Khone-ye Div (
pers Pers may refer to:
* Pers, Cantal, France, a commune near Aurillac
* Pers, Deux-Sèvres, France, a former commune near Poitiers
* ''Pers.'', taxonomic author abbreviation for mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon
*Persian language
PERS may refer ...
خانه دیو, also known as: ''Khune-ye Div'') – An archaeological site located in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, in the
Razavi Khorasan province (historical land of
Khorasan
KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...
). It is located on top of a rocky spur, in the Rivand mountain range, in the watershed of the river of the same name
Archaeological research
The excavations began in 2008 on behalf of the
, the Institute of Archaeology (now Faculty of Archaeology) of the
University of Warsaw
The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...
and the
Iranian Center for Archaeological Research. The Polish-Iranian expedition was co-directed by dr
Barbara Kaim (Polish side) and dr Hassan Hashemi (Iranian side). The stone structure studied at the site is
Chahartaq (''chahar tagh''), which means ''four arches'' in Persian, a type of object characteristic of temple and palace architecture of the
Sasanian
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
period].
''Chahar tagh'' is an equilateral building consisting of four arches or cradle vaults supported by corner pillars, the central part is covered by a dome. Thus, inside, a cross-plan room is created.
The site is located approximately two kilometres from the settlement, the remains of which were identified through
Survey (archaeology), surface survey carried out in 2010. The first season of research made it possible to learn the plan of the structure and confirm the hypothesis that it is a
Chahartaq. The entrance was located on its north-eastern side and was preceded by a narrow corridor. The furnishings discovered in the main room indicate that it may have been a Zoroastrian fire temple, but the key installation, the fire altar, was not found due to extensive damage.
Instead, fragments of a large platform were identified which may be its remains. In the following seasons (2009–2010) further soundings were carried out and chronological phases were established, and further objects were identified in the vicinity of the structure. To the east of the building, a square tank carved in the rock was discovered, which served for storing water – its walls were covered with gypsum plaster, which underwent conservation work. The conservation work also included plaster covering the staircase within a room of unknown purpose, which was adjacent to the north-eastern side of the building.
References
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External links
Khune-ye Div
Notes
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Archaeological sites in Iran
Fire temples in Iran