Chronology and Architecture of Chahartaqi ("Four Arches"): Landscape Dynamics of Persia in Late Antiquity

被称为Chahartaqi的建筑构成了伊朗传统建筑中最突出的元素之一。这个名字在波斯语中的意思是“四个拱门”，是一个现代术语，指的是晚期的一个特定建筑实体，主要是在萨萨尼亚帝国(公元3-7世纪)发展起来的。这种建筑由四根柱子和四个拱门组成，支撑着一个中心圆顶。目前，在更广泛的伊朗世界(伊兰沙尔)的文化景观中，人们看到了数百个保存完好的查哈塔齐遗迹。查哈塔奇可能是单独的建筑，但也可以作为更复杂建筑的综合组成部分，如世界遗产萨维斯坦纪念碑。查哈塔基遗址长期以来一直在古代宗教景观和琐罗亚斯德教礼拜活动的火神庙的背景下进行讨论。尽管查哈塔基是琐罗亚斯德教火庙的标准建筑蓝图的想法在学术界一直存在，但它也受到了几位学者的批评。关于查尔塔奇建筑功能的模棱两可，特别是与我们对绝对年代、详细的建筑特征以及它们所处的环境背景的不完全了解有关。这三个方面将成为中国汽车工业协会的研究对象。我们假设：(I)目前在伊朗高原发现的大多数孤立的查哈塔基或查哈塔奇建筑群可以追溯到萨萨尼亚时期，集中在大法尔地区；(Ii)目前的查哈塔基结构是位于古代交通路线沿线的节点上，彼此之间在一定距离内的多功能综合体的一部分；(Iii)查哈塔奇选址是根据一系列与自然要素(靠近水资源、高处，可能还有植被)和文化景观(聚落和城市建筑群)有关的标准预先规划的。为了验证这些假设，我们将基于不同的标准来研究查哈塔齐的选择，包括档案资源的可用性、合适的测年材料和考古数据。这些遗址将通过三个工作包(WP1：历史回顾；WP2：考古；WP3：景观考古)以跨学科的方式进行调查，紧密结合建筑史、考古测量方法和景观考古方法。该项目将提供关于作为人类重要文化遗产的波斯晚期古董考古遗址的宝贵新的科学数据和知识。对于几个地方，评估还将证明它们有潜力被提名为世界遗产。根据人文和社会科学的教育使命和知识责任，成果将在科学期刊上公布，但也将在免费互动和开放获取的设施中公布。

Buildings known as chahartaqi constitute one of the most prominent elements of the traditional Iranian architecture. The name meaning “four arches” in Persian language, is a modern term referring to a specific architectural entity of Late Antiquity mostly developed during the Sasanian Empire (3rd-7th century CE). Such buildings consist of four pillars with four arches supporting a central dome. Hundreds of well-preserved examples or ruins of chahartaqi are currently observed all over the cultural landscape of the wider Iranian world (Iranshahr). Chahartaqi may be individual buildings but can also be observed as integrated components of more complex buildings such as the World Heritage site of Sarvestan Monument. Chahartaqi sites have long been discussed in the context of the religious landscape of antiquity and the fire temples for Zoroastrian worship practices. Although the idea of chahartaqi being a standard architectural blueprint for a Zoroastrian fire temple has persisted in academia, it has also received criticism by several scholars. The ambiguity about the functioning of the chahartaqi is particularly related to our incomplete knowledge on the absolute ages, detailed architectural characteristics and the environmental context in which they are located. These three aspects will be the study objects of CHARTAQ. We hypothesize that: (i) most of the isolated chahartaqi or chahartaqi complexes currently found in the Iranian plateau are dated to the Sasanian period with a concentration in the Greater Fars; (ii) current chahartaqi structures were parts of multi-functional complexes located within a certain distance to each other on nodal points alongside communication routes in antiquity; (iii) chahartaqi locations were pre-planned according to a series of criteria related to natural elements (proximity to water resources, elevated places, and possibly vegetation) and cultural landscape (settlements and urban complexes). To test these hypotheses, we will study a selection of chahartaqi based on different criteria including the availability of archival resources, suitable dating materials, and archaeological data. These sites will be investigated through three work packages (WP1: Historical Review; WP2: Archaeometry; WP3: Landscape Archaeology) in an interdisciplinary approach closely integrating the history of architecture, archaeometrical methods and approaches to landscape archaeology. The project will provide invaluable new scientific data and knowledge on the Late Antique archaeological sites of Persia as a significant cultural heritage of the humanity. For several places the evaluation will also prove their potential to be nominated as World Heritage sites. The results will be presented in scientific journals, but also in free interactive and open access facilities in accordance to the educational mission and intellectual responsibility of humanities and social sciences.