Development and Destruction of the Old City of Narmashir in Kerman Province; through the Lens of Kenneth Watt’s Ecological Theory

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Archaeology, University of Jiroft

2 M.A. in Archaeology, University of Jiroft, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

Problem Statement: The historic cities in Iran have gone through many ups and downs, and development and decline, due to various internal and external factors. The study of these factors can help find the roots of cultural and social upheavals. The Old City of Narmashir in the southeast of Kerman is one of these Iranian historic cities. According to archaeological and historical documents, Narmashir  has expanded from the Sāsānid Empire (AD 224–651) to the late Timurid period. However, as the archaeological materials suggest, the population of the city significantly decreased from the Safavid dynasty onwards. Also, The Old City was abandoned after the Afghans attack. Our question is "what environmental and ecological factors influenced the formation, development, and destruction of the Old City of Narmashir?"
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explain the role of geographic and ecological factors in the formation, development, and destruction of the Old City of Narmashir through the lens of Kenneth Watt’s ecological theory.
Research Methodology: Data were collected through documentary and field methods. The systematic survey in this site was carried out in July 2014 and was registered in the cultural heritage list. The research method in this paper is analytical. First, the historical documents were studied and analyzed by the "content analysis" method. Afterwards, the data were analyzed drawing on the five variables in Kenneth Watt’s ecological theory: "material, energy, diversity, space and time.
Result: According to our data analysis, "Space" had not only the most effect on the formation and development of the Old City of Narmashir, but also on its departure and decline. "Material, diversity, and energy" had also a major role. However, there is not much awareness and evidence on the role of "material" and "diversity" in the abandonment of the city by its residents. Moreover, "time" did not play any significant role in the development and destruction of the city. Such changes in Narmashir might as well be affected by non-ecological factors. The authors believe that the ecological factors mostly led to the above-mentioned three phases.

