Tappeh Pahlavan, a Late Neolithic and Transitional Chalcolithic Site in North East of Iran

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Prehistoric Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran, Iran.

2 M. A. in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Director of Research (DR2) at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Paris, France.

Abstract

The Jajarm plain is one of the richest areas of the province of North Khorasan, where a long cultural sequence from the Neolithic to the Islamic period was evidenced. This area is located in a natural corridor between the Alborz range and the Dasht-e Kavir where main trade routes in the northeast of the central plateau have development and where environmental conditions were still suitable for human settlements. Prehistoric human communities were also attracted to this region because of the presence of mineral resources and raw materials. Few archaeological reserch have been done in the prehistoric period of Jajarm plain and our knowledge of cultural developments of this period, especially in the Neolithic and Calcolithic periods are very limited. The few archaeological excavations carried out in this area have not yet been able to determine the cultural sequence of the Jajarm plain. Tappeh Pahlavan is one of the prehistoric sites in the Jajarm plain. It is located in the south of the Jajarm county at the northern edge of Dasht-e Kavir and to the south-west of the city of Jajarm. Archaeological deposits from the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Islamic periods were reported of this site. Excavations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed the earliest evidence for human occupation in this area. C14 dating has been provided the evidence of the Late Neolithic to the Transitional Chalcolithic (5800- 4800 BCE) in Tappeh Pahlavan.
 
Introduction
Tappeh Pahlavan, discussed in this paper, is one of the prehistoric sites in the Jajarm plain. It is located in the south of the Jajarm county at the northern edge of Dasht-e Kavir and to the south-west of the city of Jajarm, at an altitude of 923 m.asl. Today the region is a steppe-desert without vegetation. However during the prehistoric times the environmental setting offered obviously suitable subsistence conditions due to the presence of permanent and impermanent water sources. Archaeological deposits from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Islamic periods were reported earlier by Brian Spooner and then Seichi Masuda during his excavations at Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq. Few decades later, the site was visited by Ali Vahdati (Vahdati 2010) in the frame of investigations on the Neolithic spread to the east and the relation of this site with Jeitoun sites in southern Turkmenistan. Vahdati collected surface pottery finds and allocated it to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic. In 2015 (1393) the first sounding of Tappeh Pahlavan was initiated under the direction of the first author to find the limits of the site. Several trenches were sounded around Tappeh Pahlavan and helped in evaluating an area of 2,5 hectars for the prehistoric and historic occupation of the site. According to the collected information it was soon established that the site belonged to the Late Neolithic and Transitional Chalcolithic and also Ilkhanid (Azizi Kharanaghi et al, 2016). In 2018, the second season of excavation was organized in Tappeh Pahlavan to investigate the stratigraphy and the absolute chronology of the site (Azizi Kharanaghi et al, 2017 (1396).
 
Archaeological Excavation
The site of Tappeh Pahlavan is 6 meters height. In total, four trenches (A to D) were excavated. The cultural layers were concentrated in the northern part of the site that might be related to water resources closer to that part of the site. The presence of water is probably one of the reasons of the continuous settlement from Late Neolithic to the transitional chalcolithic period.
A large number of archaeological materials was uncovered in Tappeh Pahlevan that include pottery, lithic, faunal and botanical remains. The most remarkable finds on this site are semi-precious stones. During the Transitional Chalcolithic period, the high number of stone drills and drilling tools, along with the complete variety of stone bead and the possibility of reconstructing the “chaine operatoire” points to the economic importance of the stone bead manufacturing activity in this area. This is similar to the specialization of some sites during the transitional Chalcolithic period, such as at the Tepe Pardis in the Tehran plain (Fazeli Nashli et al, 2007). The pottery collection of Tappeh Pahlavan, is comparable with the third levels of Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq East mound (Roustaei et al., 2015), which was also discussed by Akira Tsuneki (Tsuneki, 2017, 2014). Almost half of the pottery collection in Tappeh Pahlavan is constituted of Cheshmeh Ali type and comparable to those of the center of the Iranian Plateau (Sialk North (Ghirshman, 1938), Cheshmeh Ali (Fazeli Nashli et al., 2004), Tepe Pardis (Fazeli Nashli et al., 2007), Aq Tappeh (Malek Shahmirzadi and Nokandeh 1379 (2001), Komishani cave (Vadati Nasab, 1388 (2009) and also to those of the neighboring areas such as in Kalateh Khan, Dehkheir (Rezvani and Roustaei, 2016) and Ghaf Khaneh (Roustaei, 1388 (2009). It is noteworthy that no architectural remains could be found in the four excavated trenches of the site.
 
