The influence of the Kura-Aras culture on the southwest of Iran's plateau

One of the most important features of the Iran Early Bronze Age which shows the late 4th and first half of the 3rd millenniums-upon 5 Carbon 14 samples- according to the investigated ancient areas, is Yanik Tepe (Voigt and Dyson, 1992: 122- 178) associated to the field of pottery, due to the presence and promotion of grey and black pottery in extensive locations thereof (Talaei, 2006: 49).
The other regions where the impact and development of Transcaucasia (Kura- Araxes) culture has been observed is the Shazand plain(Savar Abad and Sarsakhti 3 Tepes), which is located between central Zagros (Lorestan) at west and plateau of central Iran at the east and is of the set of the plains located at the south of the main road of the plateau of Iran. The surface survey of the Tepe Savar Abad has identified a number of ceramics belonging to Chalcolithic, early and new bronze, iron periods and historical and Islamic periods. Fragment of ceramics belonging to Kura-Araxes have been found in the Tepe and the technique of these fragments is handmade and in some cases the surface of the ceramics has been polished by some sort of instrumental (sample 5 and 7), and the temper of all fragments is mineral. Two cases of these samples have external decoration, sample one (No: 2) has three rows of equilateral triangles. The upper row is placed on a horizontal line with sharp points directed down ward. The middle row and the lower row are placed mix to each other. Sample No 4 also has some decorated patterns with a special technique, a horizontal strip in lower part with equilateral triangle connected to each other, but the triangles are not carved, only the margins are carved and the triangles are at the level of the surface. The sizes of the triangles get gradually bigger from left to right. In the archaeological survey recognized Tepe Sarsakhti-3(Shz:154). The surface survey of the Tepe has identified a number of ceramics belonging to Chalcolithic, bronze and historical and Islamic periods. The technology used to produce all Yanik fragments are handmade and the inside and outside surface have been carefully polished (8, 9, 11, 15). Regarding the form, they are bowl -like shapes with open- mouth in the body. Comparisons have been made between the varieties of genres of ceramic objects in Sarsakhti Tepe with other samples in Godin in Kangavar plain (Henricson; 1991) and Yanik Tepe (Burny; 1969) are highly remarkable (table1). We could not find any ordinary decorated ceramic object in Yanik Tepe. The manner of development of Kura- Araxes culture has always been a challenging issue related to the development of early complicated communities in the near east. Archaeological surveys have been going on widely for many kilometers after Tepe Sarsakhti to east, but no clue has been found yet to verify the existence of a highly advanced culture in east, north or south. Further studies in neighboring area have not lead to any acceptable result either (Fig.7). Therefore, the area can be called the connective hinterland of Kura- Araxes culture. The comparison of ceramic genres in these two regions with other samples show that they have some sort of similarity with samples found in Godin Tepe in Kangavar plain (Young; 1969, 1974 & Henrickson; 1991) and the ceramic genres belonging to ancient Bronze age in Yanik Tepe (Burney; 1961) located in the east of the Urmia Lake in Azarbaijan area have some sort of similarities in form.