The Neolithic Period in Western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari: Newly Identified Sites in Miankouh Region, Ardal County

Prior to 2008, simply a single Neolithic site was known from the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. Therefore, there was too few data on the nature of sedimentary settlement and development of nomadic subsistence in the region. Three seasons of survey programs carried out from 2008 to 2011 in the Miankuh region in the southwest of Ardal County, which represents one of the most mountainous parts of the province, produced significant results. In particular, a total of 600 sites dating from the Paleolithic up to the Qajar period were recorded, of which nine belonged to the Neolithic period. The recorded Neolithic sites lie for the most part in Sar Khun and Holusa’d valleys. The identified sites are mainly located in large and small valleys and on slopes. They show all the morphological characteristics of the modern nomadic settlements except that some contain evidence of continued settlements. Analysis of the Neolithic sites reveals that all of them were simply transient settlements, i.e. either was abandoned after this short period or was used for another short period. The Neolithic pottery from this region, with little few similarities with materials from Mushki and Jari in Fars and Neolithic ceramics of Khuzestan, finds closest parallels among the assemblage from Qale Rustam, which probably has had a local origin. Among the early Neolithic cultures of Southwest, ceramics from Qale Rustam I and II show the closet similarities with Early Neolithic sites of Miankuh.