Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Bibi Zoleikhaee: New Evidence for Pre- 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 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]

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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. , 6. Chogha Golan, 7. Guran, 8. Abdul Hosein, 9. , 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.

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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.

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Fig. 3: Bibi Zoleikhaee . General view, looking from the west.

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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. 4). of this region. Apart from a spring located 1 km south of Currently, ruins of architectural structures in the shape the mound, Marun River runs 2 km to the north; Dorahi of stone wall foundations and remains of a probably Islamic River also runs to the east of the site (Fig. 2). cemetery are visible on the surface. These have saved the site’s surface from farmers advance (Figs. 5-6).

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Fig. 5: Architectural remains on the surface of the site, looking from the west.

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Fig. 6: Greaves on the surface of the site, looking from the southwest.

Many other parts of the mound, however, have Lithics been ploughed and cultivated by local farmers and its archaeological deposits have become disturbed. Surface Both systematic and arbitrary sampling methods were findings indicate that the site contains remain from the conducted for collecting the surface lithics of the site. In Neolithic and late Islamic periods. the systematic sampling, four squares were established

5 www.SID.ir International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 in various parts of the mound and all of their lithics were A total number of 563 lithics were collected from the collected. Arbitrary sampling included collecting surface site’s surface. The stone used to make tools is a fine-grained lithics from different parts of the site. All samples are being chert stone with a shiny surface. The collection included examined in the present study. 217 specimens in different shades of brown (light brown, Based on the remains of cortex on the surface, it seems brown, dark brown and reddish brown), 165 samples in red that the original types of the stones used to make the stone (red and dark red), 56 cases in yellow, 43 in gray (light artifacts were in two forms of pebble and layered stones. grey, grey and dark grey), 19 in cream (in some cases with Pebbles came mostly from the nearby Dorahi River that brown), 18 bi-color samples (brown and yellow), 9 in pink, runs to the east of the site. Marun River runs 2 km to the 7 in milky white, 3 in black and 3 in green (Chart 1). north of the site and its pebble stones could have also been The collection includes core (14.03%), core fragments used for tool making by the residents of this site. (0.17%), blade and bladelet (42.63%), flake (23.26%),

Chart 1. Stone raw material sources of Bibi Zoleikhaee collection.

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Chart 2. Surface collection of Bibi Zoleikhaee.

6 www.SID.ir Vol. 2, No. 4, Summer- Autumn 2016 International Journal of the Society of Iranian Archaeologists debris (13.14%) and tools (6.22%) (Chart 2). Traces of these were made using indirect removal methods (pressure heating are visible on 23 samples. and punch techniques). The less common second group was created using direct (hard) percussion. Some of the Cores (79 examples) cores have simple percussion platforms, while some have prepared platforms. Half of the examples have complete Cores include bladelet and flake cores and form 14.03% of removed faces and, based on cortex remains, about 25% of the collection (Chart 2) with bladelet cores (Fig. 7) being the face is preserved in the other half (Table 1). higher in number compared to flake cores (Chart 3). Bladelet Double-platform cores constitute about 7.79% of the cores, mostly made using pressure technique, are divided bladelet cores. Several examples of these cores have simple into single and double platform groups. More than 90% percussion platforms and some have prepared percussion of bladelet cores are single-platform ones; the majority of platforms. The removal methods in these examples include

Fig 7. Bladelet cores. Archive of SID

Chart 3. Cores of Bibi Zoleikhaee Collection.

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Scar number Platform Type Removal Technique Indirect Pressure and Type Core ≥ 50% ≥ 50% Prepared Simpled Mixed Direct Punch) Technique 9 68 3 Single Platform 62 (87.33%) 57 (80.28%) 14 (19.72%) _ (12.67%) (95.78%) (4.22%) Bladelet Core 2 4 4 2 Double Platform 3(50%) 3 (50%) - (33.34%) (66.66%) (66.67%) (33.33%) Bladelet Core 11 66 60 17 4 70 3 Total

Table 1: Single and Double Platform Bladelet Cores.

