New Research on Paleolithic of Iran: Preliminary Report of 2004’ Iranian-French Joint Mission Jacques Jaubert, Fereidoun Biglari, Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Laurent Bruxelles, Vincent Mourre, Sonia Shidrang, Rahmat Naderi and Simko Alipour

Introduction

*

During last two decades, on F. Biglari’s initiative,

For various reasons, Iran kept away these two or three

surveys started again in several geographical units,

last decades from the international research on

even of Western Iran: of course in the Kermanshah

Paleolithic undertaken all over the Near and Middle

region (Biglari and Heydari 2001; Shidrang 2004),

East, Anatolia, the Caucasus or Central Asia. Only since late 1990’s results of new surveys have been published

in

international

scale

by

Iranian

archaeologists. In domains such as first indication of human settlement, the definition of lithic industries or the chronocultural sequences of Early Prehistory

* Jacques Jaubert and Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Université de Bordeaux 1, Institut de Préhistoire et de Géologie du Quaternaire, UMR 5199, PACEA, Avenue des Facultés, F-33450 Talence; [email protected]; [email protected] Fereidoun Biglari, Sonia Shidrang and Rahmat Naderi, Center for Paleolithic Research, National Museum of Iran, 30 Tir st.,

(Early and Middle Paleolithic), the origins of Homo

Emam Khomaini Ave., P.O.Box 11365/4364, Tehran; F.Biglari@

sapiens, the extension of Neanderthals or the diffusion

nationalmuseumofiran.ir;

of the Hominids towards the Central Asia since the

[email protected]

[email protected];

African cradle, Iran is incontestably a key country,

Laurent Bruxelles, INRAP, ZA Les Champs Pinsons, 13 rue

composed of a whole of strategic and under-exploited

du Négoce, F-31650 Saint-Orens-de-Gammeville, UMR 8555,

areas since the withdrawal of the Zagros foreign missions (e.g. Smith 1986). Opportunity of investing there, in collaboration with the Iranian archaeologists assumes thus a very particular interest, which it was advisable not to underestimate.

Centre d’Anthropologie, Toulouse; [email protected] Vincent Mourre, Doctor in Prehistory University of Paris X, UMR 5608, UTAH, Toulouse Les Hauts Arthèmes, F-84560 Ménerbes; [email protected] Simko Alipour, Master of History, P.O.Box 59135-574, Mahabad; [email protected]

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Archaeological Reports (3)

Bisotun massif (Biglari 2001), Islamabad Plain

Research (ICHTO) in September 2004 concretizes the

(Biglari and Abdi 1999), Rawansar region (Biglari

first contacts of spring 2003. As it was a new project

and Taheri 2001). Paleolithic surveys in the Lorestan,

with new research field (for French part), we wished

Ilam, Kashan, Gilan, East Azarbaijan and Fars also

to start with reasonable programming in order to grow

led to new results (Biglari 2004a, 2004b, 2005; Biglari

up in power in the years to come.

and Abdi 1999; Biglari et al. 2004; Biglari and

Four principal subjects were tackled concerning

Ghafari 2004; Heydari and Ghasidian 2004; Roustaei

four regions (fig.1) that we propose to gather in three

et al. 2004; Shidrang 2005).

chronological topics (Lower, Middle and early Upper

At the same time, international contacts have been

Paleolithic).

or are about to be established with several European research centers or universities: _ Bordeaux 1 University, France, UMR 5199 (Pr. Jacques Jaubert); _ Liège University, Belgium (Pr. Marcel Otte); _ Tübingen University, Germany (Pr. Nicholas Conard);

Lower Paleolithic This work concerned the study of lithic series recently discovered by S. Alipour and the members of the mission, on a place named Shiwatoo near Qaziabad in Mahabad area (Azarbaijan-e Gharbi, North-Western Iran). The site is located on old dismantled levels of

_ Tsukuba University, Japan (Pr. Akira Tsuneki).

terrace dominating the Mahabad River and reservoir

It is clear that a notable investment of the scientific

will be very difficult to date – even roughly – but

(fig. 2). We are thus dealing with a lithic industry that

international community, and more particularly

which

European, is from now obvious towards Iran. Without

typological indices: unifacial and partial unifacial

falling into the trap of a new “race” to the key areas,

Discoid flaking (choppers-cores), bipolar on anvil

this renewed interest coincides on one hand with a

flaking together with productions of large flakes and

certain withdrawal or the stop of several missions in

pebble tools. The main discovery is a typical cleaver

the Near East, and accompanies on the other hand the

made on a side-struck flake of dark volcanic rock,

movement towards exploration of till these last years

probably andesite (fig. 3). This classical Acheulean

poorly invested areas for the Paleolithic research:

tool,

Anatolia (Otte 1995; Slimak et al. 2004), the

subcontinent, is here mentioned for the first time in an

Caucasus, Georgia with the famous discovery of

intermediate geographical position between these two

Dmanisi (e.g. Gabunia et al. 1999) and the

areas. The newly collected implements and a new

reexamination of few aspects of Paleolithic sequence

analysis of the series led to revise a previous chrono-

in (e.g. Adler and Tushabramishvili 2004), Armenia

cultural attribution to Oldowan (Otte et al. 2004).

