Zagros

Although the Iranian plateau has witnessed Paleolithic researches since the early twenty century, still little is known about the Paleolithic of Iran. There are several reasons for this situation and lack of scholarly enthusiasm on the part of Iranian archaeologists seems to be the most imperative one. Concerning the history of Paleolithic surveys and excavations conducted in Iran, three distinct phases are recognizable. First, from the beginning of the twenty century to the 1980 when numerous field missions were executed in this region all by western institutes, second phase observes a twenty years gap in the Paleolithic studies hence; only few surveys could be performed in this period, and the third phase starts with the reopening of the Iranian fields to the non-Iranian researchers, which led to the survey and excavation of handful of new Paleolithic sites. This article reviews Paleolithic researches conducted in Iran since the beginning of twenty century to the present time.

Although the Zarzian was first identified in the 1920s, it has not been until recently that detailed investigations of it have been undertaken. In contrast to the intensive research on the Epipaleolithic period in the Levant, the Zarzian in the Zagros area is less well known, although it shares some similarities (as well as differences) with the Levantine Epipaleolithic including trajectories of hunter-gatherer subsistence and other behavioral strategies that may have played a role in long-term processes ultimately leading in both regions to the advent of food production economies

Neolithic and food production from domesticated species has been one of the most important topics discussed and studied about prehistoric archaeology. Since the 1920s, or even much earlier, archaeologists tried to explain this great event that changed human life after millions of years of hunting-gathering. During these years, various theories based on technological, environmental, economic and sustenance, demographic, social, and evolutionary and, in recent decades, ideological, have been proposed by researchers. Some believe that Neolithic and food production is not an absolute and sudden process, but a long-term process, from knowing and choosing of species, management, and domestication of interdependence; this process is called Neolithization. The Neolithization process is not just the adoption of a new way of life due to environmental and demographic changes, but the beginning of human mental and worldviews changes. In this period, human manifests new behaviors, including rituals, which can be seen in burials, handicrafts, and architecture. Placing animal horns (domestic/wild) in the architectural space is one of these ritual behaviors. This symbolic behavior has been found in Fertile Crescent sites, from the Levant in the westernmost to Iran’s easternmost borders. Some researchers believe that this behavior is to gain authority, while some believe that humans tried to use these ways to control the wild in their inner domestic world. In this research, the authors have tried to analyze this type of behavior from the perspective of Neolithization ideological theories.

This paper presents the results of a geoarchaeological study of the ancient hydraulic structures in the Bozpar Valley and an analysis of their relationship with the standing monuments, especially the two palatial structures known as Kushk-e Ardashir and Zendan-i Soleyman. It presents a raison d’être for each identified structure regarding its hydraulic function and physical integration within the monumental landscape. Then, it suggests an interpretative pattern in their spatial relation to the mentioned monumental structures. The study area is a small and remote valley in the Zagros highlands in southern Iran. It borders the modern provinces of Fars and Bushehr and is historically associated with the Greater Fars region. The monumental structures in this area belong to the Sasanian architectural tradition. Here, their integrated hydraulic structures are investigated interdisciplinary via remote sensing. The analysis indicates different functions for the two monuments: a representative and official kushk and a [seasonal] leisure palace. Based on the nature and function of the integrated hydraulic structures, the former monument seems to relate to food production activities and the latter to currently unidentified activities other than daily life. The results of this study provide further evidence of integrated hydraulic structures in Late Antique Iran and shall trigger comparative studies from neighbouring regions in the future.