Conclusion
Finally, a total of seven charcoal samples were 14C dated and provided the evidence of a continuous chronology from the Late Neolithic to the Transitional Chalcolithic (5800- 4800 BCE) and an occupation over a thousand years. These short investigations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed some of the earliest evidences of human occupation in the Jajarm plain.
However, considering the cultural and historical potential of the Jajarm Plain and the number of archaeological sites reported until now, the ration of excavated sites is very low and the archaeological investigation in this area are still very weak. Excavations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed the earliest evidence for human occupation in this area but the present chronological sequence despite the excavations of Tappeh Pahlavan and Tepe Chalow (Vahdati et al 2019), has still many gaps. Future investigations on prehistoric and historical sites of the Jajarm plain may fill these gaps and our understanding of the dynamics of human settlement in this part of Iran. We need to have a more detailed understanding of the daily life in this part of Iran and subsistence economies, local and regional trade routes in connection with southern central Asia and more particularly with Turkmenistan.
The Jajarm plain is one of the richest areas of the province of North Khorasan, where a long cultural sequence from the Neolithic to the Islamic period was evidenced. This area is located in a natural corridor between the Alborz range and the Dasht-e Kavir where main trade routes in the northeast of the central plateau have development and where environmental conditions were still suitable for human settlements. Prehistoric human communities were also attracted to this region because of the presence of mineral resources and raw materials. Few archaeological reserch have been done in the prehistoric period of Jajarm plain and our knowledge of cultural developments of this period, especially in the Neolithic and Calcolithic periods are very limited. The few archaeological excavations carried out in this area have not yet been able to determine the cultural sequence of the Jajarm plain. Tappeh Pahlavan is one of the prehistoric sites in the Jajarm plain. It is located in the south of the Jajarm county at the northern edge of Dasht-e Kavir and to the south-west of the city of Jajarm. Archaeological deposits from the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Islamic periods were reported of this site. Excavations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed the earliest evidence for human occupation in this area. C14 dating has been provided the evidence of the Late Neolithic to the Transitional Chalcolithic (5800- 4800 BCE) in Tappeh Pahlavan.

Introduction
Tappeh Pahlavan, discussed in this paper, is one of the prehistoric sites in the Jajarm plain. It is located in the south of the Jajarm county at the northern edge of Dasht-e Kavir and to the south-west of the city of Jajarm, at an altitude of 923 m.asl. Today the region is a steppe-desert without vegetation. However during the prehistoric times the environmental setting offered obviously suitable subsistence conditions due to the presence of permanent and impermanent water sources. Archaeological deposits from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Islamic periods were reported earlier by Brian Spooner and then Seichi Masuda during his excavations at Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq. Few decades later, the site was visited by Ali Vahdati (Vahdati 2010) in the frame of investigations on the Neolithic spread to the east and the relation of this site with Jeitoun sites in southern Turkmenistan. Vahdati collected surface pottery finds and allocated it to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic. In 2015 (1393) the first sounding of Tappeh Pahlavan was initiated under the direction of the first author to find the limits of the site. Several trenches were sounded around Tappeh Pahlavan and helped in evaluating an area of 2,5 hectars for the prehistoric and historic occupation of the site. According to the collected information it was soon established that the site belonged to the Late Neolithic and Transitional Chalcolithic and also Ilkhanid (Azizi Kharanaghi et al, 2016). In 2018, the second season of excavation was organized in Tappeh Pahlavan to investigate the stratigraphy and the absolute chronology of the site (Azizi Kharanaghi et al, 2017 (1396).
Archaeological Excavation
The site of Tappeh Pahlavan is 6 meters height. In total, four trenches (A to D) were excavated. The cultural layers were concentrated in the northern part of the site that might be related to water resources closer to that part of the site. The presence of water is probably one of the reasons of the continuous settlement from Late Neolithic to the transitional chalcolithic period.
A large number of archaeological materials was uncovered in Tappeh Pahlevan that include pottery, lithic, faunal and botanical remains. The most remarkable finds on this site are semi-precious stones. During the Transitional Chalcolithic period, the high number of stone drills and drilling tools, along with the complete variety of stone bead and the possibility of reconstructing the “chaine operatoire” points to the economic importance of the stone bead manufacturing activity in this area. This is similar to the specialization of some sites during the transitional Chalcolithic period, such as at the Tepe Pardis in the Tehran plain (Fazeli Nashli et al, 2007). The pottery collection of Tappeh Pahlavan, is comparable with the third levels of Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq East mound (Roustaei et al., 2015), which was also discussed by Akira Tsuneki (Tsuneki, 2017, 2014). Almost half of the pottery collection in Tappeh Pahlavan is constituted of Cheshmeh Ali type and comparable to those of the center of the Iranian Plateau (Sialk North (Ghirshman, 1938), Cheshmeh Ali (Fazeli Nashli et al., 2004), Tepe Pardis (Fazeli Nashli et al., 2007), Aq Tappeh (Malek Shahmirzadi and Nokandeh 1379 (2001), Komishani cave (Vadati Nasab, 1388 (2009) and also to those of the neighboring areas such as in Kalateh Khan, Dehkheir (Rezvani and Roustaei, 2016) and Ghaf Khaneh (Roustaei, 1388 (2009). It is noteworthy that no architectural remains could be found in the four excavated trenches of the site.
 
