Quaternary Journal of Iran

Abstract Introduction
Qaleh Kurd cave is located in the village of the same name in the vicinity of Hesar Valiasr village, Avaj city, Qazvin province. This cave is located on the route between Zagros and Iranian Central Plateau and along one of the proposed corridors of scattered human groups in the Iranian Plateau (Vahdati Nasab et al., 2013; Dennell, 2020; Shoaee et al., 2021). The first archaeological study in the cave was conducted in 2013, in which a small surface collection of 35 stone tools on the surface was studied and attributed to the Middle Paleolithic era (Soleimani and Ali Beigi, 2018).
With the initial investigation of the walls of the pits caused by unauthorized excavations and the presence of cultural materials and animal remains in the cave, the first idea about the possibility of exploring this area was formed. The first examination in Qaleh Kurd cave was conducted in 2017 by some of the authors (HVN & GB). Consequently, the joint Iran-France mission under the supervision of (Vahdati Nasab, Berillon and Hashemi) conducted three archaeological field mission in there (2018, 2019, 2022). It is worth mentioning that here we only present data collected during the first two seasons.
Some of the major goals of conducting field missions in Qaleh Kurd are: Investigating the Paleolithic deposits, how the site was formed, comparing lithic industries with other Middle Paleolithic sites of Iran, reconstructing the diet of cave dwellers and trying to obtain human remains. The purpose of this article is to describe the techno-typological aspects of lithic collections recovered from 2018 and 2019 missions and to compare it with the lithic industries of Zagros, and the sites from the Iranian Central Plateau.
Materials and Method
The stratigraphy of the trench 1 wall indicates the existence of two distinct sequences, Holocene and Pleistocene, and the identification of 25 stratigraphic units (1 to 9 related to the Holocene and 10 to 25 related to the Pleistocene). The preliminary results of dating samples taken from 30 cm from the beginning of the Pleistocene layer in Trench 1 indicate an age beyond the range of carbon-14 dating (43,500 years ago). Therefore, in the continuation of the research, the ESR method was used for the dating of cultural materials (especially animal teeth). It is worth mentioning that at the time of writing this article, the above-mentioned chronology is being finalized and the preliminary results indicate an age of more than 300.000 BP for the Pleistocene deposits, which will soon be published in separate research.
The subject of the present research includes the stone artifacts obtained from the exploration of the first and second seasons. In total, 1257 stone artifacts were obtained from excavations in trenches 1 and 3. In this study, the data obtained from Trench 1, the largest explored trench, is presented. The excavation dimensions in trench 1 were 1.2966 square meters in the first season and 6.195 square meters in the second season.
Quantitative characteristics, typological information and technology of tools have been recorded and studied. In a general classification, stone artifacts include tools, debitage, core and core fragments, and debris. According to the stratigraphic information of trench 1, the Pleistocene sequence of Qaleh Kurd is divided into fifteen sedimentological units and five successive archaeological subdivisions. The division of archaeological periods is based on sedimentological studies, changes in the density of stone artifacts and animal remains, and data distribution in depth.
The first period or the late period (QK 1) starts from about -50 to -80 cm (Z) of trench 1 and includes sedimentological units 12 and 11. Unit 11 in the eastern wall of Trench 1 consists of gravelly sand silt with pebbles and flat unlayered gravels with charcoal remains. Unit 12 also includes sandy silt with a number of calcite gravels, a matrix with low compression and more compactness. QK 2, or the middle period, starts from the depth of -80 and continues to the depth of -105. This course is in line with unit 13. This unit in the south wall of Trench 1 has a light brown color and debris pieces and quiet dynamics. Unit 13 on the eastern wall of Trench 1 has sand-silt with many pebbles and flat calcite debris. QK 3 starts from the depth of -105 and continues to the depth of -130. This course includes units 14, 15 and 16. Unit 14 in the south wall of Trench 1 consists of clayey silt with gravel and is brown in color. Unit 15 includes organic silt and unit 16 includes silt (clay). In Unit 16, we see gravel, calcite nodules and ancient soil. On the eastern wall of Trench 1, silt with gravel in unit 14 and silt with organic clay in units 15 and 16 are evident.
The raw materials of Qaleh Kurd stone artifacts are diverse, including limestone rich in silica, jasper, chert group, volcanic stones such as basalt, a limited number of marbles, radiolarite, clay and quartzite. The most used raw materials in all the phases of Qaleh Kurd are siliceous stones rich in lime, so that in the first period 22.5%, in the second period 20.5% and in the third period 32.1% of artifacts are built on limestone.
 
