Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

ERRATUM: Explanation of the Boundaries of the Middle Bronze Age in Northeastern and Eastern Iran Based on Archaeological Studies of the Bactria-Margiana Culture

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.499434.1442
Volume 13, Issue 49
Autumn 2025
Pages 6-13
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Moein Falaki 1
Farshid Iravani Ghadim 2
Bahram Ajorloo 3
Hamed Tahmasebi Zaveh 1
Ali Sadeghi 4

1 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Art University of Isfahan, Iran.

2 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran.

3 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Applied Arts, Tabriz University of Islamic Arts, Iran.

4 Department of Geography, Faculty of Geographical Sciences and Planning, Isfahan University, Iran.

Abstract
ERRATUM:
Explanation of the Boundaries of the Middle Bronze Age in Northeastern and Eastern Iran Based on Archaeological Studies of the Bactria-Margiana Culture
Authors: Moein Falaki, Farshid Iravani Ghadim, Bahram Ajorloo, Hamed Tahmasbi Zaveh, Ali Sadeghi
Article Information: This article was previously published in Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient, Year: 2025, Volume 13, Issue 49, Pages 6-15. 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.499434.1442
Erratum Text: In the above article, the affiliation of the author Farshid Iravani Ghadim was incorrectly listed as:
“Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Art University of Isfahan, Iran”
The correct affiliation should read:
“Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran”
Editorial Office of: Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient
Erratum Publication Date: 2025/12/20
Attempting to delineate the western borders and boundaries of the Bactria-Margiana culture in northeastern and eastern Iran is one of the ways to understand the structure of this cultural period. The Bactria-Margiana culture is the predominant culture of the Middle and Late Bronze Age in Khorasan. This culture, abbreviated as BMAC, developed and spread from the mid-third millennium to the late second millennium BC in the geographical areas of northern Afghanistan, southern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan, and eastern and northeastern Iran. The extent of the influence of this culture in eastern Iran has reached the provinces of North Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and South Khorasan. Delineating the borders of this culture contributes significantly to mapping the geographical boundaries of cultural Khorasan, identifying the cultural extent, and distinguishing and differentiating between archaeological materials and findings in contact areas. The main issue of this research is to determine the boundaries of the Bactria-Margiana culture in the Khorasan provinces (North, Razavi, and South) of Iran. Based on this, the following questions were raised: 1- Which areas are included within the sphere of influence of the Bactria-Margiana culture in Khorasan? 2- How can the presence of the Bactria-Margiana culture in Khorasan be explained? The method of this research is descriptive and analytical, and it involves library studies. The research results indicate that this culture has somewhat infiltrated parts of Khorasan in Iran, manifesting as settlements in North Khorasan and Razavi Khorasan and as cemeteries in South Khorasan.

