Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Archeology, Iranian Center for Archaeology Research (ICAR), Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Excavations at Gird-i Ashoan, an archaeological mound in Piranshahr County in the Lower Zab Basin, have provided remarkable insights into the cultural traditions of the region during the Late Chalcolithic. Whilst reflecting some indigenous peculiarities, its material culture exhibits broad affinities with Northwestern Iran, the Caucasus, and Anatolia. This evinces the spread of the Late Chalcolithic (LC) cultures, especially LC2‒3, over vast territories, which could imply either population movements or the spread of a certain pastoralist subsistence system. The central stimulus was favorable climatic conditions, presumably a significant reduction in cold that fostered a climate almost similar to present conditions. Building on the finds from Gird-i Ashoan, the present paper addresses the reasons for the chaff-faced pottery’s extension over a wide geographic area from the Caucasus to Mesopotamia, northern Syria and northwestern Iran. Excavations at the site brought to light a Late Chalcolithic settlement of an unprecedentedly substantial range, consisting of about 8 m of continuous deposits. The pottery assemblages from the site include chaff-faced ware and Painted Pisdeli ware, suggesting that the site’s strongest interactions were with the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia
Keywords
Abedi. A. Varoutsikos. B.Chataigner. C.2018. Provenance of obsidian artifacts from the Chalcolithic site of Dava Göz in NW IRAN using portable XRF, Journal of Archaeological Science, 20,pp.756–767.
Abedi.A.Vosough.B.Razani,M.Bagherzadeh.Kasiri.M.Steiniger.D.Ebrahimi.G. 2018. Obsidian Deposits from North Western Iran and First Analytical Results S: Implications For Prehistoric Production and Trade, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 18, No 2,pp. 107-118.
Baxaliyef. V.Novruzov. Z. 2010.Sirabda arxeologji Arasdirmalar. Azerbaycan Milli Elmler Akademiyasi Naxcivan Bolmesi.
Balossi Restelli. F.2012.The Beginning of the Late Chalcolithic Occupation at Arslan tepe, Malatya, After the Ubaid: Interpreting Change From The Caucasus To Mesopotamia At The Dawn Of Urban Civilization (4500-3500 BC), Edited by C. Marro,pp.235-259.
Brustolon. A. Rova. E.2007.The Late Chalcolithic Period In The Tell Leilan Region: A Report On The Ceramic Material OF The 1995 Survey, ambienti eculture del Vicino Oriente Antico, Vol 4.
Besserat. D.S.2007. From Tokens to Writing: the Pursuit of Abstraction, Bulletin of the Georgian national academy of science, vol.175, no.3,pp.162-167.
Burney. C.1962. Excavation at Yanik tepe Azerbaijan 1961, IRAQ, Vol , XXIV,PP.134-152
Burney.C.1964. The Excavations at Yanik Tepe, Azerbaijan,1962: Second preliminary Report. Iraq, Vol 26.No1,pp. 54-61
Dyson. R.H. Jr.Young. T.C. 1960. The Solduz Valley, Iran: Pisdeli Tepe, Antiquity 34(133),pp. 19-28.
Fazeli Nashli. H. Matthews. R .2022. The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire, Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
Fisher. M.2017. The Late Chalcolithic 1 Period In Northern Mesopatamia: Tell L Zeidan, Syria, In Regional Context , The University Of Chicago.
Gerritsen. F. Özbal.r. Thissen. L. Galik . A. 2010. The Late Chalcolithic Settlement of Barcin Höyük , Anatolica, XXXVI ,pp.197-225.
Gil J. Stein.2012. The Development Of Indigenous Social Complexity In Late Chalcolithic Upper Mesopotamia In The 5TH-4TH , Millennium BC An Initial Assessment, Origini , XXXIV,pp. 125-151.
Hamlin . C.1975.Dalma Tepe, Iran, Vol. 13,pp. 111-127.
Helwing, B. 2005. The late Chalcolithic period in the northern Zagros a reappraisal of the current status of research. In Proceedings of International Symposium on Iranian Archaeology: Northwest Region .pp.:11-23.
Helwing. B.2012. Late Chalcolithic Craft Traditions At The Northeastern ‘Periphery’ Of Mesopotamia: Potters VS. Smiths In The Southern Caucasus, ORIGINI XXXIV,pp. 201-220.
Hejebri Nobari. A. Binnandeh. A.2012. Excavation at Lavin Tepe in northwest Iran, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, ISSN 1378-4641. vol. 49,pp. 95-117.
Henrickson. E.1983.Ceramic Styles and cultural Interaction in the Early and Middle chalcolithic of central Zagros. Iran doctoral dissertation . University of Toronto .
Henrickson. E.1985. An Updated Chronology Of The Early and Middle Chalcolithic Of The Central Zagros Highlands, Western Iran, Royal Ontario Museum,Iran,vol XXIII.
Kelly.M.Buccellati.2019.Mozan/Urkesh in the Late Chalcolithic Period, Book chapter in Kulturlandschaft Syrien , edited by J. Becker, 261–90. Alter Orient Und Altes Testament 371. Münster: Ugarit-Verlag.
Levine. L.Young. C.1986.A summary of the ceramic assemblages of the central western Zagros from the middle Neolithic to the late third millennium B.C , prehistoric de la Mesopotamia, NO, 17 .18 .19 1984 CNRS.Paris.
