Time Distribution Pattern of the Cemeteries of Pusht-I Kuh at Bronze and Iron Ages

The Belgian Archaeological Expedition obtained important findings about the Bronze and Iron Ages of Pusht-I Kuh which resulted in the drawing of a chronological framework and understanding the burial traditions of that periods of Pusht-I Kuh. However, an important issue that should be considered, this is that expedition only sought to discover and study cemeteries and no settlement sites were studied. Besides, such cemeteries have often been identified by accident or during scattered surveys and has never been conducted regular and purposeful archeological survey, with aiming to explain the process and quality of cemeteries formation and cultural sequence of Pusht-I Kuh. The purpose of this paper is making clear the time distribution pattern of cemeteries and cultural sequence of Pusht-I Kuh at Bronze and Iron Ages. The present study seeks to answer these questions: What is the time distribution pattern of cemeteries at Pusht-I Kuh at Bronze and Iron Ages? Has the process of formation of cemeteries been continuous or have there been any interruptions in this process? What is the status of the cultural sequence of Pusht-I Kuh in Bronze and Iron Ages? It is assumed, by conducting a purposeful archaeological survey, can be obtained a specific framework regarding the quantitative and qualitative process of cemeteries formation as well as the status of Pusht-I Kuh cultural sequence at these periods. For this purpose, in the winter of 2015, an archaeological survey was conducted. As a result, it was found that the cemeteries were distributed in two time periods, includes the Early Bronze Age cemeteries and Iron Age cemeteries. In the last two centuries of the third millennium B.C. and the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, the process of cemetery formation declined. However, two settlement sites with deposits of Middle and Late Bronze Ages, were identified. During the Late Iron Age, multiplied the number of cemeteries.