Keywords

Archaeology
Northeastern and Eastern Iran
Bactria-Margiana culture
Bronze Age
Cultural Boundary
Alizadeh, K. (2015). Border Studies: An anthropological approach to archaeological research in Iran. Journal of the Society for Iranian Archaeology, (1), 31-42.
Anani, B., & Iravani Ghadim, F. (2021). Evidences of great Khorasan Culture (BMAC) at the eastern part of central desert of Iran, based on findings from Bekanda (Archaeological Site) in Tabas. Journal of Archaeological Studies, 13(3), 169-191. https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2020.302631.142875 
Baghizadeh, S. (2012). بررسی و مطالعۀ الگوهای پراکنش پیش‌از تاریخ دشت درگز از دوران نوسنگی تا پایان عصر آهن [Investigation and study of prehistoric distribution patterns of the Dargaz Plain from the Neolithic period to the end of the Iron Age] [Master’s thesis, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch]. Irandoc. [in Persian]. https://ganj.irandoc.ac.ir//#/articles/f3c36c532149fadd72f5ecfa364b00d6
Basafa, H., & Rahmati, M. (2012). گزارش مقدماتی کاوش باستان‌شناختی در محوطۀ شهرک فیروزه نیشابور [Preliminary report of archaeological excavations in the area of Firuzeh town of Neyshabur]. Mazdak-Nameh, 5, 613-623. [in Persian]
Biscione, R., & Vahdati, A. (2012). The Iranian-Italian archaeological mission: Season 2012: The identification of cultural areas. Studi Micenei ed Egeo-Anatolici, 54(1), 355-360.
Basafa, H., & Davari, M. S. (2021). Preliminary understanding of the developments and settlement pattern of the late bronze age Kashfarud basin (Mashhad plain). Archaeological Research of Iran, 11(30), 55-72. https://doi.org/10.22084/nb.2021.22189.2183  
Dana, M. (2015). گمانه‌زنی به‌منظور لایه‌نگاری و تعیین عرصه و حریم تپۀ دوین شیروان [Speculation for the purpose of stratigraphy and determining the area and boundaries of the Shirvan hill]. Cultural Heritage Research Institute Publications, 175-178. [in Persian]
Dimand, M. S., Hauser, W., Upton, J. M., & Wilkinson, C. K. (1938). The Īrānian Expedition, 1937: The Museum›s Excavations at Nīshāpūr. Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 3-23.
Farjami, M. (2015). نویافته‌ها عصر مفرغ در خراسان جنوبی، مطالعۀ موردی: محوطۀ گوند باغستان فردوس [New bronze age discoveries in South Khorasan (Case study: Gavand Baghestan Ferdows site)]. The 2nd National Conference on Archaeology of Iran. [in Persian]. https://elmnet.ir/doc/20629360-77181
Francfort, H. P. (2005). Lart De La civilazation DE LOxus alage du bronze (2300-1700). Et Ses Relations Aves Les Regions Voisines, 102-127.
Francfort, H. P., Vahdati, A. A., Bendezu-Sarmiento, J., Lhuillier, J., Fouache, E., Tengberg, M., ... & Shirazi, Z. (2014). Preliminary report on the soundings at Tepe Damghani Sabzevar, spring 2008. Iranica Antiqua, 49, 111-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.2143/IA.49.0.3009240 
Gholinezhad, M. (2024). Archaeological landscape of Qāyināt and Zīrkūh region, South Khorasan based on the findings of the 2015 and 2016 archaeological surveys. Archaelogy, 4(2), 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.22034/4.2.71 
Heydari, R., & Babazadeh, S. (2016). محوطۀ چوپان بردسکن، نویافته‌‌هایی از فرهنگ بلخی- مروی [The Shepherd Site of Bardaska, New Discoveries from the BMAC Culture]. The First Provincial Congress of the Fourth Congress of the History of Architecture and Urban Planning in Iran (Khorasan Razavi).
Hiebert, F. T., & Dyson Jr, R. H. (2002). Prehistoric Nishapur and the frontier between Central Asia and Iran. Iranica Antiqua, 37, 113-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.2143/IA.37.0.120
Irvaani Ghadim, F., Talaei, H., & Tahmasbi Zaveh, H. (2017). BMAC and Gorgan Plain. Journal of Greater Khorasan, 8(27). https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.22516131.1396.7.27.1.8
Iravani Ghadim, F., & Tahmasebi zaveh, H. (2018). Cenotaphs in the Bactria Margiana Archaeologica Comples Domain:A case study of Northeast of Iran. Turkish Academy of Sciences Jounal of Archaeology. http://dx.doi.org/10.22520/tubaar.2018.os.01.008
Labaf Khaniki, R. A. (2002). نیشابور حلقۀ اتصال تمدن‌های بین‌النهرین، ایران، سند و باختر [Neyshabur, the connecting link between Mesopotamian, Iranian, Sindh and Bactrian civilizations]. Letter of the Cultural Heritage Research Institute, 1(1), 36-46. [in Persian]
Lemberg-Karlovsky, C.C. (2013). The oxus civilization. Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 39, 21-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.15366/cupauam2013.39.002 
Sabori, H., Talai, H., & Garazhian, O. (2015). Investigating the post depositional processes of Tepe Ferizi in the Sabzevar plain. Journal of Archaeological Studies, 6(2), 91-111. https://doi.org/10.22059/jarcs.2015.54176 
Sarianidi,V. (2002). Margush ancient oriental kingdom in the old delta of the murghab river. Ashgabat.
Sheikh, M. (2014) بررسی سیستماتیک یاریم تپۀ درگز (بررسی استقرار پیش‌از تاریخی یاریم تپۀ درگز و تدوین گاهنگاری با استناد به یافته‌های سفالی) [Systematic study of Yarim Tepe Dargaz (Investigation of the prehistoric settlement of Yarim Tepe Dargaz and compilation of a chronology based on pottery findings)] [Master’s thesis, University of Sistan and Baluchestan]. Irandoc. [in Persian]. https://ganj.irandoc.ac.ir/#/articles/d0c299d1798f4f837c02c43cfdd5aea2
Soroush, M. R., & Yousefi, S. (2014). محوطۀ رزه، شاهدی از استقرارهای هزارۀ سوم تا دوران تاریخی در خراسان جنوبی [The Razeh Site, Evidence of Settlements from the Third Millennium to the Historic Period in South Khorasan]. Archaeological Research Institute, 271-273. [in Persian]
Tahmasebi Zaveh, H. (2015). مجموعۀ باستان‌شناسی بلخی- مروی در شمال‌شرق ایران، فرهنگ بومی یا نفوذ فرهنگی [The BMAC Archaeological Complex in Northeastern Iran, Native Culture or Cultural Influence]. Second National Conference on Archaeology of Iran. [in Persian]. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.22516131.1394.5.21.6.7 
Tahmasbi Zaveh, H., & Iravani Ghadim, F. (2015). تپه‌حصار دامغان و فرهنگ بلخی-  مروی [Damghan Hesar hill and BMAC culture]. Journal of Greater Khorasan, 6(21), 106-97. [in Persian] https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.22516131.1394.5.21.6.7
Vahdati, A. A & Frankfort, H. P. (2010). گزارش مقدماتی گمانه‌زنی در تپۀ دامغانی سبزوار [Preliminary report on speculation in Damghani Hill, Sabzevar]. Journal of Archaeology and History, (48), 17-36. [in Persian]
Vahdati, A. (2011). A preliminary report on a newly discovered petroglyphic complex near Jorbat, the Plain of Jajarm, northeastern Iran. Paléorient, 177-187. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43265274  
Vahdati, A. A. (2014a). کاوش در جیران تپه [Excavations in Jiran Tepe]. Cultural Heritage and Tourism Research Institute, 459-464. [in Persian]
Vahdati, A. A. (2014b). A BMAC Grave from Bojnord, North-Eastern Iran. Iran, 52(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2014.11834735 
Vahdati, A. A. (2015). Preliminary report on the archaeological survey in Esfarāyen county, Northeastern, Iran. Archaologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan, 47, 261-287.
Vahdati, A. A., & Zhang, Zh. (2018). گزارش مختصر فصل دوم کاوش هیئت مشترک ایران و چین در تپۀ نادری، شیروان، خراسان شمالی [Brief report of the second season of the joint Iranian-Chinese expedition to the Naderi Hill, Shirvan, North Khorasan]. Archaeological Research Institute, 526-529. [in Persian]

Home

Submit Manuscript

Contact Us