ABSTRACT

Contrary to the earlier notions that attributed the transformation of the Near East in the mid-7th century a.d. to war and the Islamic Arab conquest, recently the role of the climate is also being underscored. Archaeological investigation of the Sasanian landscape in the Mughan Steppe, Iranian Azerbaijan, contributes to a growing body of data documenting the urban collapse affected by environmental factors during Late Antiquity. Using results from surveys and excavations at Ultan Qalası, we focus on the possible correlation between flooding and settlement collapse during the Sasanian era in the Mughan Steppe. In addition, we draw on available CORONA imagery. The results from archaeological investigations indicate that almost all of the Sasanian settlements and irrigation systems were abandoned after a period of intense activity. We argue that the flooding and further riverbed incisions of the Aras River was one of the causes of the abandonment.

摘要

与此相反由于近东的改造在7世纪中叶的早期概念广告对于战争和阿拉伯伊斯兰的征服，最近气候的作用也正在被强调。对伊朗阿塞拜疆穆甘草原萨珊景观的考古调查有助于记录越来越多的数据，记录上古晚期受环境因素影响的城市崩溃。利用 Ultan Qalası 的调查和挖掘结果，我们重点研究了穆干草原萨珊王朝时期洪水与定居点坍塌之间可能的相关性。此外，我们还利用了可用的 CORONA 图像。考古调查的结果表明，在经过一段时间的激烈活动后，几乎所有的萨珊人定居点和灌溉系统都被废弃了。我们认为，Aras 河的洪水和进一步的河床切口是废弃的原因之一。