Conclusions
In Qaleh Kurd lithic complex, the cores are very limited and it seems that the initial steps of chipping were done outside the area. A variety of raw materials have been used in this collection, and the three aforementioned Qaleh Kurd periods show different abundances in the use of raw materials. In this area, sidescrapers are the most abundant type of tools, after that we are faced with a significant abundance of points and convergent scrapers. The studies conducted on the quantitative characteristics, typological and technological indicators of the stone artifacts showed that in terms of dimensions and quantitative characteristics, the lithics of the first, second and third periods of the cave demonstrate no difference, but the dimensions of the blades are somewhat different from each other. The comparison of the abundance of raw materials, extractions, platform typologies, and Levallois technique between the periods shows the difference of the third period from other periods to some extent. In this period, we see a high accumulation of lithics compared to other periods, this can be due to the intensity of settlement in this period of the site.
The results of the comparison of Qaleh Kurd stone artifacts with other Middle Paleolithic sites show that Qaleh Kurd cave in the extent of using the Levallois technique, the abundance of scrapers, especially sidescrapers, the abundance of points, especially the Mousterian points, the faint presence of notch/denticulates and, the intensity of retouching and the abundance of flaked base debitages show a closer proximity to the Zagros sites.

Abstract Introduction

This paper deals with the chlorite stones obtained from the latest archeological researches at the Konar Sandal site, Jiroft in order to determining the chemical and mineralogical composition and identifying their provenance. The chlorite objects are the most distinctive cultural material from the Jiroft civilization (generally dated back to the third millennium BC). These luxury items have been recognized as an indicator of the connections and interactions in southwest Asia during Bronze Age. Scholars of the ancient Near East have long recognized that the Iranian plateau was a source for these valuable materials. Although the soft green chlorite objects have been found in a wide range from the Indian subcontinent to northern Mesopotamia, these finds were produced in the Halil River Basin for local utilization rather than export. In this paper, some fragments of chlorite vessels recovered from the plundered graveyard of Konar Sandal South are chosen for archaeometric analyses. Also, some samples from newly found mines of the Faryab region (south of the Jiroft plain) have been analyzed for the provenance of the ancient objects of Konar Sandal.



Methods and Results

Petrological and petrographical methods, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were used to identify the mineralogical and geochemical structure of chlorites and the possible relationship of these materials with the chlorite mines in the Faryab region. Clustering of the results will be interpreted through statistical methods. Polarizd light microscope has been used inorder to characterize the fabrication and texture of the stones in both plane polarized and cross polarized light. For determining the crystalline phase constituents powder patterns of rocks were measured. The characterization of the crystalline phases of the rocks (QXRD), allows the classification of the samples by the different structures. X-ray flouresence has used for the determination of the bulk chemical composition of the rocks. The major, minor and trace elements measured as oxides, and the correlation between the main oxide constituents tend to allow a good classification of the archaeological samples to the stones from the mines. An ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) systems has used to undertake an analytical technique that can be used to measure elements at trace levels in some archaeological and stones from the mines.



Results and Discussion

Iconography, production, provenance, exchange and circulation of chlorite vessels have been topic of many researches in the recent decades. Philip Kohl has deeply studied these studies. Philip Kohl has conducted various studies based on physical and chemical analyses on carved and uncarved samples of chlorite from Tepe Yahya and from outcrops or source samples collected in the mountains immediately north and west of the site and from these vessels found on sites stretching from Mesopotamia into south-western Iran (Susa) and across the Iranian plateau. His studies demonstrated that most of the vessels carved in this distinctive style were indeed made of chlorite and not the related soft stone steatite to which they had been mistakenly attributed. Another archaeometric analysis on the resource of chlorite in the Jiroft region was done by Emami and his colleagues (2017) which resulted in identifying some ancient mines in the western mountains of the Jiroft region which were used by the craftsmen of Konar Sandal. The present research on the chlorite mines of the south of Jiroft region, particularly the Faryab region, introduced new mines which could be used by the craftsmen of the Jiroft civilization in the early Bronze Age. Interestingly, similarities in the mineralogical and geochemical composition of chlorites obtained from Konar Sandal South graveyard and Faryab mines introduce the Faryab mineralogical zone in the south of Kerman as one of the provenances this stone. It seems that further geo-archaeological investigations can identify more ancient mines and mineralogical zones of chlorite in the Kerman Province.



