Espahabad Khorshid Cave, Mazandaran, Iran: Some Insights into Sasanian Period Buildings

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Humanities, Communication and Tourism, Tuscia University, Italy. ISMEO - International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies.

2 ISMEO - International Association of Mediterranean and the Oriental Studies

Abstract

The Espahabad Khorshid Cave, located in Savadkooh District, Mazandaran province, is a huge natural cavity
that opens on the northern flank of Mount Lakamar, in the Khatir Kooh Valley, just above the River Talar. The
cave has long been used as a natural refuge and during the Sasanian period it was the stronghold of the last ruler of
Ṭabarestān. From the mid-1950s the cave has been visited and described by various professional and non professional
archaeologists. Over the years, few scholars have paid attention to these ruins, although the site has always
been visible because of its location. In general, the position of the cave and the arrangement of the internal architectural
structures makes it impossible for casual visitors to gain access to the site, especially to the upper levels
which can be reached only by expert climbers. The archaeological and architectural structures preserved in the cave
(mostly from late Sasanian times and later periods) were systematically documented by a team of Iranian architects
between 2008 and 2011. In 2015, with the permission of the Mazandaran Provincial authorities, a preliminary Iranian
- Italian archaeological expedition started the systematic collection of data regarding architecture and artefacts.
The study of the various classes of building materials has been initially focussed on the analysis of some timber
structures in the eastern building complex. The remains of some wooden planks and beams were still in situ, roughly
confined in the margins of the main walls. The preservation of the wood was excellent and has allowed detailed
analysis of the wooden building material, and indirect analysis of the local environment. The wood used for these
planks/beams was found to belong to two different species, Fraxinus sp. and Quercus sp., providing the first preliminary
information on the use of the local wood resources. Further collection of structural timbers from the destroyed
buildings will allow us to investigate ancient wood technology and the exploitation of the woodlands together with
the history of human occupation of the Espahabad Khorshid Cave.

Keywords

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 9, Issue 1
2019
Pages 1-9

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