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Glassmaking traces its history back to antiquity as is the case with several other crafts in Iran. The craft would culminate under the Sassanian rule, when an assortment of receptacles in different sizes, shapes, and functions came into popular use. The present study examines a sample of 29 pieces of Sassanian glass objects preserved in the Sanandaj Archaeological Museum. Deriving from clandestine excavations, no previous research has investigated these pieces. This descriptive and historical-analytical study draws upon comparisons with related museum objects and library research. The questions are: Which excavated sites in the Sassanian territory are to be examined for comparanda? What are the manufacturing techniques of the objects in question? To which part of the Sassanian time span do they date? What are the common forms as well as their functions and decorations? The sample appears to compare with the material from Mesopotamia (Tell Mahuz, Abu Skhair, Barghuthiat, and Kish) and Veh Ardashir, which were major centers of glass production at the time. The pieces were manufactured in free-blowing and mold-blowing techniques. Bowls are the common form, followed by bottles, unguentaria, juglets, and jars for ritual, cosmetic, and practical functions. The major decorations detected on the study sample include applied trails and facet cutting. The pieces can be assigned to two consecutive chronological extents: The first spans the onset of the Sassanian period (2nd century AD) to the 4th century AD, and the second encompasses the 4th century AD to the demise of the empire. Dispersion of such objects across the Sassanian Empire suggests that glassware represented a trade item at that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pottery has a significant bearing on the reconstruction of ancient regional and transregional interactions. Flasks represent a pottery type that was more ubiquitous in the historical period. The present study examined 16 pottery flasks stored at the Sanandaj Archaeological Museum in order to address three research questions: Which historical period can this pottery be dated to? What is the geographical range over which they were manufactured given the available excavated comparanda? What types are represented in the sample under study in terms of manufacturing technique, surface treatment, decoration, and form? The results showed that the flasks were primarily produced in two varieties, round shouldered and angular shouldered, with their exterior coated in a slip or a buff, turquoise, and light or dark green glaze. Judging by their appearance (surface finish and decorations), they were produced in the Hellenistic and Parthian period. It was found out that they have parallels among assemblages from west and southwest Iran and Mesopotamia. The study adopted the descriptivehistorical and comparative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]