2-Evidences From Yanik Areas in Qara-Chai Riverside in the West of Markazi Province

The Bronze Period is one of the least known periods in the prehistoric era of Iranian Plateau because of the presence of different cultures and the lack of systematic archeological research. One of the cultures attributed to this period is the Yanik Culture which was expanded in a vast area ranging from the northwest, west, and central parts of Iranian Plateau in the late 4th millennium BC to the late 3rd millennium BC. However, no detailed reports have been presented for this culture and its rise and fall inside the Iranian Plateau yet. Archeological investigations have confirmed the existence of such a culture in the central and western areas of the Iranian Plateau and the Central Zagros. During the archeological investigation from 2007 to 2008 in the west part of Markazi Province, nine large settlement areas related to the Yanik Culture were identified in the Qara-Chai Riverside. The vast area and high elevation of them (particularly the Aq Tappeh and the Sarsakhti Hill) can indicate the existence of settlement layers and dense architecture of this period. On the other hand, the investigation of the settlement areas’ location shows that, out of nine studied areas, three hills are located along the Qara-Chai River, at an altitude of 1700 m above sea level, and the other six along the catchments area of Qara-Chai, at an altitude of 2,100 m above sea level. The present study aims to explain the status of the Yanik Culture in the west part of Markazi Province as one of the connecting points of cultures at the center of Iranian Plateau with those in Central Zagros as well as investigating and analyzing the significance of settlements related to this period.