Conclusion
Finally, a total of seven charcoal samples were 14C dated and provided the evidence of a continuous chronology from the Late Neolithic to the Transitional Chalcolithic (5800- 4800 BCE) and an occupation over a thousand years. These short investigations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed some of the earliest evidences of human occupation in the Jajarm plain.
However, considering the cultural and historical potential of the Jajarm Plain and the number of archaeological sites reported until now, the ration of excavated sites is very low and the archaeological investigation in this area are still very weak. Excavations at Tappeh Pahlavan have revealed the earliest evidence for human occupation in this area but the present chronological sequence despite the excavations of Tappeh Pahlavan and Tepe Chalow (Vahdati et al 2019), has still many gaps. Future investigations on prehistoric and historical sites of the Jajarm plain may fill these gaps and our understanding of the dynamics of human settlement in this part of Iran. We need to have a more detailed understanding of the daily life in this part of Iran and subsistence economies, local and regional trade routes in connection with southern central Asia and more particularly with Turkmenistan.v

Keywords


- جعفری، عباس، 1384، گیتاشناسی ایران. جلد دوم، «رودها و رودخانه‌های ایران (سوم)»، مؤسسه جغرافیایی و کارتوگرافی گیتاشناسی.
- روستایی، کوروش، 1388، «توسعه و تحول استقرارها در منطقۀ شاهرود». مجلۀ باستان‌شناسی و تاریخ، سال 24، شمارۀ 1، شمارۀ پیاپی 47، پاییز و زمستان، صص: 35-3.
- دانا، محسن؛ و هژبری، علی، 1392، «الگوهای استقراری محوطه‌های پیش‌ازتاریخی جاجرم، خراسان شمالی». در: مجموعه مقالات اولین همایش بین‌المللی باستان‌شناسان جوان، صص؛ 295-310.
- عباسی، قربانعلی، 1390، گزارش پایانی کاوش‌های باستان‌شناختی نرگس تپه دشت گرگان. گنجینه نقش‌جهان.
- عزیزی‌خرانقی، محمدحسین؛ اکبری، افشین؛ جمشیدی‌یگانه، سپیده؛ کسرایی، نادر؛ پورمؤمن، شیما؛ خواجه، امینه؛ و بیضایی‌دوست، ساناز، 1396، «گزارش کاوش لایه‌نگاری تپه پهلوان، شهرستان جاجرم، استان خراسان شمالی».آرشیو پژوهشکدۀ باستان‌شناسی.
- عزیزی‌خرانقی، محمدحسین؛ جعفری، جواد؛ خانی‌پور، مرتضی؛ تومالسکی، یودیت؛ کلانتر، شادی؛ و کوهپایه، روژین، 1393، «گزارش کاوش به‌منظور تعیین عرصه و پیشنهاد حریم، تپه پهلوان، جاجرم، استان خراسان شمالی». آرشیو پژوهشکدۀ باستان‌شناسی.
- لباف‌خانیکی، رجبعلی، 1391، «مرور فعالیت‌های باستان‌شناختی خراسان، از آغاز تا امروز». در: مجموعه مقالات 80 سال باستان‌شناسی ایران، به کوشش: حسن‌زاده، یوسف و میری، سیما: نشر پازینه با همکاری موزه ملی ایران، صص: 137-158.
- ملک‌شهمیرزادی، صادق؛ نوکنده، جبرئیل، 1379، آق تپه. تهران: سازمان میراث‌فرهنگی کشور.
- مستوفی، حمدالله، 1362، نزهت‌القلوب. به اهتمام و تصحیح: گای لسترنج: دنیای کتاب.
- وحدتی‌نسب، حامد، 1388، «گزارش فصل اول کاوش در غار کمیشان». آرشیو پژوهشکدۀ باستان‌شناسی، (منتشرنشده).
- هژبری، علی، 1388، «مستندنگاری باستان‌شناختی و شناسایی محوطه‌های باستانی شهرستان جاجرم-خراسان شمالی». آرشیو پژوهشکدۀ باستان‌شناسی.
 
