Peculiarity of the Deilaman Distinct in the Pathian Period

The Distribution of Fine Ware on the Southwest Caspian Coast during and after Iron Age IV

Abstract

From the Deilaman distinct and the Halimehjan distinct of northern Iran. Distinctive Parthian pottery has been excavated. For that reason, it has been thought that the southwest Caspian coast, which contains these two areas, in this period, was very isolated and peculiar. But this kind of pottery did not find in the other areas of the Southwest Caspian coast by the recent investigation. Furthermore, other kinds of pottery, which reveal a relationship with other regions, has been excavated and prospected from these areas.
 This paper re-exaines the regional variability of the pottery of the southwest Caspian coast and the position of this region, especially that of the Deilaman distinct taking into account new and unpublished material. As a result, it is shown that, at least in Iron Age IV, the Deilaman distinct shared some part of its material culture with other areas including the political center. Also in this region, each neightoring areas shared some fine ware. Probably because of this situation, the fine ware itself was diverse. Then, in the Parthian period, a distinctive, very local pottery assemblage emerged. It is important to note that this assemblage was more limited in period and region, and at the same time, the regional variation in the pottery was more complex and fluid than was previously assumed. One can say that such pottery distribution is characteristic of the southwest Caspian coast in this period.