Conclusion

Investigated chlorite objects and stones were examined in order to find any relationship between Konar Sandal and rock samples from Sikhoran mine and Nazari mine in central Faryab orogeny (Mehrouiyeh). On the basis of chemical analysis and measurement of trace elements by XRF and ICP methods, as well as petrology and phase studies, it was determined that Faryab mine played a key role for fabrication of these chlorite stones in the third millennium. Analytical results have approved that the amount of major oxides e.g. MgO and FeO, as well as minor elements e.g. Ca, P, Ti, Sr, were to be an essential factor for clustering of the materials and their origin.

The distinctive features of the quarried stone from Faryab district assumed in good potential correlation with the analyzed samples from south Konar Sandel Cemetery (especially in the M4 and M3 samples). The result is reliable with the results of XRD analysis and thin section petrography of the samples. XRD phase analysis of the rocks from the mines were assumed that the rocks mostly consist of clinochlore, tephrite, spinel and olivine, which have obviously approved the same phase composition within the samples of south Konar Sandal cemetery. Based on petrography, mineralogical and textural observations, the rocks of the region are mainly composed of magnesium-containing olivines, serpentine peridotites and sometimes opaque particles with spinel chemical composition, e.g., magnetite and chromspinel.

The extension of producing and trade of chlorite from southeast to the Punjab valley of Pakistan can be expressed by means of excessive diversity regarding the condition of metamorphism (hydrothermal and proximity) of the chlorite rocks in the southeast of Iranian plateau. In this case, the rock feeding source for the production of chlorite stone artefacts and containers in Halil Rood area is much more diverse than what we know. However, since the Faryab mines are located in an area as cross-cultural bridge between the Persian Gulf to Mesopotamia, the importance of influential economic factors, trade and exchange of chlorite is among the most important case studies in the third millennium BC Iran.

Abstract The region of Soumar in the province of Kermanshah is archaeologically important because it lies between the two major cultural zones of Mesopotamia and Central Zagros. Nevertheless, it has remained unknown to the scholarship. This region, consisting mainly of a small alluvial and flood plain, connects the lowlands of Mesopotamia with the highlands of the Zagros. Therefore, it seemed to provide a considerable amount of archeological evidence, especially with regard to the diachronic cultural relations between these two main regions.
In the winter of 2015, a survey was conducted as part of a salvage project to record archeological finds in the region. As the result 53 sites, including open-air and mounded-sites, cemeteries, and bridges, were identified. They presented finds dating from the early Paleolithic to the late Islamic period. Analysis showed that there was an intense relationship with the nearby Mesopotamian lowlands since the early 6th millennium BC. Moreover, settlements were established either along the Gangir River or on the surrounding hills. This may indicate a coexistence of seasonal and year-round settlements over time. It is thought that Soumar was a connecting route between Mesopotamia and the Zagros and that nomadic pastoralists may have played an important role in this regard.

Abstract Paleoclimatological studies of the Caspian Sea play an important role in the study of human reactions in the face of environmental changes. The matching of the advances and retreats of the Caspian Sea in the periods of the new Khvalnin advance, the Mengishlek advance, the Neo-Caspian advance, and the aftermath of the event 8400 years ago are among the ancient climatic events of the Caspian Sea, which are almost the same as the archeological periods of the Old Mesolithic, New Mesolithic, and Neolithic. They are at the same time. This comparative study is the first step in understanding the effects of the environment on the life of Mesolithic and Neolithic societies in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. Archaeological data, especially animal data, show that the prehistoric societies of the mentioned region reacted to the advance and retreat of sea water by changing their livelihoods and adapted themselves well to the environment. The environment of the studied area has been rich in terms of food resources. For this reason, climate change does not seem to have a great impact on their settlement and livelihood. Another point is that the process of petrification and the beginning of domestication, under the influence of these environmental conditions, can be explained as the management of wild species and food production at a low level.