Core Fragments (4 examples) indirect and mixed (of direct and indirect) percussions. In About 0.71% of the chipped stones of the collection are two examples the face is completely removed. Based on core fragments (Chart 2). Two examples of these belong the cortex remains, 40% of the rest have unfinished faces to the distal part of bladelet cores. Remains of cortex are (Table 1). visible on one specimen. Flake cores (2.54% of the collection) make the second group of Bibi Zoleikhaee cores (Chart 3). Only two Simple Blades-Bladelets (240 examples) examples of flake cores were found, one being a single- platform core in the shape of semi-pyramid and the other Simple blades and bladelets constitute 42.63% of the is a polyhedral core with visible remains of cortex on it. collection (Chart 2 and Fig. 8) including complete blades-

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Fig 8. Bibi Zoleikhaee collection, Unretouched specimens, 1. broken bladelet, 2. Simple bladelet, 3. Notched bladelet, 4-6. Unretouched bladelets, 7. Unretouched blade with cortex on distal end.

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Chart 4: Simple blades/bladelets of Bibi Zoleikhaee collection.

Chart 5: Length of complete blades/bladelets of Bibi Zoleikhaee Collection. Archive of SID

Chart 6. Width of complete blades/bladelets of Bibi Zoleikhaee collection.

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Number of Scar Total % Wastes (74 examples) Single Scar 1 3.33% 13.14% of Bibi Zoleikhaee collection are wastes (Chart Double Scar 10 33.33% 2). 29.79% of them have cortex and 70.27% are less than 10mm angled pieces. Triple Scar 15 50% Multi Scar 4 13.33% Tools (35 examples) Table 2. Complete Blade- Bladelet In total 6.22% of the collection are tools (Chart 2). These include retouched blade-bladelet (62.85%), retouched flake bladelets (12.5%), broken blades-bladelets (35%) and (5.71%), notched (17.14%), backed (2.85), polished, end- pieces of blades-bladelets (52.5%) (Chart 4). The average scrapers, borers and denticulate flakes (each 2.85%) (Chart length of complete blades-bladelets is about 22 mm and 7). These tools can be divided into two groups: those with their average width is 8.55 mm (Chart 5 and 6). 1-4 blade fine continuous regular retouch (57.14%) and those with scars are visible on their back, with the majority having 2-3 sporadic discontinuous retouch (5.71%). scars and a few with 1-4 scars (Table 2). Retouched blades and bladelets form the majority of Remains of cortex can be seen on about 26% of blades- the tools (Fig. 9:1-3 and 5,6). 20 examples of 22 retouched bladelets and is usually found along one of their side edges. blades-bladelets have fine regular retouch on the edges; in Traces of heating are visible on three examples of blades- two cases both edges are retouched. Three examples have bladelets. The average width of broken examples is about fine inverse retouch on one edge and two have sporadic 8.73 mm and 16% of them have cortex. Totally 14 blades- retouch. Remains of cortex are visible on two examples. bladelets have remains of cortex (11.11%) that is visible Notched tools (6 cases) form the second largest group of along one of the side edges. tools including 2 notched bladelets, one with inverse notch on one edge, and 4 notched flakes, one with inverse notch. Retouched (2) and backed (1) make the next group of Flakes (130 examples) tools. One of the flake tools have both edges retouched Simple flakes constitute 23.09% of the collection (Chart while one has only one retouched edge. Backed tools 2). Four examples are bladelet core flakes and five cases include one bladelet (Fig.9:4). Polished bladelets with one are flakes created as result of platform rejuvenation. One polished edge and retouch, endscraper on blade (Fig 9:7), example is the end of a bladelet core. Remains of cortex are borer on bladelet, simple burin on a flake (Fig. 9:8) and a visible on 49% of the flakes. one-edge denticulate tool made on a bladelet form the rest of the tools.

