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Space and society at Bam: An archaeological investigation of Iranian urban space.
Karimian, Hassan
Karimian, Hassan
Publication Date
2010-06-18T12:22:16Z
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The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
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Accepted for publication
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University of Bradford
Department
Department of Archaeological Sciences
Awarded
2003
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Abstract
During the 1980s, it was frequently claimed that spatial patterns of archaeological and
contemporary settlements were closely related to the social nature of the societies
which had created and modelled them (Hietala 1984; Hillier & Hanson 1984).
Despite a decade of alternative claims, such theories are still widely accepted
although in many cases the emphasis has shifted from economic factors to symbolic
or social ones. The presence of a class-based social system is one of the major
characteristics of Iranian society during the Sasanian era (224-651 CE). This social
system was based upon the official religion of Sasanians - Zoroastrianism - and had a
major impact on most aspects of Iranian society during this period. The far-reaching
impact of this social system on architectural space and urban infrastructure is clearly
representative of a class-based society. The collapse of the Sasanian world,
accelerated by Arab invasions (641 CE), severely reduced the dominance of
Zoroastrianism within Iran, heralding a fundamental change in the social life of its
people. These changes, accompanied by the acceptance of a new religion, have been
the focus of several researchers over the last decades (Kennedy 2001). In contrast to
Sasanian society, Early Islamic social structure was characterised as one of equality
and its urban forms as ones with little differentiation as typified by Medina
(Zarrinkub 1993). The aim of this dissertation is to test the above assumptions and
models with reference to a single urban site - the city of Barn. Selected due to its
Pre-Islamic and Islamic occupations, its excellent state of preservation allows a full
testing of the above assumptions through archaeological analysis. The results of this
research indicate a continuation of patterns of Sasanian space and society into the
Islamic period. In addition, the space and society of Bam, documented in this
research, provides an important step towards a further understanding of the social and
spatial organisation of Sasanian and Early-Islamic cities, as well as providing a
foundation for additional research in this field.
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Thesis
Qualification name
PhD