Investigation of Form, Dispersion, and Dating Stone Ridge Tombs of Zeh-E-Kalut Jaz Murian Based on Adaptive Study of Adjacent Regions

Interment is one of the main sources of study on ancient cultures and religions. Interment, as a part of the material and intangible heritage of a society, has its own characteristics in different regions. Since ancient inhumation traditions originate from the beliefs of ancient societies, their study could be useful for the reconstruction of their cultural evolutionary process of them. Cairn Burials are one of the most numerous works that have been identified and recorded from the archaeological surveys of different regions of the southeast of Iran. These graves are usually created on the rock of the crest of the mountains. In the archaeological survey of Zahklot of Jazmurian in the south-eastern region of Iran, a significant number of these graves have been identified, and it indicates that in this region, the burial method of Cairn Burials is common and examples similar to the Cairn Burials of Zahklot in terms of form and distribution. It has been reported from areas such as the west and southwest of the Iranian plateau and outside the borders of Iran from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the southern area of ​​the Persian Gulf. The purpose of the current research is to investigate and study the Cairn Burials in terms of form, distribution of graves in the region, and their dating based on a comparative study with neighboring areas. The current research by conducting field survey and survey in the region identified and analyzed the intended graves and provided archaeological documentation such as the classification of the structure of the graves and the typological comparison of the pottery samples introduced, categorized, and presented the relative chronology of this burial tradition. The results of the typology of pottery and its comparison with the scientific excavations confirm the dating of the Cairn Burials.