{"id":862,"date":"2020-04-27T21:53:57","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T21:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qalehyazdigird.artsci.utoronto.ca\/?page_id=862"},"modified":"2020-06-04T10:59:20","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T10:59:20","slug":"qaleh-i-yazdigird","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/qalehyazdigird.artsci.utoronto.ca\/","title":{"rendered":"Qal\u2018eh-i Yazdigird"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An ancient warlord\u2019s stronghold on the Silk Road in Iran: archaeological project 1964-2010<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zardeh Tableland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This archaeological site is defined by a thumb-shaped,\nbasin-topped tableland measuring some 25 square kilometres in the Zagros<\/em> mountains, on the extreme western\nedge of Iran. The old village of B\u0101n\nZardeh<\/em> that nestles in the hollow of the basin allows us to refer to the\narea as the Zardeh tableland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Map of region<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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2. Satellite view of the region<\/em><\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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3. Zardeh tableland seen from the plains below.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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4. Village of Ban Zardeh in the hollow of the tableland basi<\/em><\/strong>n<\/strong><\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Centuries ago, elaborate steps were taken to add\nmasonry walls to the already formidable, natural defensive quality of the\nescarpment and cliffs that delineate the tableland\u2019s perimeter. A small fort on\na pinnacle that overlooks the tableland from the upper ground above the cliffs\nto the east carries the legendary name of Qal\u2018eh-i\nYazdig\u012brd<\/em>  \u2018Yazdigird\u2019s Castle\u2019 \u2013 the\ncastle of 7th<\/sup> century CE Sasanian King Yazdigird III.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Defensive walling along the escarpment edge<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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6. Pinnacle fort of Qaleh-i Yazdigird overlooking the tableland<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This specific name has been applied for convenience in years past to define the archaeological remains of the entire Zardeh tableland, though technically the toponym applies only to the upper fort of an extensive stronghold of the 2nd<\/sup> century CE, most likely built by a Parthian warlord. Explanation for the site\u2019s improbable association with 7th<\/sup> century Yazdigird III is to be found in the local Ahl Haqq<\/em> religious beliefs and cultural practices which include a reverence for Iran\u2019s pre-Islamic past. In the 3rd<\/sup> century CE, the government of Sasanian Iran that had deposed the Parthians, ended the era of the warlord, announcing their new strong authority by sponsoring a Zoroastrian fire-temple, a symbol of their state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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7. Head of Yazdigird III on a silver dirhem<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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8. Tomb of Ahl Haqq sayyid Baba Yadgar<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This Homepage is designed to introduce the reader to\nthe overall nature of the archaeological project. It must be understood that comments\npresented here about traditional village life and land-use are based on\nobservations that pre-date February 1979. No attempt is made to document the\nobvious heavy government investment in irrigation and road building in the area\nthat can be seen in post-1980 satellite imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presented in pdf. format are published bibliographic entries relevant for understanding the site and interpreting its historical context. Also presented in the seven pages are the following subject themes, which include images. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 2: A History of the Qal\u2018eh-i Yazdigird  Project 1964-2010<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 3 : Climate, Land-use and Village Life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 4 : Standing Ruins and Trench Excavations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 5 : Stucco Architectural Decorations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 6 : Zoroastrian Fire-Temple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 7 : The Ahl Haqq<\/em> (People of the Truth) and legends of King Yazdigird<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menu Tab 8 : Parthian and Sasanian Government<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Explorations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first writer to describe the archaeological remains of Qal\u2018eh-i Yazdig\u012brd<\/em> was Major-General Henry Rawlinson. He led an expedition through the mountains of western Iran, as part of Britain\u2019s attempt to bolster the border security of Iran (then called Persia) against potential encroachments by the Ottoman Turks and Russia. Besides being a high-ranking officer in the British India army, Henry Rawlinson was also a distinguished scholar of Middle Eastern history in his own right. His record of the British expeditionary force\u2019s sojourn in the area of the Zardeh tableland presented in 1839 is the first western account of the ruins. Rawlinson\u2019s record also includes an account of the beliefs of the Ahl Haqq<\/em>.  He accepted at face value the legends attributing the archaeological ruins to Sasanian King Yazdigird III. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1963, as a young British archaeologist, this writer\n\u2013 Edward Keall \u2013 was trying to build up a picture for himself of what Iran was\nlike under Sasanian rule, beyond the glamour of the famous kings and their\nwell-extolled exploits. I heard from a fellow student at the British Institute\nof Persian Studies about the remarkable ruins that he had seen while visiting\nthe tomb of B\u0101b\u0101 Y\u0101dg\u0101r<\/em>. His\ndescription of a long defensive wall, traditionally associated with Sasanian\nYazdigird III, was very intriguing (though ultimately misleading). A Sasanian\nconnection seemed plausible to me, especially because in those days it was hard\nto conceive that the then little-known Parthians could have built\nfortifications in Iran on such a scale. My proposed investigation of Qal\u2018eh-i Yazdig\u012brd<\/em> was conceived as part\nof what was my attempt to define Sasanian material cultural identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My investigation of the ruins started with a ride on\nmule back from R\u012bj\u0101b<\/em> in 1964, in the\ncompany of Mahmud Aram, of the Iranian Archaeological Authority. On the basis\nof that brief visit, I made the decision to ask the Iranian authorities for\npermission to survey the ruins the next year and to conduct strategic soundings\nin the hope of unearthing Sasanian potsherds. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Ruins of Ja-y Dar<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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10. Long defensive wall.<\/em><\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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11. The pinnacle fort seen from below.<\/em><\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A basic principle of archaeological enquiry is that\nfragments of pottery made from fired clay (potsherds) do not disappear, even after\nthe original vessel is broken and useless. Collecting potsherds and defining\ntheir typology from a site of unknown age can help assign a date to the site\u2019s\noccupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While mapping the ruins in 1965, I observed potsherds galore\nin a ploughed field in the area locally called Tepe Rash<\/em>. But, in digging a trench there, none were found below\nground that could have provided the useful clues that I sought. Sensing my frustration,\nworkers hired from the village of B\u0101n\nZardeh<\/em> volunteered the idea that there were tangible remains to be found in\nthe field of Gach Gumbad<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Archaeologist sorting field-collected pottery<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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13. Map of site names<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The words \u2018Gach\nGumbad\u2019<\/em> in Persian mean literally \u2018Plaster Dome\u2019. I had fantasies that\nthere was a memory of an ancient building with a plastered dome. Far from it.\nThe toponym was derived from the fact that the villagers knew they could dig in\nthe field to unearth lumps of gypsum plaster, for re-smelting when they needed to\nre-furbish the plastered dome of B\u0101b\u0101\nY\u0101dg\u0101r<\/em>\u2019s tomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digging at Gach\nGumbad<\/em> was initially as equally frustrating as in Tepe Rash<\/em> fields, because there were masses of baked brick wall\nremnants still standing below ground, but no signs of any pottery. Making the\ndecision to blitz down beside one wall in the quest for potsherds lower down, I\nreacted with total surprise, blurting out something like \u201cMy god, the wall is decorated\nwith plaster ornament!\u201d Alongside the wall we unearthed large pieces of\narchitectural stucco decoration that had fallen down into the room from higher\nup, probably from somewhere just below the ceiling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Digging in the field of Gach Gumbad<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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15. Exposure of a decorated wall<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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16. Workman and excavated ornament<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the space of a week, we unearthed and registered 48\neclectic pieces of architectural ornament. Some of the figural designs had a\nstrong sense of Sasanian art. Others had a much more ancient feel. This I attributed\nto the architect using \u2018archaising\u2019 elements (that is, a deliberate use of\nolder designs from the Parthian era). The association of Qal\u2018eh-i Yazdig\u012brd<\/em> with the Sasanian king of that name did not seem\nplausible, given the reality of Yazdigird III\u2019s reign. But I was drawn to the\ndescription by medieval Arab geographers of a palace in the area built by the\nfamous Sasanian King Bahr\u0101m G\u016br, <\/em>and\nmused about the idea of it being reflected in \u2018Yazdigird\u2019s Castle\u2019. As a\nresult, in 1967, I published a potential 5th<\/sup> century CE date for the\nQal\u2018eh-i Yazdig\u012brd<\/em> ruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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17. Intertwined winged beasts.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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18. Senmurv-Gryphon<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Canadian Expeditions 1975-79<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years later, I was able to revisit the site,\nleading a Canadian archaeological team from the Royal Ontario Museum. Due to the work of the 1975 and 1976 seasons, the Sasanian picture began\nto disintegrate. Rather than reflecting archaic designs, the architectural\ndecorations could increasingly be judged as genuinely of Parthian age. Those\nelements with a strong Sasanian feel could now be seen as \u2018futuristic\u2019 (that\nis, anticipating later Sasanian art styles). The main challenge now became how\nto explain the existence of a lavishly ornamented palace set within an\nimpregnable stronghold in the Parthian era. The area has few significant\nnatural resources of its own to generate the kind of wealth necessary to\nsponsor such a stronghold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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19. Canadian team and local workmen in 1975<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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20. Male in tunic wearing a Scythian cap<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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21. Stony landscape<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Late Parthian government was often weak and fragmented,\nits state territory shrinking in extent. But potentially there were riches to\nbe gleaned from caravans that carried goods along the famous Silk Road as they\napproached the \u2018Zagros Gates\u2019 pass, just a short distance from the Zardeh tableland.\nQal\u2018eh-i Yazdig\u012brd<\/em> could now be interpreted\ntheoretically as the stronghold of an unknown Parthian warlord who dominated\nthis important ancient caravan route. Secure from attack by the Parthian King\nof Kings, the warlord could enjoy a lavish lifestyle so long as he could\nmaintain an independent position, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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22. Zardeh tableland seen from the Silk Road<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In 1978, the Canadian expedition expanded the quest to\nlearn more about the lifestyle of the Parthian warlord, beyond the phenomenon\nof his richly ornamented palace. But unexpectedly, when stones were cleared\nfrom one of the fields to complete construction of the dig-house facilities \u2013\nthe Sasanians suddenly came back into the picture. For the pile of stones\nturned out to be on top of the remnant of a once domed Zoroastrian fire-temple.\nThis was a classic feature of the Sasanian era when Zoroastrianism was adopted\nas the state symbol of the new state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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23. Beginning excavation of the Sasanian fire-temple in autumn 1978<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The notion that the fire-temple was sponsored by the Sasanians can be reinforced by the fact that when they seized power in Iran from the Parthians in the early 3rd<\/sup> century CE, they established a much firmer state authority. Construction of the fire-temple can be seen as an official declaration that the era of the independent Parthian warlord was now over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iranian Heritage Organization Operations 2007-2010<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2007 The Iranian Heritage Organization funded an\noperation, directed by Yousef Moradi, to explore and restore heritage sites\nbetween the Rijab and the Zardeh tableland. Part of that project was aimed at learning\nmore about the Parthian era palace of Gach\nGumbad<\/em>, including some stabilization of the buried walls as they were\nexposed. The program was also directed towards halting potential damage to the fire-temple\nsite (Gach D\u0101war<\/em>), due to\nencroachment upon it by the growing new village of B\u0101n Gomeh. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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24. Gach Dawar fire-temple flanked by a school in 2010<\/em><\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n