The provenance and distribution of Early Bronze ceramics in the Kolyaei Plain,central Zagros,Iran

Within Iran, there is little archaeological evidence for relationships between newly arrived Early Trans-Caucasian (ETC) or Kura-Araxes settlers and earlier inhabitants and contact with neighbouring cultures, or for their apparently abrupt end. Based on the evidence, the Iranian Kura-Araxes was not a simple ‘copy' of the Caucasian Kura-Araxes package. Ceramic traditions show local peculiarities, and all are elements suggesting that the Kura-Araxes traditions went through processes of adaptation, change and re-elaboration according to local tastes and technologies. In this study, an archaeometric approach to ceramics in the Kolyaei Plain of central Zagros contributes to the discussion of contact and exchange between indigenous communities and several cultural spheres of influence on the Early Bronze Age (beginning in the fourth millennium bce ). Morphological data, as well as the mineralogical and chemical composition of ceramics, were applied to determine the major and trace elements of the pottery shards. Based on the trace element profiles, it can be suggested that all the pottery shards are in the same group and they strongly are local products. The ceramic provenance indicates the same patterns of material interactions during the ETC or Kura-Araxes in all the sites within the Kolyaei Plain.     

Assessing Seismic Behavior of a Masonry Historic Building considering Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction (Case Study of Arge-Tabriz)

ABSTRACT

Historic heritage buildings are a part of historic basis of each society and an economic resource. Therefore, preserving and maintenance of these buildings are cultural, economic and social demand. This research investigates the seismic performance of a historical building named Arg of Tabriz (Arge Alishah) that dates back to 14th century and is located at the city center of Tabriz (NW of Iran). Static, modal, and finally nonlinear dynamic (time history) analysis were performed by both “Considering Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI)” and “fixed base (ignoring SSI)” Cases.

It is found from the results that, SSI extremely affects mode shapes and their frequencies and depending on the frequency content of the records, can has an incremental or decremental effect on structural responses. As expected, the building of Arg could carry gravity loads easily and despite its stability against earthquake loading in fixed base case, showed a weakness (especially in eastern and western walls direction) and overturned when it was analyzed in SSI case because of yielding of the surrounding soil.     

Reviews

Buzkashi: Game and Power in Afghanistan , G. Whitney Azoy, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982. 147pp.

The Lion and the Gazelle: The Mammals and Birds of Iran , P. N. Humphreys and E. Kahrom, Nr. Abergavenny: Comma International Biological Systems, 1995, 224 pp., hardcover, £ 28.00

Le combat du colombophile. Jeu aux pigeons et stigmatisation sociale (Kashâ yâ nabard‐e kabutarbâz) , Aladin Goushegir, Tehran: Institut français des études iraniennes, 1997, Bibliothèque Iranienne, No. 47, Tehran, 168 p.

“Die Sportlichen Qualifikationen der altiranischesn Fürsten” Stadion 2 (1976), Wolfgang Knauth

Tarikh‐i Kushti‐yi Iran , Mahdi‘Abbasi, Tehran: Intisharat‐i Majid, 1377/1998, 2nd ed., Nashr‐i Sipas. Four volumes, 555, 458, 525, 532 pp., index and illustrations.

The Ball and Polo Stick or The Book of Ecstasy, Gūy va chawgan ya Halnama , ‘Arifi. A parallel Persian‐English text edited and translated with an introduction by Wheeler M. Thackston, Jr. and Hossein Ziai, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda, 1999, xiii, 27 [=54] pp., notes pp. 29–33, ISBN 1–56859–090–3.     

Experimental Study on Postponing the Deboning of FRP Sheets in Masonry Walls

ABSTRACT

A large number of buildings all around the world are constructed of unreinforced masonry. These structures do not act well during earthquakes because of their vulnerable behavior. In last two decades, fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) has been used widely in seismic rehabilitation and strengthening unreinforced concrete and masonry structures. One important issue in using FRP composites for strengthening masonry walls is the inopportune debonding of composites from the wall surface; thus, in this article new methods are proposed to further delay the mentioned debonding issue. For this purpose, 13 masonry panels with 100x870x870 mm dimension are strengthened by using carbon and glass FRPs (CFRPs and GFRPs). A variety of strengthening methods such as surface preparation, boring, grooving, nailing, and plaster are used to mount FRP composites to the walls. For each specimen subjected to diagonal compression test, the loading level along with tensile and compressive diagonal displacements are evaluated. In order to assess the effect of FRP composites, four unreinforced masonry walls are tested as well. The results show 110% increase in ductility index of reinforced specimens compared to the unreinforced ones.