Keywords

References

Afzal al-Din Kermani. (1977). Eghd al-Ola lel-Moghef al-A’la [Holding the highest position]. Ed. Ameri Naeeni. Tehran: Roozbahan.
Akbar Zadeh, A. (2005). Barresi- ye ketab- e seyri dar safarname- ye Gaspard Drouville [A Review of the Book: a Look at Gaspard Drouville’s logbook].  Ketab-e Mah, History and geography, (99-100): 60-69.
Amirani Pour, M. (2016). An Archaeological Study into the Islamic Pottery of Narmashir; with an Emphasis on the Old City of Narmashir, Unpublished M. A. Dissertation. University of Jiroft: Jiroft. Kerman. Iran.
Amirhajloo, S. (2014a). Explanation of Role of Ecological Variables in Life of Islamic City of Jiroft. Pazhohesh-ha-ye Bastanshenasi Iran, 4 (7): 173-192.
Amirhajloo, S. (2014b). Gozaresh- e gamane zani be manzoor- etaeen- e arse va pishnahad- e harim- e shahr- e ghadim- e Narmashir dar ostan- e Kerman [The Report of Sounding for Delimiting the Old City of Narmashir, Kerman]. Unpublished report. The Administration of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Kerman.
Amirhajloo, S. (2014c). Parvande- ye sabti- ye mohavate- ye choghok abad [The Registration File of Choghook Abad (the Old City of Narmashir)]. Unpublished report. The Administration of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Kerman.
Ataee, M. & Mousavi Haji, S. R. & Kolabadi, R. (2012). Slip-painted Pottery (Types, Widespread, Dating). Negareh, (23): 71-87.
Barimani, F. (2004). The Great Sistan’s Ascending and Descending Hrmaunotical Analysis. Geography and development, (4): 81-100.
Beyhaghi, A. M. (2010). Tarikh-e Beyhaghi [History of Beyhaghi]. 2nd ed. Ed. Fayyaz, A. A. Tehran: Elm.
Bird, D. W. & O’Connell, James F. (2006). Behavioral Ecology and Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Research, 14 (2): 143-188.
Butzer, K. W. (1980). Context in Archaeology: an Alternative Perspective. Journal of Field Archaeology, 7 (4): 417-422.
Chamankar, M. (2005). Avamel- e  asargozar bar bazargani- ye khalij- e Fars dar asr- e moghol [The Effective Factors on the Trade in the Persian Gulf in the Mongol Period (Iranian Economic and Political Rule in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea)]. History of Foreign Relations, (24-25): 1-28.
Choubak, H. (2012). Jiroft; neighbors and cultural relatives. Tehran: Sazman- e Mras- e farhangi va sanaye dasti va gardeshgari.
Darya Gasht, M. R. (1991). Kerman dar ghalamrove tahghighat- e Irani [Kerman in the Iranian Research]. Kerman: Markaz- e Kermanshenasi.
Dollfus, O. L. (1995). L’ Analyse geographique [Geographical Analysis]. 2nd ed. Translated by Sahami, S. Mashhad: Nika Publications.
Drouville, G. (1991). ‎Voyage en perse, fait en 1812 et 1813. Translated by Moghaddam, E. Tehran: Shabaviz.
Ebrahimi, R. (2004). Safarname- ye Gaspard Drouville dar ahd- e Fath Ali Shah [The logbook of Gaspard Drouville in the Fath Ali Shah period]. Kitab-e Mah, history and geography, (77-78): 75-77.
Edrisi, M. (1988). ‎Description de l’afrique et de l’Espagne. Vol. 1. Beirut: Alam Al-Kotob.
Emberlin, J. C. (1998). ‎Introduction to ecology. Translated by Bagheriyeh Najjar, M. Gorgan: Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.
Etemad Al-Saltana, M. (1988). Mer’at al-Boldan [Mirror of countries]. Vol. 1. Ed. Mohaddes, H. and Navaee, A. Tehran: University of Tehran.
Fesharaki, P. (1978). Parakandegi- ye joghrafiaee- ye mahsoolat- e keshavarzi dar vahe- ha- ye Bam va Narmashir [Geographical Distribution of Agricultural Products in the Bam and Narmashir (the villages of Southern Lut)]. Journal of Geographical Studies, (16): 1-18.
Ghaffari Kashani, A. (1983). Tarikh- e Negarestan [Negarestan]. Ed. by Modarres Gilani, M. Tehran: Hafez.
Ghobadian, V. (2006). Climatic analysis of the Traditional Iranian buildings. 4th ed. Tehran: University of Tehran.
Green, K. (1997). Archaeology and Introduction. London and NewYork: Routledge.
