With a focus on study of late bronze age and early iron age in the east of central Iranian plateau
Zabihollah BAKHTIARI1 | Mina RASTEGARFARD2
(1 Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran | 2 Tehran University, Teheran, Iran)
Keywords: Archaeology, natural science, interdisciplinary sciences, physical anthropology, DNA
Abstract:
In today’s societies, transition of archaeology from classic and traditional archaeology phase to apply and natural sciences is unavoidable. This transition and movement, requires interaction and relationship Between Archaeology and natural science and employment of novel technique and tools. Archaeological studies and analyses physical remains of the past societies. Accessing data beyond those achieved with tools, requires a holistic approach and utilization of interdisciplinary methods in the field of archaeology. In this study, remains of human skeletons found in Gazvar Cemetery and some other cemeteries in the eastern parts of central Iranian plateau in semnan province, have been analyzed and studied using experimental science in the area of physical anthropology. Extracting DNA from human skeleton remains for the purpose of genealogy and determining relations between races, pathology of human skeleton remains with the aim of studying illnesses, type of nutrition, role of climate and geography on anatomical and genetic structure of human and determining cause and time of death, are among results of this research. Using new techniques and taking advantage of experimental sciences in archaeology could provide us with more information than those achieved through studies and description of physical material. This procedure is the only proper path of transition for archaeology from a classic and descriptive knowledge towards becoming an applied science.