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Bibi Zoleikhaee: New Evidence for Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period from Kohgiluyeh Region

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Bibi Zoleikhaee: New Evidence for Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period from Kohgiluyeh Region Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Bibi Zoleikhaee: New Evidence for Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period from Kohgiluyeh Region Ahmad Azadi Islamic Azad University Hamed Vahdati Nasab Tarbiat Modares University Abbas Motarjem University of BuAli Received: May, 23, 2016 Accepted: August, 30, 2016 Abstract: Compared to other regions in the Near East, our knowledge about the Neolithic period in Iran is rather limited; in the Central Zagros area, however, we have a more reliable set of information about this period. Except some areas in Fars and Bakhtyari, less information is available for southern Zagros, including Kohgiluyeh region. Kohgiluyeh region in southern Zagros is located between two major cultural zones of Khuzestan and Fars in southwestern Iran. This intermediate region is archaeologically less known compared to its neighbors. In the present paper, an Early Neolithic site is introduced. On the basis of surface collection, with majority of bladelets and cores, the site has been dated to the early Neolithic or Aceramic Neolithic. Considering the modern climate of the region and environmental context of the site we may postulate that the residents of the site practiced a simple form of early-agricultural economy. Due to the mountainous landscape of the region, their substance pattern had been based on using the nearby resources through hunting, food gathering and using water sources. Keywords: Bibi Zoleikhaee, Kohgiluyeh, Pre-Pottery, Neolithic, Archaeological survey. Introduction Although our knowledge about Neolithic period in Iran Here, the emphasis will be on the surface lithic is rather limited compared to other regions in the Near assemblage as the major criteria for the recognition of East, in the Central Zagros we have a more reliable set of Neolithic cultural and economic attributes. We try to put information about this period. Save for some regions like Fars and Bakhtiyari, less information is available from the 750 sites from Epipaleolithic to the late Islamic period were identified southern Zagros, including Kohgiluyeh region. Discovery and recorded. The surveyed sites encompass a wide range including cave, mound, rock-cut chamber (ostoudan), water transfer channels, mills, of a settlement site, probably dating back to the early shrines, bridges, castles, paved roads, water reservoirs and other archi- phases of this period, has providedArchive a chance to somewhat tectural structures.of For moreSID details see Azadi 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010a, fill such information gap. 2012; Azadi and Gezelbash 2011. Kohgiluyeh region in southern Zagros is located between two major cultural zones of Khuzestan and Ahmad Azadi Department of History and Archaeology, Science and Research Fars in southwestern Iran. This intermediate region is Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. archaeologically less known compared to its neighbors. [email protected] The present paper introduces a PPN site identified by one of the authors in his 1999 archaeological survey of Hamed Vahdati Nasab Kohgiluyeh region.1 Corresponding Author Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, 1. Archaeological surveys in Kohgiluyeh area have been conducted in Tarbiat Modares University, Iran. two time frames of 1999-2002 and 2007-2012. In the latter series, apart [email protected] from the re-visiting of the previously surveyed area, it was attempted to systematically survey the whole area using 1:25000-scaled maps. These Abbas Motarjem surveys were conducted using national and provincial financial resources Department of Archaeology, University of BuAli, Iran. under approved programs of the ICAR. As the result of the surveys, about [email protected] 1 www.SID.ir International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 Fig. 1: Map showing location of Bibi Zoleikhaee and other major aceramic Neolithic sites in southwestern and central Zagros of Iran, 1. Bibi Zoleikhaee, 2. Chogha Bonut, 3. Haji Bahram, 4. Sayedeh Khatoon, 5. Ali Kosh, 6. Chogha Golan, 7. Guran, 8. Abdul Hosein, 9. Ganj Dareh, 10. Sheikh-e Abad, 11. Sarab, 12. Asiab. the site in a correct chronological framework through south and west. In some parts, lower mountains and rolling comparing its lithic assemblage with those of other hills, like Karbasi Mountain to the west of Dehdasht town contemporary sites of the neighboring regions in order to and Pa Ghebleh and Kalayeh mountains to the northwest of get a better understanding on the Neolithization process in Cheram, are seen in the area between these plains and their the region. surrounding mountains. This feature is one of the main differences between the intermountain plains of this region Ecological Setting with plains