization of Rayy in ancient times. However, like any other scientific work, the book has some shortcomings which will be discussed in the present article.
Archaeology
Hamed Vahdati Nasab
Abstract
The book of the Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind is one of the studies categorized under the title of macro history in the world. The book is written by Yuval Noah Harari, one of the graduates of Jared Diamond's thinking school. Throughout the four major chapters of the book, with the titles Cognitive ...
Read More
The book of the Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind is one of the studies categorized under the title of macro history in the world. The book is written by Yuval Noah Harari, one of the graduates of Jared Diamond's thinking school. Throughout the four major chapters of the book, with the titles Cognitive Revolution, Agricultural Revolution, Human Unity, and Scientific Revolution, the author has attempted to narrate the ups and downs of the story of human evolution since about 100,000 years ago to the modern age. Although the author, translator and editors all have a charming, engaging content, some content flaws have led to some criticism of the author's scholarly approach. Perhaps the most important criticism of the book is the over-simplification and little obsession with presenting models and dates. The author does not explain in any part of the book why he placed the origin of the cognitive revolution 70000 ago and not 50000 as the researchers’ literature. He also leaves the reader somewhat confused about the main character of the book (sapien). Whether the author's intention is homo sapiens or homo sapiens sapiens will never be determined.
Archaeology
Mahsa Veisi
Abstract
The Achaemenid period is one of the most important historical periods in Iran. During this period, Cyrus the Great and his successors created the largest centralized state of that era, which despite its great cultural and ethnic diversity, was managed with a very advanced administrative system. ...
Read More
The Achaemenid period is one of the most important historical periods in Iran. During this period, Cyrus the Great and his successors created the largest centralized state of that era, which despite its great cultural and ethnic diversity, was managed with a very advanced administrative system. Achaemenian commanded their vast territory within their empire centers in Pasargadae, Susa, and Persepolis. With the policy of the tolerance, they were able to unite all these areas together and by allowing the subsidiary nations to preserve their artistic and native culture, Achaemenian imported their own art and culture to these areas, too. This empire was a successful model of a multinational government which included Mesopotamia, Egypt, Caucasus, Asia Minor, and Central Asia and the administrative and artistic structure of the Achaemenian in each of these areas can be explored separately. The book of Mesopotamia and Iran in the Persian Period (Proceeding of a Seminar in memory of Vladimir G. Lukonin) was published in 1997. The translation of this book to Farsi was published by the Organization for Researching and Composing University Textbooks in the Humanities (SAMT) in 1389. Although this book includes valuable information about the Achaemenid period in general, as any other scientific work, there are some shortcomings in this book that are considered in this article. In a general conclusion, the main drawback of this book is the lack of coherence and the lack of relevance of the content of some parts of the book with its title.