- Abbasi, G, A., 2011, The final report of the archaeological excavations of Narges Tappeh, Gorgan plain. Ganjineh Jahan publication (in Persian).
- Azizi Kharanaghi, M, H.; Akbari, A.; Jamshidi Yeganeh, S.; Kasraei, N.; Shima, P.; Khajeh, A. & Beizai Dost., S; 2017, “Archaeological Report of stratigiraphy of Tappeh Pahlavan, Jajarm distrect, North Khorasan Provinceˮ. ICAR Iranian center for archaeological reserch Archive (Unpublished) (in Persian).
- Azizi Kharanaghi, M, H.; Jafari, J.; Khanipour, M.; Tomalsky, J.; Kalantar, S. & Kohpayeh, R., 2014, “Report of Tappeh Pahlavan core and buffer zone sounding, Jajarm distrect, North Khorasan Provinceˮ. ICAR Iranian center for archaeological reserch Archive (Unpublished) (in Persian).
- Azizi-Kharanaghi, M. H.; Thomalsky, J.; Khanipoor, M. & Jafari, J., 2016, “Archaeological research at Tappeh Pahlavan, North Khorasan Province (Northeastern Iran): Report on the 2014 season”. Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (ANES), Vol. 53, Pp: 59-79.
- Dana, M. & Hozhabri, A, 2013, “Settelmemt patterns of prehistoric sites of Jajarm, North Khorasanˮ. In: The Proceedings of the First International Conference of Young Archaeologists, Pp: 310-295 (in Persian).
- Fazeli-Nashli, H.; Beshkani, A.; Markosian, A.; Ilkani, H.; Seresty, R. A. & Young, R, 2009, “The Neolithic to Chalcolithic transition in the Qazvin Plain, Iran. Chronology and subsistence strategies”. Archäologische Mitteilungen Aus Iran Und Turan, No. 41, Pp: 1–21.
- Fazeli-Nashli, H.; Coningham, R. A. & Batt, C. M, 2004, “Cheshmeh-Ali revisited: Towards an absolute dating of the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic of Iran’s Tehran Plain”. Iran, No. 42(1), Pp: 13–23.
- Fazeli-Nashli, H.; Coningham, R. A. E.; Young, R. L.; Gillmore, G. K.; Maghsoudi, M. & Raza, H., 2007, “Socio-economic transformations in the Tehran Plain: Final season of settlement survey and excavations at Tepe Pardis”. Iran, No. 45(1), Pp: 267–285.
- Grishman, R., 1938, Fouilles De Sialk. Pres De Kashan, 1933, 1934, 1397, Vol: I (in Persian).
- Hozhabri, A., 2009, “Archaeological documentation and identification of the ancient sites of Jajarm-north Khorasanˮ. Iranian center for archaeological reserch Archive (Unpublished) (in Persian).
- Jafari, A., 2005, Geology of Iran, second vol: Rivers of Iran (Third). Geographical and Cartographic Institute of Gitashenashi (in Persian).
- Kohl, P. L., 1984, Central Asia palaeolithic beginnings to the Iron Age (Vol. 14). Éditions Recherche sur les civilisations.
- Labaf Khaniki., R, 2012, “Review of Khorasan Archaeological Activities, from the Beginning to Todayˮ. in: Collection of 80-years articles on Iranian archeology, by: Hassanzadeh, Y and Miri, S, Pazineh Publication in collaboration with the National Museum of Iran, Pp. 37-18 (in Persian).
- Malek Shahmirzadi, S. & Nokandeh, J., 2000, Aq Tappeh. Tehran, Cultural heritage organization (in Persian).
- Masuda, S., 1976, “Report of the Archaeological Investigations at Šahrud, 1975”. In: Proceedings of the 4th Annual Symposium on Archaeological Research in Iran, F. Bagherzadeh Ed., Pp: 63–70 (in Persian).
