A pedoanthracological and palynological approach to study man-climate-ecosystem interactions during the Holocene in Persepolis basin (SW-Iran) DISSERTATION ZUR ERLANGUNG DES DOKTORGRADES DER NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN (DR. RER. NAT.) DER FAKULTÄT FÜR BIOLOGIE UND VORKLINISCHE MEDIZIN DER UNIVERSITÄT REGENSBURG vorgelegt von Sara Saeidi Ghavi Andam aus Ahvaz- Iran im Jahr 2019 Promotionsgesuch eingereicht am: 18. 10. 2019 Die Arbeit wurde angeleitet von: Prof. Dr. Peter Poschlod i To my reasons to live: Mina & Saeed And To my wings to fly: Niloufar & Behzad ii Contents 1. Summary 1 2. Introduction 3 2.1. The Paleo-Persepolis project ............................................................................................................ 3 2.2. The present thesis ........................................................................................................................... 4 2.2.1. Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 4 2.2.2. Note on the methodological approaches .................................................................................... 5 2.2.3. The study area: Persepolis Basin .............................................................................................. 6 3. Modern flora and local wood identification key for Persepolis basin, Fars province (SW-Iran) 11 3.1. Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 11 3.3. Study site ..................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4. Materials and Methods .................................................................................................................. 14 3.5. Results ......................................................................................................................................... 16 4. Vegetation history of Maharlou Lake basin (SW Iran), special reference to Achaemenid period 19 4.1. Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 19 4.2. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 20 4.2.1. Study site ............................................................................................................................. 22 4.3. Materials and Methods .................................................................................................................. 23 4.4. Results and interpretation: ............................................................................................................. 24 4.5. Discussion.................................................................................................................................... 30 4.6. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 35 5. An update on the history of arboriculture in Ancient Iran ................................................................. 37 5.1. Palynological evidence of tree cultivation in Iran: strengths and pitfalls ............................................ 37 5.2. Special note on diversity and chronology of cultivated trees in the pollen records of Iran .................... 39 5.3. Concluding remarks ...................................................................................................................... 44 6. A study of fire history in southern Zagros Mountains 45 6.1. Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 45 6.2. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 46 6.3. Study site ..................................................................................................................................... 48 6.4. Materials and Methods .................................................................................................................. 49 6.5. Results ......................................................................................................................................... 51 6.6. Discussion.................................................................................................................................... 53 6.7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 58 7. Anthracological analysis of Tepe Rahmatabad, a Neolithic site in Persepolis basin 60 7.1. Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... 60 7.2. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 61 7.3. Study site ..................................................................................................................................... 62 7.4. Materials and Methods .................................................................................................................. 64 7.5. Results and Discussion .................................................................................................................. 64 7.6. Conclusion: .................................................................................................................................. 76 8. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 78 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... I References ................................................................................................................................................. i Supplements ............................................................................................................................................. 1 i List of Figures Figure 2-1: Kur River Basin. ................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 2-2: Climate types in Kur River Basin ......................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3-1: Main plant communities of forest vegetation in the Persepolis basin (from FRW, 2005) .................. 14 Figure 4-1:The location of palynological study site .............................................................................................. 23 Figure 4-2 :Age-depth model of core MAH-B, used in palynology...................................................................... 24 Figure 4-3a: Pollen percentage diagram for Lake Maharlou. ................................................................................ 26 Figure 4-4: Pollen percentage diagram for ecological groups and main pollen ratios .......................................... 28 Figure 4-5: Central rock relief of Apadana, PFa33 from Persepolis Fortification Archive ; Punica granatum pollen grain ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Figure 5-1: Wetlands for which high resolution pollen records are available in Iran. .......................................... 39 Figure 5-2: Pollen curves of dominant cultivated trees in a selection of pollen diagrams from Iran. ................... 40 Figure 6-1: The location of macro-charcoal study site .......................................................................................... 48 Figure 6-2: Age-depth model of core MAH-B, used in macro-charcoal study. .................................................... 50 Figure 6-3: Scatter plots of the relationships between charcoal counts (C#) and charcoal-particle area (A), Interpolated macroscopic charcoal-accumulation rates (CHARi) and low frequency charcoal, (CHARback). ....... 51 Figure 6-4 : Reconstructed fire history for the Lake Maharlou ............................................................................. 52 Figure 6-5 : Comparison of reconstructed fire histories based on CHARA and charcoal count per sample and CHAR# .................................................................................................................................................................. 53 Figure 6-6 : Comparison of reconstructed screened fire episodes with main vegetation changes based on palynology and reconstructed palaeohydrology of Maharlou Lake. .................................................................... 54 Figure 6-7 : Macro charcoal morphological classes .............................................................................................. 57 Figure 7-1: Important prehistoric sites in Persepolis basin ................................................................................... 62 Figure 7-2: location of Rahmatabad site ..............................................................................................................