Lyonnet, B.Guliyev. F.Helwing. B.Tevekku¨l. A.Svend. H.2012.The first two seasons of joint field work in the Southern Caucasus, Archologische Mitteilungen Aus Iran Und Turan Sonderdruck Band 44.
Luca. B. Vidale. M.2013. The Middle Chalcolithic i n southern Turkmenistan and the archaeological record of Ilgynly-depe, Ancient Iran And Its Neighbors, Edited by Cameron A. Petrie.
Marro. C. Bakhshaliyev. V. Ashurov. S. 2011. Excavations at Ovçular Tepesi (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan). Second Preliminary Report: The 2009‒2010 Seasons, Anatolia Antiqua 19,pp. 53‒100.
Marro. C.2010.Where did Late Chalcolithic Chaff-Faced Ware originate? Cultural Dynamics in Anatolia and Transcaucasia at the Dawn of Urban Civilization, Paléorient, Vol. 36, No. 2,pp. 35-55 .
Marro. C.2020.The View from the North ,The Emergence and Spread of the Chaff-Faced Ware oikumenè as seen from the Caucasus (ca. 4600-3500 BCE), paleorient ,no 48,pp.111-130.
Mihal.B.2003.Seals contracts and Token in the Balkans Early Neolithic where in the puzzle? Documental prehistoric, No.30,pp.115-130.
Motarjem.A.2017. Signs of ethnic migration to the Northwest and West. pajohesh hay bastanshenasi ,Vol 1,pp. 137-146.[in Persian].
Motarjem.A .Sharifi.M.2015. An Analysis on the Function and Nature of the Tokens and Clay Figurines from Tappe Qeshlaq of Talvar During the Chalcolithic Period, pajohesh hay bastanshenasi,vol 4(7),pp.27-46.
Museyibli. N. 2016. Potters Marks On Leila Tepe Culture Pottery: Eastern Anatolian Chalcolithic Traditions in The Caucasus, Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 16, No 1,pp. 283-294.
Nannucci. S. 2016. Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project Final Report: Chronology and material culture, Chapter2. Phase I: Late Chalcolithic period Laneri, Bologna .
Kuliyeva. Z. Baxaliyef. A.Hseliyev. V.2018. Nahcivan in Kalklitik ÇAĞ Kulturu (Azerbaijan) Chalcolithic Period Culture Of Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan), TÜBA-AR, Vol: 23 ,pp.29-52
Parker.B.J.Foster. C. P. Henecke. J. Hopwood. M.2008. Preliminary Report From The Two Field Seasons At Kenan Tepe, Anatolica 34,pp. 103-176.
Palumbi. G.2011. The Chalcolithic Of Eastern Anatolia. Steadman-Chapter 09,pp.205-226.
Peyronel. L.Vacca. A.2015.Northern Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic1-3 Perods in The Erbill Plain. New Insights From Recent Rrsearches at Helawa, Iraqi Kurdistan, ORIGINI, XXXVII, 1,pp. 89-127.
Saglamtimur .A. Haluk. K. Emrulllah.2015. Late Chalcolithic Pottery Assemblage from Başur Höyük, Arkeoloji Dergisi XX ,pp.57-88.
Steadman. S. R. McMahon. G_ Ross. J.C.2007. The Late Chalcolithic at Çadır Höyük in Central Anatolia , Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 32, No. 4.pp.385-406.
Saed Mucheshi.A.2017. Stratigrapghy at Tepe Namashir of the Baneh:Western Iran, pajohesh hay bastanshenasi, Volume 7(12),pp. 43-62 .[in Persian].
Sharifi. M .Motarjem.A.2018. The Process of Cultural change in the Chalcolithic period in the highlands of Western Iran at Tepe Gheshlagh. Documenta Praehistorica, XLV,pp.86-99.
Sharifi. M.2019. The Middle Bronze Age in the Little Zab Basin in the Light of the Excavations at Barde Zard Tepe, Northwest Iran ,Iranian journal of Archaeological studies, Vol 9 ( 1),pp. 39-56.
Sharifi. M. 2020. Excavations at Barveh Tepe: New Insights into the Early Bronze Age in Northwest Iran, Journal of Near Eastern Studies,vol 79,no 2,pp.287-303.
Sharifi.M.2020. Gheshlagh tepe bijar,Iranian center for Archaeology research (ICAR) Publication.
Sharif. M.2021a. Cultural Interactions of Little Zab River Basin in Chalcolithic / Bronze age Northwest of Iran. Journal of Archaeological studies 3(13),pp.93-116.
Sharifi.M.2021b. Evidence of Late Bronze age in Zab Basin, Based on Archaeological Excavation of Akhoran. Parseh Journal 5(15),pp. 95-114.[in Persian].
Sharifi. M.2021c.Absolute Dating and Study of Iron Age/III-II pottery in Gird-i Ashoan tepe, Northwestern Iran Based on Archaeological Excavation,journal of irans, pre islamic Archaeological essays, Vol 6(1),pp.81-94.
Voigt . M. 1983. Hajji Firuz tepe, vol 1 university of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Young .T.C. Levine.L .1974 .Excavation of the Godin Project :Second progress Report Occasional Papers no:26 Art and Archaeology .Royal Ontario Museum,Toronto
Young. T. Cuyler, Jr .1969. Excavations at Godin Tepe. First progress Report .Royal Ontario Museum. ROM. Occasional Papers no: 17 Art and Archaeology .Toronto.
)