Abstract With the advancement of knowledge and technology, this has led to liberalization and public access to medium and large-scale spatiotemporal data in a variety of spectra. What resulted in more than three decades of continuous monitoring of the earth's crust from above the atmosphere in different orbits by multisensory satellites is now set on a public platform and are accessible for research, government and commercial use. Unlimited access to all pre-existing location-based data, the ability to schedule and process very quickly in the server's cloud environment with pre-prepared samples and the ability to load data in addition to what is available in the server, opened a new perspective on redefining the use of multisensory and server satellite data in recent years.  The process and quality of producing server-based thematic maps is in absolute dependence on the input data, both pre-existing and generated data, in the course of the geological study process.Choosing a suitable platform for processing information, spectral data and radar of satellite images and even using aerial photographs appropriate to the desired scale has a significant and undeniable role in preparing and increasing the accuracy of the initial map. It is natural to achieve the maximum and possible final accuracy in the verification process by repeating step by step field observations and sampling and, of course, combining it several times with laboratory results.Rehabilitation and optimization of age, lithological and geochemical data of each separated rock unit, in addition to using reasoned and significant information published from the integration of laboratory data obtained from sampling performed in multiple stages of field control will come.Field verification based on the initial map, the possibility of access and targeted observation of one or more times separated from each rock unit resulting from the process of data processing and satellite image, not only in the quadrilateral area of ​​the map, but even beyond the study area cover. The nature of layered and multiple processing of spatial information and its online integration with pre-existing data, both in the area and in the surrounding areas, are among the factors that determine the final uncertainty coefficient in proportion to the amount and accuracy of processed information and data set. Doing this process not only improves the accuracy and uncertainty of server-based second-generation geological maps from qualitative coefficient (speculation) to numerical coefficient, but also determines the error coefficient of each unit relative to the surrounding unit. Clearly, however, at the end of this stage, not only is it possible to edit and correct (manually) point-by-point map correlations with satellite and aerial imagery with higher accuracy, which is necessary. It should be noted again that there is no doubt that the degree of accuracy and the final uncertainty coefficient depend on the accuracy and clarity of input data, quantity and quality of field surveys and at the end of case editing and correction of the map in proportion to the output scale of the target map. With this introduction, the aim of this project is to formulate and develop new methodologies to prepare geological thematic maps based on pre-existing satellite data and cloud computing process on the public servers such as GEE combined with field and laboratory controls. Second generation geological-thematic maps are: rapidity of studies, integration of legends and geological units, significant reduction in the use of instrumental analysis, simultaneous saving of the process of updating information production with precision and global standards. The 1: 100000 scale geological map of the Kavire-e Lut is the first of eleven geological sheets prepared with this new protocol. The map includes a collection of volcanic, pyroclastic and sedimentary rock deposits from Triassic to Quaternary in the western part of Lut block within the scope of the work active seismic fault performance of Nayband.

Abstract Background and objectives: The study of loess sediments and loess-derived soils, which cover approximately 10% of the Earth's surface, is of considerable importance because of their potential to provide information on the paleoenvironment, particularly during the Quaternary. The northeastern region of Iran, with its unique climatic archive, is of significant importance as a repository of Quaternary period deposits, attracting much attention from Iranian and international scientists in recent decades. Considering that soil forms in response to interactions among the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, it potentially contains physical, biological, and chemical environmental information at the time of its formation. The process of becoming loess sediments into paleosol depends on various factors such as vegetation, weather, topography, microbial activity, and time, so paleosols have the potential to restore the paleoenvironment by maintaining the effect of these factors. Therefore, studying soils derived from loess can enhance our knowledge and understanding of past climatic conditions in the region and the world. Studying undistributed soils using microscopic techniques can provide valuable information for understanding the environmental and climatic conditions during the formation of derived soils from loess (paleosols). One of the quantitative methods for studying micromorphology samples is the use of indices such as MISECA, which indicate the degree of paleosol evolution. By using this index, we can have an approximate estimation of paleoprecipetation. The main aim of this research is to reconstruct the precipitation amount during the formation of late Pleistocene paleosols in the eastern part of Golestan province, using micromorphological studies.
Materials and Methods: In order to conduct this research, after field visits, a profile of approximately 55 meters was excavated to examine the identified loess-palaeosol sequences. Then, undisturbed samples were obtained from each horizon to prepare thin sections, and the samples were impregnated under vacuum conditions using a combination of resin, acetone, and catalyst. After the samples hardened, a thin section was cut from them and affixed to a glass slide. The thin sections were then polished using sandpaper until a thickness of 30 microns was achieved. The prepared thin sections were studied using a polarizing microscope.
Results and discussion: Micromorphological analysis of the samples revealed that the presence of horizons rich in calcium carbonate and clay in well-developed paleosols has a significant relationship with increased precipitation.  Micromorphological studies showed that the coarse to fine (C/F) relative distributed results showed that the amount of it in loess horizons and weakly developed paleosols are 4/6 or 3/7 but this ratio in moderately and well-developed paleosols become smaller in comparison with loess horizons, indicating the weathering and leaching of primary minerals in loess sediments and their transformation into secondary minerals in paleosols. Furthermore, with increasing paleosol evolution, the microstructure of the samples changed from massive to subangular blocky and then to angular blocky. Therefore, the results of examined microstructure in the samples showed that it can be one of the important factors for identifying paleosols from loess horizons and paleoenvironment conditions. Based on the data obtained from the MISECA index, the degree of paleosol development ranged from weakly developed (MISECA index was smaller than 8) to well developed (MISECA index was bigger than 16). The estimated paleoprecipitation amount using this index showed that paleosols with weak development formed under climatic conditions with precipitation less than 500 mm per year, while paleosols with moderate and well developed formed under climatic conditions with average precipitation of 500 to 800 mm per year and more than 800 mm per year, respectively.
Conclusion: Considering that soils are formed as a result of interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, they potentially contain physical, biological, and chemical information about past environmental conditions. Therefore, by studying the Late Pleistocene loess-paleosol sequences in Golestan province, it is possible to reconstruct past climatic changes in northeastern Iran. The micromorphological investigation of the loess-paleosol sequence under study showed that the processes of transfer and deposition of clay and secondary calcium carbonate and the subsequent creation of horizons rich in clay and secondary calcium carbonate are among the most important pedogenic processes in well-developed soils. Micromorphology can be a useful tool for investigating the paleoclimate and paleoenvironments conditions during the formation time of paleosols. The results showed that the use of the MISECA index can be a valid and logical method for evaluating the degree of paleosol development.