such as Mahidasht in Central Zagros. Rivers, springs and streams are abundant in the region with Marun Kohgiluyeh region, with elevation between 500 to 3300 River being one of the most important ones. m above sea level, is bound by Khuzestan and Chahar Kohgiluyeh region is composed of two different warm Mahal-o Bakhtyari to the north, Gachsaran to the south, and cold climatic zones. The cold zone with its highlands Boyer Ahamd-e Sardsir to the east and part of Khuzestan and pastures is located in the northern half of the region; to the west. Geologically, this region is located within it is settled by local nomad community during springs the Folded Zagros ZoneArchive whose main features are parallel and ofsummers andSID is abandoned during cold seasons of anticlines with small and large plains in between. These the year. Until few decades ago, most of Kohgiluyeh intermountain plains are one of the most favored ecological and Boyer Ahmad province population practiced semi- niches for the formation of human settlements due to their sedentary lifestyle based on animal husbandry and partial environmental potentials. Main mountains of the region are agriculture.2 The warm zone includes lowlands and small Nour Mountain (ca. 3300 m asl), to the east and northeast, plains in the central and southeastern part of Kohgiluyeh. Sefid and Siah mountains (ca. 2800 m asl) to the north These two climatic zones have caused the region to benefit and northeast and Khaeez (ca. 1200 m asl) to the west and from a diverse flora with broad-leaved plants like wild southwest. pistachio, oak and other woodsy bushes in the cold zone The region features a rolling-hill landscape with several and a sparse vegetation of wild almond, lotos and milk connected intermountain plains such as Dehdasht, Cheram, vetch bushes in the warm zone. Kalachu and Lir, at elevation of 500 to 900 m above sea level. Siah and Khaeez Mountains have surrounded these 2. For an ethnographic record about the semi-sedentary lifestyle of this plains respectively from the east, north, northeast and region’s people see Azadi 2010b. 2 www.SID.ir Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Fig. 2: Location and topographic map of Bibi Zoleikhaee. History of Previous Research Less information is available about PPN period of the southern Zagros. Except for a few sites with possible Our information about the PPN period for the Zagros, PPN remains (Sumner 1994: 48-49), only excavations at particularly the Central Zagros region, is rather adequate Seyedeh Khatun cave in Arsanjan (Tsuneki and Mirzaye and has improved during the past decade. Excavations 2012) and two cave sites in Tang-e Bolaghi have provided at Ganj Darreh (Smith 1974, 1976, 1978), Asiab and certain evidence about settlement of this period, dating Sarab (Braidwood 1960, Braidwood et al. 1961), Tepe to mid-8th millennium BC (Tsuneki and Zeidi 2008; Abdolhosein (Pullar 1990), Tepe Guran (Mortensen 1963), Nakamura and Minami 2008: 157- 161). and recent excavations at Tepe Sheikhi Abad (Matthews et al. 2010) and Eastern Chia Sabz in Seymare River basin (Darabi et al. 2011) have providedArchive further data about this Site Description of SID period. Bibi Zoleikhaee Tepe3, at an elevation of 674 m above Our knowledge about the PPN of Khuzestan comes sea level, is located in the foothills of southern Zagros from Chogha Bonut in Susiana plain (Alizadeh 2003), highlands (Fig. 1). lower layers of Tepe Ali Kosh (Hole et al. 1969), Chogha The site is located in the southwest of Kohgiluyeh Sefid (Hole 1977) and Chogha Golan (Nokandeh 2010; region, approximately 6.5 km to the southwest of Lendeh Zeidi et al. 2012) all in the Deh Luran plain. Due to heavy town and 500 meters to the south of Bibi Zoleikhaee Holocene deposition in the Susiana plain, settlements village (Fig. 2). Bibi Zoleikhaee is a roughly oval-shaped earlier than early Neolithic and Epipaleolithic are more mound, measures 70 x 40 m and raises 10 m above the likely to be found in its northern and eastern foothills, where surroundings. It seems that the mound consists of at least much less aggradation has occurred. Recent archaeological about 2 meters of archaeological deposits (Fig. 3). Surface surveys in these areas have confirmed this observation and scatters are visible around the site as far as 50 m to the presented evidence for early Neolithic and Epipaleolithic settlements in there (Niknami et al. 2009). 3. Geographical coordination of the site is 39R 0442295, UTM 3420414. 3 www.SID.ir International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 Fig. 3: Bibi Zoleikhaee . General view, looking from the west. Archive of SID Fig. 4: Bibi Zoleikhaee and Dorahi Valley River, looking from the southwest. north and west. The mound is located in a mountainous The southern and southwestern parts of the mound are landscape that looks like an old valley with a short distance formed on a limestone bedrock that slopes to the Dorahi from rolling hills and rocky ridges that form the highlands River valley with a sharp slope (Fig.
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