Recognition, Chronology, and Analysis of Cultural Interactions of Sarab Tepe, Khorasan Razavi Province, Northeast Iran

چکیده مقاله

t Hezar Masjed and Shahneshin mountain ranges can be considered amongst the easternmost heights of Iran in Khorasan Razavi Province, which stretch in the northwest-southeast direction and have created a natural corridor leading to the Harirud River banks. This feature, along with favorable living conditions, has attracted human communities and habitats for a long time. The historical site of Sarab Tepe is one of these settlements, which is located 30km west of Saleh Abad County and at the northeast of a village of the same name. Abundant and diverse cultural materials on the surface of the site and archaeological reports show the importance of this site in terms of archaeological studies. Therefore, this research is carried out to understand the eras of settlement and its cultural interactions. The results show that this site was home to settlements in the prehistoric era (Early Bronze Age) and the Islamic era (9th to 11th century AD). Sarab Tepe’s findings from the prehistoric era indicate its cultural interactions and connections with other sites of the Early Bronze Age in northeastern Iran. The findings belonging to the Islamic era are also similar to the findings of Neyshabur. The results show the extensive connections of this site with the most important cultural centers of its time.