Hafez-e Abru. (2001). Zubdat al-Tawarikh. Vol. 1. Ed. Haj Seyyed Javadi, K. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. 
Hamavi, Y. (1990). mudjam al- buldan. Vol. 5. Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Elmiyeh.
Hodud al-alam [The regions of the world]. (2004). Translated by Shah, M. H. Tehran: University of Alzahra.
Ibn-e Athir, I. (1972). Chronicon Quod perfectissimum Inscribitur. Vol.15. Translated by Hashemi Haeri, A. Tehran: Iranian publishing and printing institute.
Ibn-e Hoghal, M. (1938). Soorat al-Arz. Vol. 2. Beirut: Dar Sader.
Ibn-e Khaldoon. (1984). The Muqaddimah: an introduction to history. Translated by Ayati, A. Vol. 3. Tehran: ministry of culture and higher education, institute for cultural studies and research.
Ibn-e Khordadbeh. (1992). Maslik valmamalik. Translated by Khakrend, S. Tehran: Miras Mellal.
Ja’fari Farsani, M. & Shamsipour, A. & Naghdi Dorobati, Z. (2013). Tasir- e eghlim dar memari- ye boomi va paydar- e asbadha- ye Iran [The Impact of the Climate on the Local Architecture of Windmills of Iran]. Paper presented at the conference of the Architecture and Urbanism and Sustainable Development; with an emphasis on Local Architecture to Sustainable Cities: Khavaran, the higher education institution, Mashhad, Iran.
Karimian, H. (2004). The City of Bam; from its Formation to Destruction. Athar, (36-37): 55-72.
Kennet, D. (2004). Sasanian and Islamic pottery from Ras al-Khaimah (eBook version): classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean. Oxford: Archaeopress. Society for Arabian Studies Monographs.
Keykha, L. (2015). Study of Climate and Environmental Impact on the Formation and Development of the Architecture of the Makran Coast in the Islamic Period. Unpublished M. A. Dissertation. University of Sistan and Baluchestan: Zahedan. Iran.
Khabisi, M. E. (1964). saldjuqian va ghuzz dar kerman (seldjudand ghuzz rulers of Kerman. ed. by Bastani Parizi, M. E. Tehran: Tahouri.
Khavari Shirazi, Fazl A. (2001). Tarikh- e Zolgharnain [The history of Zolgharnain]. Ed. Afshar Far, N. Vol. 1. Tehran: Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Khodadoost, J. & Mousavi Haji, S. R. & Taghavi, A. & Aliyari, Sh. (2017). An Analytical Study of the Pottery at the Malin Site (Bakharz). Pazhouhesh-ha-ye Bastanshenasi Iran, 13 (7): 157-172.
Mar’ashi Safavi, Mohammad Khalil ibn-e Davood. (1983). Majma al-Tavarikh [Brief of history]. Abbas Eqbal Ashtiyani. Tehran: Tahouri.
Moghbeli Gharaee, F. (2015). A Systematic Study of Archaeological Sites and monuments of the Islamic Period in the Narmashir, Kerman. Unpublished M.A Dissertation. University of Jiroft: Jiroft. Iran.
Moghbeli Gharaee, F., Amirhajloo, S. & Saghaee, S. (2018). An Archaeological Study of the Islamic Militant Fortifications in the Narmashir Plain, Kerman. Cultural History Studies, (34). (Under press).
Mostoufi, A. (1969). Narmashir. Geographical Research, (1): 90-95.
Mostoufi, H. (2002). Nuzhatv -l-Qulub. Dabir Siaghi, M. Qazvin: Hadith-e Emrouz.
Mowlanaee, S. & Soleymani, S. (2016). Insight into the valuable elements of Sistan local architecture in relation to climatic factors of sustainable architecture. Bagh- e Nazar, (41): 57-66.
Muqaddasi, A. (2006). Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma’rifat al-Aqalim. Translated by Ali Naghi Monzavi, A. N. 2th ed. Tehran: Komesh.
Niknami, K. (2006). Mabani- ye Nazar- ye bastanshenasi- ye pahndasht[Theoretical Principles of the Landscape Archaeology]. Specialized periodical of Archeological Research and Cross-Major Studies, (3): 11-24. 
Petersen, A. (2008). The Archaeology of Islam in Britain: Recognition and Potential. Antiquity (82): 1080-1092.
Priestman, S. M. N. (2013). A Quantitative Archaeological Analysis of Ceramic Exchange in the Persian Gulf and Western Indian Ocean, AD c.400-1275. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Southampton: Hampshire. England.