Abstract This research was conducted in order to evaluate the level of heavy metal contamination of the soils in the vicinity of the Yellow Flower lead and zinc mine. For this purpose, heavy metals of 33 surface soil samples of the mining area were analyzed with AAS flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The indices of origin and determination of the degree of pollution including enrichment index (Ef), accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution index (Cf) were calculated to evaluate soil contamination with heavy metals. According to the results, the average concentration of heavy metals including scandium, arsenic, yttrium, cadmium, copper, nickel, vanadium, chromium, lead, barium, manganese and zinc are 20.93, 28.19, 35.84, 56.2, and 90 respectively. 63/69, 71/69, 141/39, 176/39, 197/22, 404/87, 475/55, 492/27 mg/kg, where zinc is the highest and scandium is the lowest. Also, the results showed that the studied area has no general pollution with heavy metals. The concentration of some heavy metals such as lead, zinc and cadmium is very high in some places, which has caused the soil pollution to increase. This issue is due to the type of minerals in the mining area, including sphalerite and galena

Abstract Plio-Quaternary volcanic units are located in different regions of Azerbaijan in the north-west of Iran. Field observations show the placement of volcanic materials in connection with linear geo-structural structures such as fractures and main faults and the axis of young folds. The studied rocks include basalt, basaltic andesite, trachyandesite, trachyte, dacite, rhyodacite and rhyolite, which are from the calc-alkaline and alkaline magma series with high potassium. Young basaltic lavas are composed of basalt, olivine-basalt, tephrite, which belong to the alkaline magma series. The studied samples show enrichment in K, Ba, Rb, Th, U, Cs. Investigating the chemical behavior of chromium, nickel, cobalt, Ti, V and MgO against SiO₂ indicates the pollution process. LREE enrichment and HREE depletion indicate that the magma of these rocks originated from the asthenosphere mantle with a garnet source and a low relative melting degree. The positive anomalies of Cs, U, Ba, Rb, and K and the low negative anomalies of Ta, Nb, and Eu in the basaltic samples can be interpreted as crustal contamination. Examining the effects of AFC shows that the contamination process played an important role in the formation of magmas. Medium acidic volcanic units are cut by lamprophyre dykes in some areas.  Examining the tectonic structures of the samples indicates volcanic arcs after the collision.

Abstract Introduction

The subject of paleoclimatology has various aspects of study importance, one of these aspects is in the field of archaeological studies. Archaeologists need accurate and clear information about the environmental and climatic conditions of that region in the past to understand the development of cultures and the rise and fall of civilizations. Lakes provide high-sensitivity and high-resolution documents and evidence, which are required for studying climatic changes and sedimentary environments at the global level. Furthermore, aeolian deposits in lacustrine environments, because of recording drought periods and dust storms, are valuable archives of paleoenvironmental conditions. In this research, to investigate Hamoun as an important water source in the southeast region of Iran, to discover the relationship between climate conditions and several thousand years old civilization in the Shahre-sokhte.



Meterials and Methods

In the present study, besides collecting the previous data, it was attempted to sample three intact sedimentary cores with the maximum depth of 7.3 m and total depth of above 20 m, from the sediments of the lakebed by auger. Sedimentary facies were separated based on their color, grain size; sedimentary composition, grain shape, and type of evaporate minerals.



Results

Regarding the percentage of the particles existing in the sediments of Hamun's bed (depth of up to 7 m), the sediment types were determined in accordance with their frequencies as follows: slightly gravelly sandy mud, sandy mud, sand, slightly gravelly sand, muddy sand, mud, gravelly mud, muddy sandy gravel, sandy silt, silty clay, and clay. Sorting the aeolian sediments was obtained through IGSD equal to 0.75, which was located in the moderate-to-good range. The average skewness in sediments of the taken cores was 0.15, which indicated skewness toward very fine particles. Also, the average kurtosis for the sample taken from pneumatic sand zones was equal to 1.3 (kurtic). The variations in the values of the parameters of some of the samples were due to the combination of different aquatic and aeolian processes in some parts of the sandy zones. Furthermore, the presence of the sediments with moderate to good sorting as well as kurtosis and skewness toward the very fine-grained particles indicated the supply of sediments mainly with aeolian origin and, in some cases, with fluvial origin.



Discussion

As previously mentioned, activity of the dominant winds of the region is from north toward northwest. Existence of the heights in the west of Hamun, which sometimes reaches 1700m, acts as an obstacle against the dominant winds. In this regard, existence of Rudbandan Valley can act as a channel for the passage of the winds, and reinforce and channelize the winds. This factor can also justify the high thickness of the aeolian sediments at the crater of Rudbandan delta (core H-2). Another effective factor is the feeding of Helmand and Sabari hamuns by rivers of the drainage basin (Helmand and Farah rivers). The sediments of Hamun's lakebed demonstrate the dominance of the aquatic facies; however, such conditions are more prominent for Hamun-e-Helmand due to the great area of the drainage basin and high water volume of Helmand River. Therefore, we can see the alternation of the lacustrine facies (with dominant thickness), fluvial facies (sediments of river channel), and aeolian facies in the core H-3, which are reduced along the sediments toward the cores H-1 and H-2 and is gradually converted into the marginal lacustrine and fluvial (mainly floodplain) as well as aeolian environments (especially in the core H-2). In the core H-2, due to the low area of the drainage basin of Rudbandan, low sedimentary input, and high intensity of the dominant winds, the aeolian sediments are dominant. It seems that the sedimentation rate in the late-Holocene drought period has been very high due to the high volume of the aeolian sediments, or probably no intense erosion has occurred after the sedimentation. In other words, after the drought 4.5 ka BP in Hamun, no intense drought with severe erosion has occurred. The windiness conditions of the region in the late-Holocene have been comparable to the current 120-day winds. However, the case is different for the aeolian sediments found at the depth of 4.5 m, which is equivalent to the drought event of 800 BP and has coarser grains and less thickness. It seems that, due to the high intensity, the power of carrying has been very high, and probably again influenced by erosion after the sedimentation so that a part of the sediments has been re-carried while leaving slight thickness (40 cm). The presence of the sequence of aeolian sediments and lack of plant and animal relicts imply the complete drying of the lakebed in a certain period so that, in this period, sedimentation of the aeolian deposits has been catastrophically concordant with the sedimentation of the silty and muddy deposits of the floodplain sediments.

The existence of brown-colored coarse-grained pneumatic sand particles during the early to mid-Holocene period (8.2 ka BP) indicated the occurrence of intense storms in Sistan Basin. Sequence of the fine- and very fine-grained pneumatic sands at the depth of 2.5 m represented the presence of the winds similar to the current "120-day winds" in Sistan plain. Moreover, in this study, two major drought periods (8.2 and 4.5 ka BP) were identified in Holocene sediments of the lakebeds of Hamun-e-Helmand and Hamun-e-Sabari, which indicated drying and expansion of the aeolian sediments on Hamun's lakebed. The subject of paleoclimatology has various aspects of study importance, one of these aspects is in the field of archaeological studies. Archaeologists need accurate and clear information about the environmental and climatic conditions of that region in the past in order to better understand the development of cultures and the rise and fall of civilizations. One of the important issues in this regard is the role of environmental changes over time and its impact on human livelihood and settlement. The decline of the ancient civilization of the burnt city, it shows a good correspondence with the dry period 4500 years ago. Which lasted about 500 to 700 years.

Abstract Introduction
The studied area is located in edge of southern Central Alborz between important faults of the north Tehran, Mosha, Taleghan, Ipak and Eshtehard and includes significant earthquakes. In this research, the tectonic activity rate of the region has been evaluated using geomorphological indicators.