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Chart 7: Tools of Bibi Zoleikhaee collection.

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Fig 9. Bibi Zoleikhaee collection, tolls, 1-2. Bladelet with continuous fine retouch on one edge, 3. Bladelet with continuous steep retouch on both edges, 4. backed bladelet, 5. Bladelet with discontinuous retouched on both edge and continuous retouch on the distal end (probably broken drill), 6. Bladelet with inverse retouch on both edges, 7. End-scraper, 8. simple burin on a flake.

Mortars had probably measured 70x70 cm with 30 cm thickness. The round hollow had been created in the centre of the Two almost intact and one broken mortar were discovered stone with 10-20 cm in diameter and 20 cm in depth (Fig. on the surface of Bibi Zoleikhaiee. These mortars, made 10). It seems that the mortar has been removed from its of individual river sandstone boulders, were scattered original place. The almost intact mortar no. 2 is located in at several spots on the site. Here we attend to intact the central part of the site. The original stone had probably examples. Mortar no. 1 is located in the southwest corner measured 60x65 cm with 15 cm thickness. The diameter of of the site with a possible broken part. The original stone the round hollow is 13 cm and its depth is 7 cm (Fig. 11). Archive of SID

Fig 10. Mortar, no. 1.

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Fig 11. Mortar, no. 2.

Pottery decoration in the form of two parallel lines is visible. The quantity of surface pottery of the site is very low and Ceramics are both handmade and wheel-made. The latter mainly includes buff and reddish-buff wares with fine sand of these ceramics date to the Islamic period and more likely temper and white inclusions. In most cases, the are related to the architectural remains mentioned above have a grey core and outer surface. On one example incised (Fig. 12).

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Fig 12. Surface sherd collection from Bibi Zoleikhaee.

