Quarterly Scientific-Research Goljaam

Ethno-archaeology is one of the main approaches that could help archaeologists to reconstruct the past behaviors, including social, cultural, economical and political behaviors. It is interesting to state that the most important aim of ethno-archaeology is to understand the past through observation of modern conservative societies. On the other hand, based on this framework, archaeologists attempt to make a bridge between the past (static) and the present (dynamic). In fact, via this approach, archaeologists are able to clarify background of traditional arts of modern societies. Better understanding of background of these arts enables scholars to represent worthy scientific methods to protect the traditions. Handmade carpet, which has two distinguished characteristics, namely genuineness and innovation, has developed in the Persian cultural region and has its roots in the ancient arts of this vast region. The objective of this paper is two folded, firstly to present a worthy scientific method to detect process of derivation of designs and patterns on the handmade carpets, and secondly to understand “how” and “why” of human past behaviors. In fact, the present paper will present suggestions to exploit past human behaviors of this vast region. Consequently, scholars who are studying handmade carpets will be able not only to derivate designs and patterns of carpets, but they will also be able to support this deep rooted art. 

Much has been written about aesthetics in carpet weaving art, particularly tribal and village carpet weaving, discussing various aspects such as symbolism and naturalism. Yet, the relation between art and sociology is propounded in a different manner by the German sociologist, Georg Simmel. With a different view on society and artwork, he believes that the origin of all principles of aesthetics resides in the principle of "symmetry", and that this tendency towards symmetry correlates to the type of society administration. The present paper investigates that whether types of administrations of the tribal society affect harmony and symmetrical designs of their carpet weaving. Descriptive and analytical methods, documentary and library tools, data gathering and theoretical interpretation are used in this research. Kerman Afshari tribe and the patterns of their rugs are taken as sample to be studied in the light of Georg Simmel's theories, particularly the Forms Theory. Overall, Simmel's aesthetic and sociology approaches may be applied to the art and society of Iran. Tribal carpets in their genuine form have symmetry and order, whereas the basic characteristic of the modern era is liberalism and individualism, which lead art to asymmetry and disharmony. The objective example of this characteristic is seen in modern carpets, which totally modifies the traditional carpet aesthetics. Although, there are examples of rural and tribal societies which are integrated and coordinated, it is the reflection of this form of society that has caused order and symmetry to be the basis of tribal carpet aesthetics, where the frame (i.e., the carpet border) is still the required basis and infrastructure.