- Mustofi, H., 1983, Nozhatol Qolob. edited by: Guy Listrange, Donyaye Ketab (in Persian).
- Pollock, S.; Bernbeck, R.; Benecke, N.; Gessner, G. C.; Daszkiewicz, M.; Eger, J.; Keßeler, A.; Miller, N.; Pope, M. & Ryan, P., 2011, “Excavations at Monjukli Depe, Meana-Caaca Region, Turkmenistan, 2010”. Archäologische Mitteilungen Aus Iran Und Turan, No. 43, Pp: 169–237.
- Rezvani, H. & Roustaei, K, 2016, “Preliminary report on two seasons of excavations at Tappeh Deh Kheir, Bastam Plain, north-east Iran”. In: The Neolithic of the Iranian Plateau: Recent research, M. Mashkour & K. Roustaei, Eds. Pp: 15–52.
- Roustaei, K. & Nokandeh, J., 2017, “Neolithic developments in the Gorgan Plain, south-east of the Caspian Sea”. Antiquity, No. 91(358).
- Roustaei, K., 2016a, “An emerging picture of the Neolithic of Northeast Iran”. Iranica Antiqua, No. 51, Pp: 21–55.
- Roustaei, K., 2016b, “Kalāteh Khān: A Sixth Millennium BC Site in the Shahroud Plain, Northeast Iran”. In: The Neolithic of the Iranian Plateau: Recent research, M. Mashkour & K. Roustaei, Eds., Pp: 53–85.
- Roustaei, K., 2018, “Beyond the Mounds: Insights into a Late Sixth Millennium BCE Sherd Scatter Site in the Shahroud Plain, Northeast Iran”. Ancient Near Eastern Studies, No. 55, Pp: 143–182.
- Roustaei, K.; Mashkour, M. & Tengberg, M., 2015, “Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq and the beginning of the Neolithic in north-east Iran”. Antiquity, No. 89(345), Pp: 573–595.
- Rustaei, K., 2009, “Development and transformation of settlements in Shahroud regionˮ. Journal of Archeology and History, Vol: 1, Consecutive Issue 47, Autumn and Fall, Pp: 3-35 (in Persian).
- Spooner, B., 1965, “Arghiyān: The area of Jājarm in western Khurāsān”. Iran, No. 3(1), Pp: 97–107.
- Tsuneki, A., 2014, “Pottery and other objects from Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq”. In: The first farming village in northeast Iran and Turan: Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq and beyond, A. Tsuneki, Ed., University of Tsukuba, Pp: 13–18.
- Tsuneki, A., 2017, “The Emergence of Pottery in Northeast Iran: The Case Study of Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq”. In: The Emergence of Pottery in West Asia, A. Tsuneki, O. Nieuwenhuyse, & S. Campbell, Eds., Oxbow Books, Pp: 119–132.
- Vahdati Nasab, H., 2009, “Report of the first sesoan of excavation in Komishan caveˮ. Iranian center for archaeological reserch Archive (Unpublished) (in Persian).
- Vahdati, A. A., 2010, “Tepe Pahlavan: A Neolithic-Chalcolithic site in the Jajarm Plain, north-eastern Iran”. Iranica Antiqua, No. 45, Pp: 7–30.
- Vahdati, A. A.; Biscione, R.; La Farina, R.; Mashkour, M.; Tengberg, M.; Fathi, H, Mohaseb, A. , 2019, “Preliminary report on the first season of excavations at Tepe Chalow: New GKC (BMAC) finds in the plain of Jajarm, NE Iran”. In: J-W. Meyer, E. Vila, M. Mashkour, M. Casanova, R. Vallet (Eds). The Iranian Plateau during the Bronze Age. Development of Urbanisation, Production and Trade. Coll. Archéologie(s), 1, MOM Éditions. Lyon. Pp: 179-200.