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Faunal Remains by those settled in the small valleys (Smith and Young 1983: 147). The ecological conditions and environmental A few small bones were also collected from the surface context of Bibi Zoleikhaee, including its formation in the of the site. These bones belonged to some medium-sized bottom of an old open valley as well as similarities between mammals like goat and sheep (M. Mashkour, personal its environmental context and those of other sites located in communication 2012). high small valleys, persuade us (until further excavations) to believe that the residents of this site had practiced a Conclusion primary form of early agriculture economy. Seemingly and considering the geomorphology of the region, the As noted earlier, the emphasis in this paper was on the subsistence pattern of these people was based on using the collection of stone artifacts. The stone used to make tools resources available in the nearby mountains and included is chert. Chert pebbles have a wide range of patterns and hunting and gathering, and, presumably, fishing. Polished come from nearby rivers; probably from Marun and Dorahi and backed bladelets of the present collection that were rivers considering their close distance to the site. related to combined tools used for hunting and cutting The main characteristic of the collection is dominance cereal plants, may fairly support this assumption. of bladelets and cores (56%). This high percentage indicates The absence of tools made from obsidian among the that the specialized production and use of bladelet was surface collection of stone artifacts is worth mentioning. most common in this site. Retouched bladelets also form a Obsidian stone artifacts have been reported from a number considerable number of tools. Significant examples in the of PPN sites, the most important of which are Sarab, Asiab, collection include polished bladelets, backed pieces, end- Chia Jani, Guran, Abdolhosein, Alikosh, Chogh Bonut scrapers and notched scrapers. The absence of geometrical and Qal’eh Rostam (Abdi 2004:150). We may propose examples is also noteworthy. The dominance of polished two reasons for this condition. Firstly, the collection was bladelets is noticeable in other Neolithic collections from gathered from the site surface and may not represent all Central Zagros, while only one example is found in the specimens. Second, is the long distance between the site Bibi Zoleikhaee collection. This might however be due and obsidian sources. The latter seems less probable to the nature of the collection that was gathered from the as obsidian tools were reported from Qal’eh Rostam in surface of the site. Chahar Mahal-o Bakhtyari that is one of the closest sites Presence of pressure technique cores in Bibi Zoleikhaee to Bibi Zoleikhaee. collection, which has been also recorded from other early As mentioned earlier, remains of two stone mortars Neolithic sites such as Chogha Bonut (Alizadeh 2003), were found on the site surface. These were more likely Chogha Golan (Nokandeh 2010, Zeidi et al. 2012), Haji used to process food. Although currently no certain dating Bahrami Cave (Tsuneki and Zeidi 2008), and a number can be set for these mortars, comparison between them and of sites in Bakhtyari region (Zagarell 1982), are among similar examples found in contemporary sites (Zeidi et al. evidence supporting the attribution of this site to PPN 2012; Nokandeh 2010) points to an early Neolithic period period. The absence of Neolithic pottery on the site surface dating. is another indication. For such attribution, we should also take into consideration the suitable environmental condition of the region including existence of springs and Acknowledgment rivers, small alluvial plains, the mountainous nature of the We would like to thank Mohsen Zeidi, Kourosh Roustaei region, existence of Paleolithic and Late Paleolithic caves and in particular Fereidoun Biglari for their invaluable and shelters (see Azadi 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010a) as comments. Ali Imani drew the stone tools and is deserved well as the potential areas foundArchive in this part of the Zagros to be thankedof here as SIDwell. for investigating the transition from the Epipaleolithic to Neolithic. References Although the evidence indicates that early Neolithic Abdi, K., settlements in Zagros occupied different environmental 2004 Obsidian in Iran from the Epipalaeolithic Period to the landscapes, with minor changes compared to the previous Bronze Age. In: Stöllner, T., Slotta, S., & Vatandoost, A. (Eds.), Persiens period where all sites were located in small and hardly Antike Pracht: Katalog der Ausstellung des Deatscher Bergbau-Museum Bochum, Bergbau Museum of Bochum, Bochum, pp. 140- 147. accessible valleys and in the vicinity of alluvium-covered lands. We presume that the primary form of early agriculture Alizadeh, A., economy has been probably a rather unstable adaption that 2003 Excavations at the Prehistoric Mound of Chogha Bonut, Khuzestan, Iran, Seasons 1976/77, 1977/78, and 1996. The Oriental was dependant on a particular condition only found in high Institute of the University of Chicago 120, Chicago. lateral valleys. According to current theories, the early steps towards food production through plant and animal Azadi, A., 2007 Archaeological Survey of Likak-e Bahmaei Area, Kohgiluye. domestication in sedentary societies were effectively taken Name-ye Pazhuheshgah 20 & 21, 105-120 (unpublished report in Persian).

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Mortensen, P., Zagarell, A., 1963 Early Village Occupation: Excavations at Tepe Guran, 1982 The Prehistory of the Northeast Baḫtiyārī Mountains, Iran: Luristan. Acta ArchaeologicaArchive 34, 110-121. The Riseof of a Highland SID Way of Life, Beihefte Zum Tubinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients 42, Wiesbaden. Nakamura, T. and M. Minami, 2008 Radiocarbon Dating of Charcoal Remains Excavated from Zeidi, M., S. Riehl, H. Napierala, and N. Conard, TB75. In: Tsuneki, A., & Zeidi, M. (Eds.), Tangh-e Bolaghi: The Iran 2012 Chogha Golan: A PPN Site in the Foothills of the Zagros Japan Archaeological Project for the Sivand Dam Salvage Area, Al-Shark Mountains, Ilam Province, Iran (Report on the First Season of Excavation 3, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Studies for West Asian Archaeology, in 2009). In: Matthews, R., & Curtis, J., (Eds.), Proceedings of the 7th pp. 157-161. International Congress on the Ancient Near East, April,12th – 16th 2010, London, the British Museum and UCL, Volume 3: Fieldwork & Recent Research Posters. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wisbaden, pp. 259-275

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