Journal of Archaeological Studies

Abstract The archaeological site of Sarcham is situated in the southwestern region (Hawraman Region) of Kurdistan Province in western Iran. It was excavated as part of the Darian Dam Archaeological Salvage Project (DDASP) in 2015, revealing a multi-period site with cultural deposits spanning four distinct archaeological periods. This paper aims to present the findings from the excavation season, highlighting the significance of each period. The cultural sequence of site includes the Middle Chalcolithic (Se Gabi phase), Middle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, and the Parthian/Sassanid era. The Middle Chalcolithic pottery discovered at Sarcham bears resemblance to that of the Seh Gabi period in the Central Zagros region. Similarly, the Middle Bronze Age pottery assemblage exhibits similarities with those found in the Central Zagros (late phases of Godin III), Northwestern Iran, and Anatolia. This excavation marks the first discovery of a Middle Bronze Age/Late Bronze Age site in Kurdistan Province. Furthermore, our research indicates that certain grey ware previously attributed to the Iron Age I period actually originated in the Bronze Age. The uppermost layer of the site, albeit somewhat disturbed, yielded pottery fragments dating to the Parthian/Sassanid period. This study sheds new light on the archaeological significance of Sarcham and contributes to the understanding cultural history of the region.

Abstract After more than one hundred years from the beginning of archaeological studies in Iran, the eastern regions of the country have received scarce or no attention from archaeologists, and there are very limited publications resulting from archaeological activities in this part of Iran. The prehistoric site of Kale Kub Ayask is one of the few prehistoric sites of South Khorasan province, and indeed in the whole eastern Iran, containing sufficient cultural deposits to provide a reliable chronology of the prehistoric cultural sequence of this region. Excavations at the site have led to the identification of the unknown prehistoric cultures in the area. The most significant achievement of the excavation is the identification of cultural materials dating to the fourth millennium BCE with southwestern and Mesopotamian origins. This cultural evidence, which can be considered as horizons of the culture of Susa II or the Late Uruk period, includes the typical pottery types of this period, such as beveled rim bowls, coarse Banesh trays, tubular vessels, nose-handled jars, patterned, and fine wheel pottery. This evidence has been long known in the southwestern, western, northwestern, southeastern, and central plateaus of Iran, but this is the first time they have been identified in eastern Iran. Based on geophysical studies, pristine places were selected to survey during the second season of excavation at the Kale Kub site, and the excavation of trenches with wider dimensions has lead to the identification of the prehistoric architecture of the site