The Late Neolithic in the Central Zagros Foothills: New Evidence from Remremeh, Mehran Plain

As far as the Neolithic period is concerned, the focus of research has been on the study of the early domestication and sedentary life throughout the central Zagros. However, insufficient attention is paid to later developments during the late Neolithic, and our current knowledge is largely based on the investigations of the 1960-70s, especially those carried out in the foothills which played a role as a ‘transition zone’ between Mesopotamia and the Zagros. In this context, the nature of cultural interactions in local and regional contexts is of particular importance. Moreover, the probable reasons that brought an end to the Neolithic way of life in the region are not yet known. The new, brief excavations at the site of Remremeh in the Mehran Plain have therefore shed new light on these issues. So far, as attested by AMS dates and ceramic analysis, a long sequence from the 7th to the 6th millennium BC has been excavated at the site. Accordingly, the central part of the site contains the late Neolithic remains with artifacts similar to the Deh Luran plain while the eastern part yielded a combination of local late Neolithic and Hassuna and late Samarra materials. It seems that the local Neolithic materials and thus the traditions were preserved until the end of the 7th millennium BC when Hassuna and Samarra elements were introduced to the region, respectively. After a few centuries of coexistence of local and Mesopotamian entities, the so-called late Samarran or Chogha Mami Transitional (CMT) materials, especially the black-on-buff ware, dominated the Mehran plain and other nearby lowlands in southwestern Iran. This may mark the end of the Neolithic period in the region, although the nature of this cultural transition or replacement remains controversial. However, to date, the finds from the site would help with better understanding of the cultural development and interaction in the borderland foothills over the late Neolithic.