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The Chronology of the Third Cultural Period at Tepe Hissar
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2014
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Opinion remains divided on the question of the dating of Tepe Hissar III and Dr. C. F. A. Schaeffer's recent work on the comparative stratigraphy of Western Asia provides further backing for the acceptance of a late third millenium dating. This being so, although the writer has already put forward a number of points to support a relatively low dating, it is felt that a more thorough examination of the material available, and a clearer appreciation of its implications are necessary. It has been recognised that there are definite and undeniable links between Luristan, Giyan I, Sialk V and VI, and the whole Caucasian region from Persian Talish to Koban, and that this association must lie between 1800 and 1200. The question that has to be decided is—did the period Hissar III B and C also lie between these dates, or had it come to an end three hundred or more years prior to 1800?
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- Copyright © The British Institute for the Study of Iraq 1951
References
page 40 note 1 The chief general sources for the writing of this article are Geldern, R. Heine, Archaeological Traces of the Vedic Aryans, Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, IV, No. 2Google Scholar, and C. F. A. Schaeifer, Stratigraphie Comparée et Chronologe de l'Asie Occidentale, I am particularly indebted to Dr. Schaeifer for his well-reasoned clarification of the chronology of the Caucasus and of Luristan, which assisted me very greatly by providing the material essential to a fully co-ordinated picture. In addition to the sources acknowledged in the footnotes the following works were consulted: Albright, W. F., A Third Revision of the Early Chronology of Western Asia, B.A.S.O.R. 88Google Scholar; Childe, V. G., Eurasian Shaft-hole Axes, Eurasia Sept. Antiqua IXGoogle Scholar; The Orient and Europe, A.J.A. XLIII; Mallowan, M. E. L., The Excavations at T. Chagar Razar, Iraq, III and IVGoogle Scholar; de Morgan, J., Recherches an Talyche Persan, D.P.M., VIIIGoogle Scholar; S. Piggott, Dating the Ilissar Sequence—the Indian evidence, Antiquity, No. 68; S. Smith, Alalakh and Chronology; Tallgren, A. M., Pontide préscythique, Eurasia Sept. Antiqua, IIGoogle Scholar.
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page 52 note 1 These axes are illustrated as follows on Fig. III: 1, 2, after Schmidt, Excavations at Tepe Hissar, Damghan, Pl. LII, H2710, H3247; 3 after Geldern, op. cit., Pl. XVII: 9;4 after Childe, V. G., The Axes from Mai Kop and Caucasian Metallurgy, A.A.A. XXIII, Pl. LI, cGoogle Scholar; 5 after Hawkes, op. cit., Fig. 21: 1; 6 after Dörpfeld, op. cit., Fig. 401; 7 after Ghirshman, Fouilles de Sialk, Pl. 93, S. 1467; 8 after Annual Rep. Arch. Survey of India, 1927–8, Pl. XXV.
page 52 note 2 Schaeffer, Stratigraphie, 448.
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page 54 note 4 Stratigraphie, Fig. 295: 3, after Kuftin.
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page 54 note 7 E. Herzfeld, Iran in the Ancient East, Pl. 30.
page 54 note 8 Conteneau and Ghirshman, op. cit., Pl. 9, T.8, 4.
page 54 note 9 D. E. McCown, Comparative Stratigraphy of Early Iran, Table I: 11.
page 54 note 10 Excavations at Tepe Hissar, Damghan, Pl. XLVI, H3210.
page 55 note 1 Ibid., Pl. LI.
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page 58 note 3 op. cit., Pl. XXVI.
page 58 note 4 Excavations at Tepe Hissari Pl. LXVI, H2360.
page 58 note 5 Stratigraphie, Fig. 58, H, after Montet.
page 58 note 6 Excavations ai Tepe Hissary Damghan, Pl. LXVI, H5113.
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