Materials and methods

In order to assess the relative tectonic activity through the study area, sub-basins and stream network were extracted by using Arc Hydro Tools software (an extension of Arc GIS software, ESRI) based on the DEM and in turn, 23 sub-basins have been resulted. The active tectonic 5 geomorphologic indices were used as follow: Stream length–gradient index (SL), Asymmetric factor (Af), hierarchical anomaly index (Δa), concavity index and normalized steepness index.
 
Stream Length–Gradient Index (SL): The SL index indicates an equation between erosive processing as streams and rivers flow and active tectonics. The SL is defined by Eq. (1) 
SL= (∆H/∆Lr) Lsc.    (1)
 Where ΔH is change in altitude, ΔLr is the length of a reach, and Lsc is the horizontal length from the watershed divide to midpoint of the reach. The SL index can be used to evaluate relative tectonic activity.  The quantities of the SL index were computed along the streams for all sub-basins.
 
 Asymmetric Factor (Af): The asymmetric factor (Af) is a way to evaluate the existence of tectonic tilting at the scale of a drainage basin. The method may be applied over a relatively large area. Af is defined by Equation (2).
Af= 100(Ar/At)        (2)
Where Ar is the area of the basin to the right (facing downstream) of the trunk stream and at is the total area of the drainage basin. If the value of this factor is close to 50, the basin has a stable condition with little or tilting; while values above or below 50 may result from basin tilting, resulting from tectonic activity or other geological conditions such as lithological structure.
 
Hierarchical anomaly index (Δa): The hierarchical anomalies index is calculated based on the number of hierarchical anomalies expressed by Equation (3).
 
Hai→j= 2^(j-2)−2^(i-2)              (3)
Where i is the primary stream, j is end stream and Hai → j the number of hierarchical anomalies of each stream. The number of hierarchical anomalies has been calculated in Equation (4).
 
Ha_t= Σ (Ha_i →j × Ns_i →j)              (4)
 
Where (Ns_i → j) is the total number of streams entering the high-level streams. The index Δa is expressed by the following relationship.
 
Δa=Ha_t/ N₁                                     (5)
 
Where Ha_t is the number of the hierarchical anomaly and N₁ is the number of first-order segments of the streams.
 
Normalized steepness index and Concavity index: Flint’s empirical power-law defines the river profile in a steady-state: S=K_SA^-θ       (6)
Where S, Ks, A, and θ indicate the slope, the steepness index, the drainage area, and stream concavity, respectively. In addition, Ks and θ are directly computed by the regression analysis of the slope-area data. Further, a steady-state landscape demonstrates that erosion, incision, and uplift rates are equal and stable over time. Different empirical studies indicated a direct relationship between the values of the steepness index (Ksn) and the bedrock erosion rate or rock uplift rate in the steady-state of river systems.
 
K_S= (E/K)^{( 1/n)}                           (7)
 
Where E denotes the uplift of the bedrock and K indicates the erosion coefficient which relies on the climatic and morphotectonics conditions of the area. Finally, n represents a positive exponent which is associated with the predominant erosion process of the area.  In the present study, Ksn was normalized to a reference concavity θref = 0.45 these parameters were implemented to fit a steady-state stream power solution to individual river longitudinal profiles in Matlab (Topotoolbox). The best profile was obtained from the matching of the uplift rate (U = E) or erosion (K) and the predicted rate. Furthermore, normalized steepness and concavity indices were determined using the longitudinal profile of the river.
 

Results and discussion

In this research, 5 morphological indicators related to the river channel and drainage basin were calculated for each basin, and for each of the 23 sub-basins, the rate of tectonic activity was defined for each of the indicators. The indices represent a quantitative approach to differential geomorphic analysis related to erosion and depositional processes which include the river channel and valley morphology as well as tectonically derived features, such as fault scarps. We also evaluated the outputs of the morphometric analyses based on field-based geomorphological observations. Thus, these results are proved to be extremely beneficial to evaluate relative rates of active tectonics of this region. The values of morphological indicators show that the basins with high tectonic activity have a good match with the main faults of the region, such as North Tehran, Mosha, Taleghan and Ipak faults and show high correlation with observed landforms during the field investigations such as the fault gorges, Strath terraces, multiple elevated alluvial terraces and knickpoints.
 

Conclusion

 
In this study, geomorphic indicators were used to investigate the tectonic activity of the region and it was found that the studied region has high tectonic activity along the North Tehran, Mosha, Taleghan, Emamzadeh Davoud and Ipak fault zones.

