Journal of Archaeological Studies

Abstract The Organization of stone tool production is one of the most important aspects of lithic assemblage studies. Reduction process indicates how lithic material was prepared and transported through reductive phases which can be reconstructed according to remaining material from each phase. Such studies are important in explaining the differences between lithic assemblages from the same period and in a region and their variability in various periods. Sequential models have distinct characteristics which distinguishes them from other archaeological structures. The concept has been proposed by American archaeologist as “reduction sequence” and by French archaeologists as “Chaine Operatoire”, which are almost the same. In this article reduction sequence is studied in Epipalaeolithic and early Neolithic of Izeh Plain, in North West of Kuzistan, Iran. Determining factors in Organization of chipped stone production, including recourse availability, settlement patterns and production trajectory are studied in lithic assemblages of Izeh sites. The only extant PPN Neolithic site, Tepe Imamzadeh Mahmud shows that there has occurred a major change in the production trajectory of bladelets from Epipalaeolithic to Neolithic and at least the location of different reduction junctures which were not exactly separated from each other in previous Epipalaeolithc period, has got relatively separated in the form of a work-camp of bladelet production workshop in PPN Neolithic.      

Abstract The research layout of surveying Sonqor’s caves and rock shelters has been presented according to the region’s importance in archeological studies, lack of documented data, and necessity of registering most monuments which have been less considered as a result of uneasy access. The need of this project is characterized with regard to former surveys which just considered registering the region’s plains. Sonqor’s caves and rock shelters were specified in this study in assisting of Kermanshah Cultural heritage organization, and necessary actions were taken to document its data. A total of 32 caves, rock shelters and 2 Paleolithic open sites have been acquired in this survey but only 13 of them had cultural material dispersion in front of the entrance. The registered caves and shelters can be divided in to three main groups: - Those caves and shelters, due to the quality and quantity of the collected artifacts, which, assessing their chronological periods is not possible. - Those caves and shelters which we can propose a likely chronology for them, based upon the collected artifacts. - And finally the caves and shelters which are dated partially according to the quality and quantity of their artifacts. Their importance will be more prominent because of the existence of cultural Paleolithic deposits in these sites. Anyhow, this study tries to consider the following aspects as well as aforesaid most important executive goals. 1-      Studying and presenting the chronological identified sites in comparison. 2-      Presenting the identified sites’ dispersion plan.