Khalil-Ollah Beik-Mohammadi; Fahimeh Rahmani
Abstract
The Posht-e Forudgah Malayer mound, located on the Malayer Plain in the Central Zagros, represents semi-nomadic communities whose subsistence economy during the Late Neolithic was based ...
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The Posht-e Forudgah Malayer mound, located on the Malayer Plain in the Central Zagros, represents semi-nomadic communities whose subsistence economy during the Late Neolithic was based primarily on pastoralism. In this period, the integration of agricultural and herding practices encouraged the expansion and diversification of tools crafted from stone and, notably, from animal bone. Bone’s flexibility, workability, strength, and accessibility made it a crucial raw material in Neolithic daily life. This study examines a small assemblage of bone tools of varied sizes, morphologies, and functions recovered from Posht-e Forudgah. A descriptive-analytical and comparative approach was undertaken, juxtaposing these artifacts with assemblages from other Late Neolithic sites in the Central Zagros. The research addresses three questions: 1) What morphological and functional characteristics do the Posht-e Forudgah bone tools exhibit? 2) Based on structural features, what roles did they have in the lives of nomadic or semi-nomadic communities? 3) Do they show structural or functional affinities with tools from contemporary, horizon-sharing sites? The objectives include analyzing morphology, investigating the toolmakers’ technological skills, and assessing probable functions supported by experimental archaeological studies. The findings indicate predominantly conical-bodied, pointed, and polished tools, with wear traces revealing repeated use. Such patterns suggest specialized production, informed by accurate knowledge of bone properties and by a technological system embedded in the dynamic social structure of Late Neolithic semi-nomadic pastoralists. By studying these tools, the research contributes to reconstructing aspects of subsistence, offering insight into social organization, and deepening understanding of bone implement manufacture and uses—especially awls and needles—within nomadic Neolithic societies.