Qudama Ibn-e Ja’far. (1991). Al-Kharaj va sanaat al ketaba [Abscess and writing industry]. Translated by Qara Chanloo, H. Tehran: Alborz.
Rahimloo, Y. & Salari Shadi, A. (2007). The Process of Local Histography in Kerman. The journal of the faculty of Literature and Humanities, 58 (182): 123-138.
Ranjbar, E. & PourJafar, M & Khaliji, K. (2010). Innovations In Climatic Designing Due to The Wind Flowing Through The Old Bushehr. Bagh- e Nazar, (13): 17-34.
Rapp, G. & Hill, L. Christopher. (1998). Geoarchaeology; the Earth Science Approach to Archaeological Interpretation. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
Sa’adatian, M. (2012). Investigation and Identification of Climate and Environmental Impact on the Formation and Development of Architecture of Sistan in the Islamic Period. Unpublished M. A. Thesis. University of Sistan and Baluchestan. Zahedan. Iran.
Saghaee, S. & Amirhajloo, S. (2016). Motale’e sofal- e bedun- e loab dar mohavateha- ye doran- e eslami- ye dasht- e narmashor- e Kerman [Historical and Cultural Landscape of Narmashir in Kerman in the Islamic Period]. Motaleaat- e bastanshenasi, (1): 7-36.
Saremi Naeini, D. & Amirhajloo, S. & Keykha, L. (2015). The Role of the Climate in the Formation of Residential Houses in Chabahar; Case Study: Deloshi 1 & Deloshi 2 and Daryanavard Houses, National Conference of Native Architecture and Urbanism of Iran. Yazd: Science and Art University of Yazd.
Sedighian, H. & Gholami, H. (2012). Unglazed Islamic Painted Pottery (Pseudo-prehistoric) of Iran. Modares Archaeological research, (6-7): 134-142.
Shaterian, R. (2013). Architecture & climate. 4th ed. Tehran: Simaye Danesh and Azar.
Shirvani, Z. (2010). Bostan al-Siyaheh   [Garden of Tourism]. Ed. Manijheh Mahmoodi. Tehran: Haghighat.
Sykes, S. P. (2001). Tarikh- e Iran [The history of Iran]. Translated by Fakhr Daee Gilani, M. Vol. 2. Tehran: Afsoon.
Treptow, T. (2007). Daily Life Ornamented; the Medieval Persian City of Rayy. With the collaboration of Donald Whitcomb. Chicago: the oriental institute museum of the University of Chicago.
Trivedi P. R. & Raj, G. (1992). Environmental Echology. First Edition. New Dehli: Akashdeep Publishing House.
Varavi Pour, M. (2010). Khakshenasi- ye omumi  [Public Pedology]. Tehran: Payame Noor University (PNU).
Vaziri, A. (2007). Geography of Baluchistan. Ed. Nasiri, M. R. Tehran: Society for the Appreciation of Cultural Works and Dignitaries.
Watt, K. E. F. (2014). Principles of environmental science. Translated by Vahab Zadeh, A. 14th edn. Jihad-e-Daneshgahi, Mashhad, Iran.
Whitcomb, D. S. (1985). Before the Roses and Nightingales; Excavations at Qasr-I Abu Nasr, Old Shiraz. NewYork: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Whitcomb, D. S. (2003). Pseudo-Prehistoric Ceramics from Southern Iran. Bastan Pajhouhi. Translated by Zeidi, M. (11): 84-95.
Whitcomb, D. S. (2014). A Sequence of Iranīan Ports: Islamic Archaeology in the Persian Gulf. International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists. 2 (3): 47-53.
Whitehouse, D. (1979). Islamic Glazed Pottery in Iraq and the Persian Gulf: the Ninth and Tenth Centuries. Welshpool DC: Annali Deli Instituto Orientale di Napoli. 39.
Wilkinson, Ch. K. (1973). Nishapur: Pottery of the Early Islamic Period. NewYork: Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Ya’qubi, A. (2002). Al-Boldan  [Country]. Translated by Ayati, M. Tehran: Elmi-o- Farhangi.
Zomarshidi, H. (2008). Memar- ye Iran, Masalehshenasi- ye sonati[Iranian Architecture; Recognition of Traditional Materials]. 4th edn. Tehran: Zomorrod.
Zare, Sh. (2008).Gozaresh- e fasl- e dovom- e bastanshenasi- ye shahrestan- e Bam  [The Report of Second Season of Archaeological Survey in Bam]. Unpublished Report. The Administration of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Kerman.
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar
Volume 15, Issue 67
January 2019
Pages 53-70

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics