Analyzing Typical Characteristics of Central Zagros Potteries during the Chalcolithic Period

Archaeological Discovery

2013. Vol.1, No.2, 23-31

Published Online October 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ad) http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ad.2013.12002

Analyzing Typical Characteristics of Central Zagros Potteries

during the Chalcolithic Period

Behzad Balmaki1, Kamal Aldin Niknami2*, Mohammad Reza Saeedi Harsini3

1Department of Archa e ology, Islamic Azad U niversity (Hamedan Branch), Hamedan, Iran

2Department of Arc h aeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3SAMT, Humanities Research Centre, Tehran, Iran

Email: Balmaki@iauh.ac.ir, *kniknami@ut.ac.ir, mohamadreza-sharsiny@yahoo.com

Received June 19th, 2013; revised July 20th, 2013; accep t e d A u g u s t 1 st, 2013

Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the

original work is properly cited.

Some 152 Chalcolithic sites were identified by the means of an archaeological surface survey in the Cen-

tral Zagros mountainous region. As a whole, the analysis of data shows that the majority volume of find-

ing pottery groups is classified as Red-Slipped Wares belonging to the Late Chalcolithic period. Beside

this, the Black on Buff Wares and also the Impress Dalma Wares (Middle Chalcolithic) are the two types

dominating the samples. The altitude of the settlements has risen by transition from the Early to the Late

Chalcolithic periods. By Middle Chalcolithic we confronted different kinds of potteries indicating an im-

provement in the pottery making techniques or communicating with the neighboring regions. The Late

Chalcolithic societies have witnessed a decline in the pottery types produced, but dramatic increases in

the production rates. All factors show that in the Late Chalcolithic, population has been increased and a

category of settlement systems have been propagated in the region which includes agricultural vil-

lage-based pastoralism and nomadism.

Keywords: Iran; Central Zagros; Chalcolithic Period; Pottery Types; Archaeological Survey

Introduction

The Central Zagros Mountains (CZM) has been considered

as a most prominent region in the archeological studies of the

Middle East and Iran as part of the so-called Fertile Crescent.

Central Zagros, as a bridge connecting the Iranian central pla-

teau to the Mesopotamian lowlands, takes a special place in the

Middle Eastern archaeological studies (Braidwood et al., 1983;

Braidwood, 1958, 1960a, 1960b; Meldgard et al., 1963; Hole,

1987, 2011; Mortensen, 1972, 1974; Gilbert, 1975; Zagarell,

1975; Smith, 1976, 1990; Smith & Mortensen, 1980; Henrick-

son, 1985; Abdi, 2003, Niknami & Nikzad, 2012).

In this region the concealed hints of culture before the his-

torical eras can be revealed as its natural and geographical

characteristics has led to turn out to be the noticeable earliest

period of human communities. The advent of various changes

in the human-ecology relationships, the growing population,

outbreak of cultural exchanges, craft specialization, develop-

ment of tools technology, further concentration on food produc-

tions and productivity of nature and rural life are being re-

garded as highly significant cultural criteria of this period.

Fundamental changes in texture, pottery production technique,

mass production and high quality of some pottery types are the

most important features of Chalcolithic pottery production stra-

tegies. All these changes were a continuing process in the men-

tioned period and at the end of this period, potters were equip-

ed with sufficient experience of production. Variety of potteries

belonging to Chalcolithic period can be found in the CZM. This

diversity in the Early Chalcolithic (EC) to the Late Chalcolithic

(LC) is accompanied with changes in the quality as well as its

decorations, that it would be different from place to place. In

the regions of the Early, Middle and Late Chalcolithic, the

traces of potteries and chipped Stones were studied based on

the broad excavations carried out for example in Godin Tepe,

Seh Gabi; Shahnabad (Young, 1969, 1974) and Giyan (Con-

tenau & Ghirshman, 1935) project. But more generally the

Mahidasht/Kermanshah studies (Levine & Mcdonald, 1977;

Levine, 1975), Malayer (Howel, 1979), north east of Luristan

(Goff, 1971; Mo rtensen, 1974) and Kangavar valley can be con-

sented as the base for the Chalcolithic recognitions (Young,

1975; Young & Smith, 1966).

In the search for Chalcolithic pottery in the CZM, the re-

searchers explored fine-made but often painted buff wares such

as those have been found before at Halaf and Ubaid of Meso-

potamia which were fired at a high temperature furnace. Frank

Hole believes that buff ware began in some earliest villages

from sixth millennium BC and in some other from fifth mil-

lennium BC (Hole, 1987). Thus all pottery types found from

Chalcolithic regions are hand-made, chaff tempered and have

the combination of a light brown to a red range slip (Henrick-

son, 1991: p. 278). The purpose of this paper is statistical study

of the characteristic pottery assemblages of the CZM Region, in

the Early, Middle and Early Late Chalcolithic. By this way and

based on preliminary pottery data, in fact we try to determine a

settlement pattern in the next studies.

*Corresponding author.

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

Geographical Location of the Study Area

Regarding the administrative divisions of the provinces of

Iran Central Zagros includes center of Kermanshah province,

some areas of the eastern parts of Hamedan, some northern

parts in Kurdistan and northern proportions of Luristan and

Ilam provinces (Figures 1 and 2).

Based on geographical maps, a number of researchers con-

sider this region much broader than the Kermanshah, Hamedan,

Ilam, Kurdistan and Luristan provinces, but Young believes

that this region belongs to the center of Kermanshah province

and its surrounding valleys (Young, 1963: p. 16).

This geographical area possess high mountains, vast plains

and various valleys (Stocklin, 1968) that was accounted as an

individual feature for people who provided their place of living

and then left settlements and frequent traces.

The data for this study comes from an archaeological survey

carried out in the eastern parts of CZM range such as Asad

Abad, Nahavand, Kangavar, Harsin and Sahne. Totally from

Figure 1.

Map showing location of study a rea in Iran.

Figure 2.

Map showing location of study a rea in Iran.

152 archaeological sites sherds were collected and studied (Fig-

ures 2 and 3). Potteries were classified into 10 known groups

according to the Chalcolithic pottery types of western Iran.

Materials and Methods

The needed information of this study is obtained through the

archaeological survey and sampling. In order to number the

sites, the first and second letter of each province is used. Ac-

cording to that (As) stands for Asad Abad, (Nh) for Nahavand,

(K) for Kangavar, (S) for Sahne and (H) for Harsin. Totally

about 152 sites were identified and random sampling strategy

was used to collect surface data.

The abbreviation used for pottery classifications are as fol-

low:

J Ware (JW), Impress Dalma Ware (IDW), Dalma-Painted

Ware (DP), Dalma-Ubaid Painted (DUP), Seh-Gabi Painted

(SGP), Black on Buff (BOB), Red on Buff (ROB), Red-Slipped

Ware (RS), S-Shaped Ware (S), Chipped Stone (CHS).

Classification of Sites Based on the Surface

Findings

The chronology of the sites is concluded based on the survey

and classifying of the assemblages as well as the analogy to the

previous studies. In many cases, regarding the similarity of the

pottery in different sites the possibility of accurate relative

chronology is very complicated and requires data coming di-

rectly from excavations sherds gathered from the sites were

divided into three groups of Early, Middle and Late Chalco-

lithic as well as an unknown group of Chalcolithic wares which

were confronted for the first time. Table 1 shows the number of

pottery sherds classified into three Chalcolithic periods and an

unknown class of sherds (see also Figure 4).

Figure 3.

Distribution of archaeological sites across the study area.

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

Table 1.

Number of pottery sherds classified into three Chalcolithic periods and

an unknown.

Period Number of sites Area (m2) Elevation (m)

E. C. 26 5235.11 1517.26

M. C. 51 10597.45 1531.56

L. C. 110 11278.18 1549.90

Unknown C. 21 8972.14 1453.42

E = Early; M = Middle; L = Late; C = Chalcolithic.

Figure 4.

Percentage of archaeological sites during each Chalcolithic pe-

riods.

Classifying Pottery Types According to

Chronological Sequence of the Region

Early Chalcolithic Period, Shahnabad Phase

(Godin XI)

Through the studies conducted in the region the traces of this

phase have been observed in Mahidasht and Kangavar of CZM

and Nahavand and Malayer valleys. These regions are located

toward the old great Khorasan road to the west (Henrickson,

1991: p. 279; Henrickson & Mcdonalds, 1983: pp. 630-643).

Among the potteries of this period found in Seh Gabi Tepe/

Mound C, there have been buff straw-tempered wares known as

Shahnabad which are regarded as representative to the potteries

of this period (Levine, 1975: pp. 31-44). Some types of Shah-

nabad wares have been painted by motif of stacked solid train-

gles on a line in the inner edge. The forms are almost plain and

invariant. The radiocarbon samples of Shahnabad phase at

Mound C, declare the date of the end of sixth millennium B.C.

(Levin & Young, 1986: p. 17). By our survey no potteries of

Shahnabad kind were found, but we have been able to found the

well-known wares called as J ware (JW).

This is characterized by a thin and fine body, tan to reddish

buff paste, usually red- or black-slipped or both and decorated

with various combinations of black, red and white-painted lines

or simple geometric motifs. The J wares may be a derivation of

the painted wares of Halaf in Mesopotamia, although they are

technically simpler (Henrickson, 1985a: p. 69). Through our in-

vestigation J wares were found at 3 sites which were generally

associated with other kinds such as DUP, BOB, ROB and IDW

types (Table 2 and Figure 5). From 23 sites of Chalcolithic

period we have found Chipped Stone remains were spread on

the surfaces.

Figure 5.

JW sites location on t he map of the study area.

Middle Chalcolithic, Dalma Phase (Godin X)

Dalma refers to an Early MC site in the south western part of

Urmia Lake (Hamlin, 1975: p. 127). It is a name has been given

to the pottery styles which were produced in this site. Apart

from Dalma itself, this kind of pottery were also found from the

sites located in western Iran such as Godin and Seh Gabi. In

Seh Gabi the Dalma ware was found in the Mound B and some

holes (Young, 1963: pp. 38-39) and they were classified as

DPW and IDW. DPW were divided into four sub-classes stylis-

tic groups of Monochrom e, Bichrome, Streak y and Dalm a-Ubaid .

The Monochrome Dalma wares were not well baked and

were generally crude, chaff-tempered and its surface slipped by

a cream or dark red slip or covered using gloss matt. The

Bichrome Dalma wares are simpler and rarer than the Mono-

chrome samples. These types of samples are found in the first

layers of Seh Gabi/Mound B with decoration in red and black

on a cream ground. The important point is that no Bichrome

was found at Dalma Tepe itself or any of the Azarbayjan sites

from this period (Levine & Young, 1986: p. 21) and this type is

specific of Kangavar valley. The type of Dalma streaky is quite

different. These wares are often burnished after painting. The

mentioned wares are confined to the early levels of Seh Gabi/

Mound B. The Dalma Bichrome wares were found during these

surveys from 4 sites. In the sites possessing Dalma Phase other

kind of potteries including RS, BOB, ID, DUP and SGP were

found (Table 2 and Figure 6).

Dalma-Ubaid Painted Wares

This kind of pottery was discovered from 4 sites. One site is

located in Kangavar valley, two sites in Sahne plains and Har-

sin and the other in Nahavand plain. There have been findings

such as potteries of RS, BOB, IDW, JW, DP and Chipped

Stones (Table 2 and Figure 7).

Impressed Dalma Wares

These wares possess impress drawings and have been deco-

rated with variant methods on the surface. The entire outer

surface is manipulated in a wide variety of impressions, exci-

sion and the in a very dense and random patterns. In fabric it is

similar to the DP, with a surface that has a thick dark red or

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

Table 2.

Major pottery types of Chalcolithic period classified for the study area.

Attributes Chronology (Site) Other Findings (Site)

Pottery

Types

Number

of Sites Altitude

Average (m) Area

Average (m2)

CHS

DUP

IDW

SGP

ROB

BOB

JW 3 1640 5699.66 3 3 2 0 3 0 1 2 0 0 3 02

DP 4 1561.75 5636.75 2 4 3 1 1 4 0 1 0 0 3 02

DUP 4 1525.75 17940 1 4 3 1 0 1 4 1 1 0 3 02

IDW 29 1545.72 10488.79 10 29 21 7 2 0 1 29 4 4 16 121

SGP 9 1512.77 8813.77 2 9 7 1 0 1 0 4 9 0 3 16

ROB 6 1509.5 7322.83 3 6 5 2 1 0 0 4 0 6 4 05

BOB 29 1545 12684.75 8 29 25 5 3 0 3 16 3 4 29 124

SW 5 1532 17455 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 52

RS 105 1556.6 11290.628 18 40 105 162 2 2 21 6 5 24 3105

Figure 6.

DP sites location on the map of the study area.

Figure 7.

DUP sites location on the map of the study area.

brown slip. All the potteries are hand-made and their most

common form is a wide-mouth pot with a short vertical neck

and ledge just below the neck (Levine & Young, 1986: p. 21).

In this case, we can refer to other groups of wares. The DUP

and the BOB are appeared during a limited period in Dalma

collection. Both of these buff wares are fine, thickness and hard

(Levine & Young, 1986: p. 29). In our project, the IDW types

have been obtained from 29 sites 10 of which just from Naha-

vand vicinity (Table 2 and Figure 8).

Middle Chalcolithic/Seh Gabi Period (Godin IX)

Following upon the Dalma assemblage is the Data from the

Seh Gabi assemblage indicates technical progress in pottery

production than Dalma wares. The buff wares were finer than

before with a distinctive thick, shiny and vitrified black paint. A

series of red slipped wares usually burnished and sometimes

fingertip impressed are obvious on it like ID wares (Levine &

Young, 1986: p. 29). Potteries for the Godin IX sites in Kanga-

var valley are similar to those from Nahavand and Malayer

(Young, 1966: pp. 228-239; Howel, 1979: pp. 156-157).

Seh Gabi Painted Wares (SGP)

During the second part of the MC, upper Seh Gabi/Mound B,

is characterized by the Seh Gabi Painted (SGP) wares, it is

likewise seen to be contemporary with the Pisdeli-wares occu-

pations in Solduz-Ushnu (Henrickson, 1985: p. 70). We ob-

served this kind of pottery in 9 sites of which 4 sites in Kanga-

var valley, 4 sites in Sahne plain and Harsin and one in Naha-

vand plain (Table 2 and Figure 9).

Middle Chalcolithic/Godin Period VIII

The pottery wares of Godin VIII are often smaller and their

characteristics are presented to have a fine black on buff similar

to the BOB wares which at first were recognized by Levine in

the Mahidasht plain. Although this kind of pottery can be

viewed as the continuation of Seh Gabi traditions, but in the

course of motives and production techniques they are different

from each other. The significant point is that, the potteries as-

signed to this period were not presented in Kangavar and might

be collected from the surface of Tepe Giyan (Levine & Young,

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

Figure 8.

IDW sites location on the map of the study area.

Figure 9.

SGP sites location on the m ap of the study area .

1986: p. 33). In chronological order Godin VIII is assumed to

be the terminal phase of MC before starting the LC phase.

Red on Buff Ware (ROB)

This thin buff wares which are mostly observed in Nahavand

plain, have been represented in 6 sites (Table 2 shows the

number of sites producing ROB and associated findings, see

also Figure 10).

Black on Buff Ware (BOB)

These buff wares discovered from 29 sites of the inter-moun-

tainous plain of Sahne. Sites possessing BOB, associated with

other data including IDW, ROB, RS, SGR, JW and DUP (Ta-

ble 2 and Figure 11).

Early Late Chalcolithic Period

The Late Chalcolithic is started with Godin VII period. Two

of the most significant assemblages of late Chalcolithic are

recognized through accurate chronology. These two collections

Figure 10.

ROB sites location on the map of the study area.

Figure 11.

BOB sites location on the map of the study area.

are known as period VII (Hoseinabad) and period VI (Chesh-

mehnosh) (Levine & Young, 1986: p. 33). All the obtained wares

of this stage are hand-made and are classified into 4 groups of

coarse, semi-coarse, plain and fine wares (Young, 1969: p. 5).

Despite an increase in kinds of buff wares the amounts of

coarse wares have decreased compared to the previous period.

The form of wares includes hemispheric bowls with inverted

rim and hemispheric bowls with vertical walls which possess

low to average depth. Pots and jars have appeared during this

period.

Based on an outstanding and special form, the plain buff

wares are typical of this period. Red-Slip wares (RS) are propa-

gated as before but with lesser percentage, such as eight to ten

percent.

The upper concaved walls are the other typical wares of this

period as well as the painted wares which characterize Godin

VI from the previous periods. Motives were primitive and sim-

ply geometric, in some wares abstracted designs of animals and

birds were used as motives (Levine & Young, 1986: p. 40).

Some parts of potteries belonging to Godin VII and VI have

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

been also identified in Tepe Giyan (Henrickson, 1985, Table 1).

Moreover, a recent classification divided the Early Late Chal-

colithic period itself into two levels of Early Godin VI and

Middle and Late Godin VI periods (Badler, 2002: pp. 80-109).

S-Shaped Wares

Pottery Fragments of S-shaped wares were obtained from 5

sites which include 3 sites from Kangavar valley, 1 site from

Sahne and 1 site from Nahavand plain. In the sites consisting of

S wares, other data such as the RS, BOB and ID potteries were

also presented (Table 2 and Figure 12).

Red-Slipped Wares (RS)

These wares are chaff-tempered, have a smoothed surface

and are made up into vessels which are coarser and thicker-

walled than those in the Buff ware groups. The potteries of this

group were found from the most sites; Kangavar 47 sites, Sahne

38 sites and Harsin 20 sites. Table 2 indicates the amount of

sites producing RS as well as its associated findings (Figure

13).

These wares are chaff-tempered, have a smoothed surface

and are made up into vessels which are coarser and thicker-

walled than those in the Buff ware groups. The potteries of this

group were found from the most sites; Kangavar 47 sites, Sahne

38 sites and Harsin 20 sites. Table 2 indicates the amount of

sites producing RS as well as its associated findings (Figure

13).

Discussion and Conclusions

Analyzing pottery type assemblages collected from the sites

of the study area shows that the types of RS, BOB and ID of

LC period, dominated the assemblages respectively (see Figure

14 and Table 3). Regarding the location of pottery types lo-

cated on the different elevations it is shown that sites containing

the J Wares of EC period have been located at the highest ele-

vations than the other.

Considering the pottery types location elevations indicate an

increasing change in the settlement elevations occurred by tran-

sition from EC to LC. This trend is highly recognizable for all

other types of the assemblages. The lowest altitude concerning

the CHS type which begins from the EC and then is continued

with ROB and SGP types at the beginning of Godin XI and VII,

and finally ended up with RS wares in Godin VII. In this case

the J Wares are considered as exceptions because of their rare

representations on the sites (Figure 15).

The Settlement Pattern and Distribution of Ware

Types in the Region

As has been identified, 57.89 percent of our visited sites are

located in the altitude of 1500 - 1800 m on the eastern inter-

mountainous face of Zagros The area are drained by several

stream branches and because of the steep slopes of regions,

there have been a number of seasonal flows drained by the

melting ices through the warmer times (Figure 16).

Since the changes of slopes are concaved according to mor-

phology of region, the slope ends up in the neighboring plains

from summit. Density of sediments eroded from the mountains

and deposited by the seasonal canals created the widespread

alluvial plains inland attracting dwellers to occupy throughout

the history of the region.

Figure 12.

SW sites location on the map of the study area.

Figure 13.

RS sites location on the ma p o f t h e st u d y area.

Table 3.

Area covered by each pottery group.

Pottery type Total Area (m2) Percent

DP 71,760 3%

S 87,225 4%

SGP 79,324 3%

DUP 22,545 1%

CHS 150,480 6%

JW 17,099 1%

ROB 43,937 2%

IDW 311,019 13%

BOB 367,858 16%

RS 1,185,516 51%

Moreover, about 62.5 percent of the sites have been located

in a distance less than 1000 m from the rivers and seasonal

canals (Table 4). For the settlement patterns of Chalcolithic

sites it is evident from Table 4 and Figure 16 that distance to

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

Figure 14.

Percentage of each pottery group identified from the pottery assem-

blages.

Figure 15.

Different locations of each pottery group (elevation in m).

the water sources in the region could be assumed as an influ-

encing factor to affect distribution of sites to shape a pattern by

which dwellers found easy access to the water sources.

The following results are extracted regarding the samples of

their period:

About 17/1 percent of sites have been assigned to the EC pe-

riod covering a space of about 5235 m2 23 sites of which pro-

duced CHS pottery type and 3 sites provided JW type. 15 sits of

this period were located in a distance less than 1000 m from

rivers while some other more than 3000 m. 23 sites are in av-

erage altitude of 1491 m and 3 sites are at 1640 m. The inter-

esting fact of this case is the form of J Ware. Such wares are

mostly of open-mouth and of tray shape (Levine & Young,

1986: pp. 19-20). As they stated these form of wares are not

convenient for the migrating people to handle but suitable to

utilize by the sedentary villagers.

On the other hand the environmental characteristics of site

locations such as altitude may account to the point that the

consumers of such wares were probably the people who lived in

the permanent villages and used sedentary way of life for their

living economy. The changes immediately occurred after the

Late Neolithic in the open valleys of Western CZM, indicate an

increase in the settlement areas of the region (Godin XI Period)

so that the smaller villages were inhabited near the rivers, streams

or springs (Smith & Young, 1983; Abdi, 2003). The sites pro-

liferation pattern and increasing the number of villages were

clearly seen from Mahidasht plain during the Neolithic to

Chalcolithic periods (Levine & Mcdonald, 1977: p. 45).

Figure 16.

Map showing the overa ll distances of Chalcolithic sites of the study.

Table 4.

Overall distances of sites from the rivers.

Number of

Sites Percentage Distance from

Water Source s ( m)

95 62.5% 0 - 1000

39 25.65% 1000 - 2000

13 8.5% 2000 - 3000

5 3.28% <3000

Total

152 - -

During the MC period various types of wares represent de-

velopments in pottery productions and also communications

with the adjacent regions. The reports concerning presence of

IDW types even in Azerbaijan region verifies this fact of inter-

actions (Hamlin, 1975; Henrickson & Vidali, 1987). Archaeo-

logical evidences from CZM, show two distinct economic stra-

tegies taking place in the MC period. The eastern CZM seems

to have maintained village-based agricultural economy while

western CZM shows more interactions with the lowland plains

such as Hamrin, Diyala and Dehloran (Abdi, 2003: p. 436).

Evidently in this research, 33/5 percent of the total sites dis-

covered belong to the MC period which accounts for 10,597 m2

(Table 1). This represents a 16.4 percent growth in the settle-

ments expansions and subsequent population increases over the

previous period.

Number of sites representing various pottery types of the MC

period are as following: 29 sites represent IDW type, 29 sites

BOB, 9 sites SGP, 6 sites ROB, 4 sites DP and finally 4 sites

represent DUP type. Among them 57 sites are located in non-

pasture land and are placed in a distance less than 2000 m from

rivers. The average altitude of their location is about 1500 -

1550 m showing that these regions mostly meet the needs for

sedentary communities. In addition, the overall characteristics

of this period’s pottery types seem to have been as storage

wares appropriate for food supplies.

By the beginning of LC period the number of sites was in-

creased to reach 110 sites (about two times more than the pre-

vious period (Table 1). This increase may due to the establish-

B. BALMAKI ET AL.

ment of the new settlements or the increase of the average areas

used, but not merely because of the population growth. By

comparing the average areas used by LC and MC peoples, it is

clear that there is no considerable differences existed (Table 1)

thus; it may be used to conclude that the LC peoples were by no

means sedentary peoples living in the permanent villages in-

stead; they were living in a mobility condition. Gilbert (1983: p.

111) on the basis of his study in Kangavar region came to the

same conclusion stressing that settlement density may have

persisted relatively unchanged through several villages’ strata

until about 3500 BC. But it is noted that, in the Late-Middle to

Late Chalcolithic, the number of permanent settlements dropp-

ed precipitously in favor of temporary campsites with increas-

ing distance from the agricultural zone (Abdi, 2003: p. 425).

Though during the LC the variety of pottery types has been

decreased but their production rates were highly increased as

the greatest parts of the assemblages of this period contain just

RS type. Approximately from this period 72/3 percent of total

sites discovered. The average areas occupied by these sites is

11,287 m2; indicating a highly expansion rate than other periods.

An increase of about 38.8 percent in settlements growth may

imply to reflect the growing populations and their distribution

throughout the region.

105 out of 110 sites possess RS and just 5 remaining sites

represent S shaped type. The average altitude of this group is

about 1549 m (Table 3). The distance of these sites from the

rivers and their tributaries is less than 1000 m. During this pe-

riod pottery wares were produced for their functional purposes

and production lines followed manufacturing all forms in bulk

such as plain wares rather than paying attention to a specific

one. This period witnessed a great demand for pottery wares.

Nevertheless different forms of wares were still in use includ-

ing opened and closed mouth vessels and shallow and deep

vessels as well as trays of various types constituting some types

of S shaped wares (Levine & Young, 1986: p. 33).

In summary, based on the above reasoning, our study pro-

vided a category of settlement system for the region which

includes agricultural village-based pastoralism and nomadism.

This system would be well described by the environmental

setting of sites such as altitudes as well as the many forms of

pottery vessels produced in the Chalcolithic sites which they

may well account to the point that the consumers of such ves-

sels were probably the people who lived in the permanent vil-

lages and used sedentary way of life for their living economy.

Such economy may be represented by an ideal capacity for

agriculture and animal husbandry. And as a final point, al-

though for the surveying strategy we applied “purposive” me-

thod by which any point of the surveying area were assessed. It

led to noticeable ancient sites to be discovered and recorded. As

a result, we have a considerable body of evidences about pre-

historic occupations of the region, allowing us to draw a more

precise picture of the settlement patterns during those times as

well as changing and transforming patterns of them through a

long-term process. So, a post surveying project conducted with

the aim to understanding settlement patterns and processes of

the valley during different periods of prehistory and their most

affective and influential factors.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Iranian National Science Foundation

(INSF) for covering some parts of this research’s financial need.

We would like to thank all the members of the survey team for

their kindly cooperation. Grateful thanks to the Cultural Heri-

tage Organization of Hamadan and Kermanshah provinces that

provided our access to the site locations. We thank also Dr.

Yaghob Mohamadifar from University of Bu Ali Sina of Ha-

medan for their kindly co-operations in providing the neces-

sary data and maps.

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