Functional Analysis of the Clothing System of the Qashqai Tribe Based on Malinowski’s Theory

Clothing in tribal and nomadic societies is not simply a means of covering the body, but rather a multilayered system of biological, social, economic, and symbolic functions. The Qashqai tribe, as one of the largest nomadic tribes in Iran, has a coherent and meaningful clothing system that has been formed in close connection with the livelihood, social structure, cultural beliefs, and environmental conditions. The present study analyzes the clothing system of the Qashqai tribe, relying on the ethnoarchaeological approach and within the framework of Branislav Malinowski's functionalism theory. The research data was collected based on field studies, participatory observation, local interviews, and written sources. In this article, Qashqai clothing is analyzed not as a set of decorative elements, but as a cultural institution that meets basic biological needs, organizes social relations, stabilizes tribal identity, and reflects human adaptation to the environment. Also, by using ethnoarchaeological analogies, some functional similarities and differences between Qashqai clothing and pictorial evidence from the Achaemenid period at sites such as Persepolis are examined, and it is emphasized to avoid direct continuity. The results of the research show that the Qashqai clothing system has a functional and dynamic structure that, while rooted in tradition, has undergone transformation under the influence of contemporary social developments.