Abstract One of the important steps in the protection, management and sustainable exploitation of geological phenomena and complications (geosites) is to identify and determine the characteristics of the sites (listing) and then their quantitative evaluation (prioritization). Therefore, it is necessary to provide a systematic, integrated and localized system to list and evaluate geosites in the country. The mentioned article presents the native method of listing and quantitative evaluation of geosites in the country based on review, study, collection and integration of the best researches and published international studies and expert experiences of the authors, interviews with specialists and geological heritage experts in the country. In this research, by studying and reviewing previous studies in the field of geosites evaluation, the best methods were selected and the most frequently used and most frequent evaluation criteria were calculated. Also, the main themes were determined as evaluation indicators from the theme analysis method and based on the interviews conducted with relevant experts and specialists. In order to prioritize and weight the identified indicators, the table of coding results in the form of a closed questionnaire based on the Likert scale was again provided to the experts. In the definitions of the indicators, geological, geographical features, natural factors, as well as economic, social and cultural conditions of the country are considered. 

Abstract Intruduction
The discussions surrounding the Taimuran seal primarily focus on ancient production techniques, technologies, trade routes, and patterns. It explores the functionality of seals (within the structure and mechanisms of societal control) and the patterns of cultural and political interactions with neighboring powers, particularly those in southern Mesopotamia. The seals reported in Fars province are predominantly made of stone. Considering the aforementioned factors, the Taimuran seal findings are significant within the Tol-e Taimuran site. This discovery indicates a connection with eastern regions of Fars, specifically the Indus River Valley in terms of material composition, and with the elevated regions of Fars or Anshan (highlands) with Susa (lowlands) in terms of form. The main point of interest and inquiry regarding the Taimuran seal is the application of this discovery and the motif of the Taimuran seal as a distinctive finding in understanding the interactions among significant regions such as Shush and Anshan within the middle-Elamite region.
Tol-e Taimuran (Timaran) consists of two ridges at a distance of 90 meters from each other. The main oval Site with an area of 7 hectares with a west-east slope, is located in the southwest of the Koushk-e Tavabeh village neighborhood and 100 km northeast of the center of Fars province, with geographical coordinates 39 R 0718341 3292841 and 1579 m ASL.
Materials and methods
During the excavation in Tol-e Taimuran, Taimuran seal were found from Su15 in A operation. The most debatable characteristic of the Taimuran seal is its material. So far, no cylindrical seals made of organic materials have been recorded in Fars. Ivory is the most prominent material feature of the Taimuran seal. Other ivory objects have been reported at the ABC operation in Tol-e Malyan, but the cylindrical seals obtained from Tol-e Malyan did not have an organic composition. The lack of evidence such as sealing or beads makes it difficult to definitively determine the purpose of the Taimuran seal. In the longitudinal perforation section of the seal, traces of greenish patina are visible, and this factor plays a significant motif in determining the function of the Taimuran seal. It indicates the use of copper or bronze rods for suspending the mentioned seal. Considering factors such as material, motif, and uniqueness of the finding, it is challenging to determine whether the sealing or cosmetic. However, as mentioned earlier, some objects have had both functions simultaneously. An important point to note here is that unlike most Iron Age seals reported from graves, the Taimuran seal was found in a non-funerary context. The engraved design on the seal or its geometric style and material do not match with comparable cases (geometric style seals from the 2nd millennium BCE), which further contributes to its intriguing nature. The motif of this Susiana seal is evident, but the material of the finding is more similar to the seals from the Indus River Valley. A considerable number of seals with geometric styles comparable to the Taimuran seal have been identified in Susa.
Conclusion
The cylindrical seal of tol-e Taimuran can be considered as evidence that the connection with the lowlands of the Middle Elamite rule cannot be solely attributed to Tol-e Malyan, and this connection also existed with the easternmost known cultural area of Shogh Taimuran. The Taimuran seal are significant findings in understanding the cultural interactions in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE in the Anshan region as an important part of the middle-Elamite rule. With appropriate fieldwork activities, further conclusive evidence can be obtained regarding the connections between other sites in the Kur River Basin (Anshan) and the Susiana Plain within the middle-Elamite rule. The geometric motifs engraved on the Taimuran seal are not comparable to any of the ceramic motifs from the Shogha Taimuran culture, and the motif of this seal is more comparable to seals from western Iran, particularly the Susa region, indicating the importation of this artifact to Tol-e Taimuran. Finally, Palynology studies in the wetlands around the Kur River Basin suggest tangible climactic changes in this time period, serving as the major factor in the change of the settlement pattern in Shogha Taimuran sites significant aspect to contemplate regarding the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE and the formation of the middle-Elamite rule is the climate changes that played a crucial motif in the cultural interactions between the lowlands (Susa) and highlands (Anshan).