Hormangan Site; A Neolithic Site in Bananat River Basin, Fars

The period from 6300 until 5600 B.C in Fars region is known as Mushki and Jari phases. Since 1950s until recent years, lot of discussion have been evolved around the origins of these societies and their development. However, new cultural phase, known as Bashi, is proposed as the transition phase from Mushki to Jari. The stereography and architectural remains as well as geometrical stone tools, wild animals’ bones, particularly horses, are all indicating the existence of a seasonal settlement based on hunting in Tell-e Mushki, which is transformed into a sedentary settlement due to different type of architecture and a subsistence based on agriculture in Tell-e Jari B. A distinct cultural phenomenon is probably happened in Mushki phase which can be caused by sudden climate changes. It is suggested that the weather became cold and dry for centuries, until around 6200 B.C when the condition improved. In this regard, cultural changes are reflecting ups and downs in the climate situation, which have been recorded extensively in in Middle East archeological records. Furthermore, these climate changes have had direct influences on socioeconomical strategies of Neolithic societies in Fars. Lack of sheep bones in Tell-e Mushki on one side, and its abandonment in Tell-e jari A B on the other side, indicate a climate transmission from arid to more humid condition. However, the relationship between culture and climate is only one of the possible explanations for the cultural changes and obviously more studies are required. The majority of archeologists believe that severe climate changes in 8.2 Ka forced Neolithic societies to embrace new conditions. It is possible that some of them migrated to regions with more tolerable weather, while others found alternative survival methods for livelihood such as hunting or collecting foods instead of cultivating. Intermountain valleys in Fars region are required to be studied precisely and extensively in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of this period and to be able to analyze it. Following a survey by authors in 2015 on the Basin of Bavanat River in northeastern Fars, one of the most ancient settlements of this region, dates back to Neolithic era, was identified in Hormangan site and later in 2016 was excavated. The site is located on the west of Jeshnian village, situated on the southern basin of Bavanat River, on eastern Fars province in Iran. Hormangan is a small northern-southern directed site whose eastern side is destroyed because of gardening activities and the soul is dug up to 2 meters depth, accumulated on the slopes of hills on the northern side of the site. The cultural material from Hermangan site can increase our knowledge about the transition phase between Mushki (hunting societies) to Jari (agricultural societies), regarding the variety of ceramics, chronology and geography. Given the acquired information from this site, the technical and cultural aspects of Neolithic communities including ceramic productions, remote trades, livelihood patterns and manufacturing stone tools in this region are clearer to us. Regarding the climate changes during the seventh millennium B.C in Middle East, we observe alterations in settlement patterns of the period which is proved by the study of this period’s sites in Fars. The climate change forced the Neolithic societies to immigrate from Marvdasht to other intermountain valleys such as Hormangan site on the Basin of Bavanat River. According to the results of the excavations, there are two settlement phases in this site, the older phase is related to nomadic communities from 6350 to 6200 B.C and the latter with stratum architecture is associated with sedentary lifestyle of people who settled down here as a result of climate improvement.