(Fourloubey et al. 2003), Northeastern Caucasus (Zenine, unpublished) and now Iran.

present

indisputably

well-known

in

Acheulean

Levant

and

in

techno-

Indian

With Ganj Par in the Southern Caspian Basin (Biglari 2005; Biglari et al. 2004), and if we do not

The first Iranian-French mission carried out with

consider old isolated finds and occurrences like Gakia,

the University of Bordeaux 1 (Prehistory and

Pal Barik, Quri Gol (Braidwood 1960; Mortensen

Quaternary Geology Institute, UMR 5199-PACEA,

1993; Sadek-Kooros 1976; Singer and Wymer 1978), it

France) and Iranian Center for Archaeological

is for the first time that rich Acheulean assemblages

3

A Note on the Neolithic of Qara Aghaj Valley, …

are clearly described for Iran. Shiwatoo corresponds

points, convergent scrapers, déjetés or double scrapers

probably to the ‘East Azarbaijan single handaxe find

with frequently sharpened edges (figs. 6, 7). This

evocated by Singer and Wymer (1978). The completion

industry thus represents a particular economic and

of breakdowns and analysis (V. Mourre, F. Biglari, J.

functional facies, related most probably on the

Jaubert, R. Naderi, S. Alipour) during 2005 will allow

location and the operating mode of the site itself. A

us to publish a final report as soon as possible.

slab of fine grained limestone engraved of geometrical patterns was discovered but unfortunately we can’t be

Middle Paleolithic

assured that it was associated to Mar Tarik Mousterian

The study of the Iranian Middle Paleolithic is taken on

(fig. 8). It is the same for some human remains

the basis of a double objective: 1) to better define the

probably of Holocene age and ascribable to Homo

lithic industries and the chronological position of the

sapiens on the basis of first diagnosis (B. Maureille,

Zagros Mousterian; 2) to invest other geographical

UMR 5199-PACEA). The preliminary study of the

units than Zagros, starting with the Central Plateau

faunal assemblage which is mixed and poorly

(Niyasar).

preserved indicates the presence of mammals of small

During last field season, we pursue geological and

to average size and micro-vertebrates. The micro-

geomorphological investigation in Kermanshah area

vertebrates bones relate to fish, reptiles, and birds

(L. Bruxelles) to lay strong foundations for these

remains and most of mammals remains belong to

fields and to supplement previous research on raw

caprines (M. Mashkour, UMR 5197-MNHN). A first

materials sources undertaken by S. Heydari and F.

date has been obtained by Y. Quinif (CERAK,

Biglari (Biglari 2004c; Heydari 2000, 2004).

University of Mons, Belgium) on stalagmite at the base

Concerning the first point, we excavated last year a

of the sequence: 123, 6 [+3,4/-3,2] kyr BP. A complete

perched cave at the base of Bisotun massif (30 km

program of dating (AMS 14C, ESR…) is in hand and

northeast of Kermanshah), Mar Tarik (figs. 4, 5) that

we will continue the study of Zagros Mousterian next

was unfortunately in very large part altered by

year by the cleaning up and reexamination with a new

clandestine excavations. This site and two other

excavation at the classical site of the cave of

neighboring caves were surveyed and published by

Bisotun/Hunter’s Cave (Coon 1951).

Biglari (Biglari 2001). The karstologic study and the

For Niyasar (area of Kashan), the important

history of its sedimentary dynamics could be drawn

discovery of Mousterian artifacts in this area of the

(L. Bruxelles). The study of the lithic material

Central

(V. Mourre,

supplemented in 2004 by a brief study of the

F. Biglari,

techno-typological

J. Jaubert) confirms the

relationship

with

previously

published data from this area (Hunter’s Cave,

Plateau

(Biglari

2004a)

has

been

sequence, more particularly of the travertine masses with sampling for new U/Th dating (L. Bruxelles).

Warwasi: e.g. Dibble 1984; Dibble and Holdoway 1993). Even if the former studies were not really

Upper Paleolithic

technologically oriented, we come across similar

During this campaign, we made an overview of the

elements such as use of close raw materials, Levallois

main Upper Paleolithic collections kept in the

flaking almost exclusive, strong proportion of

National Museum of Iran. This first study of some

retouched tools with a majority of points, elongated

Upper Paleolithic assemblages in the Museum

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Archaeological Reports (3)

allowed us to conclude to the good representation of

but, in a wider context (Umm el Tlell, Syria: Ploux

the Baradostian in western Zagros. Nevertheless, the

and Soriano 2003; Ksar-Aqil, Lebanon: Tixier and

assemblages of Yafteh cave, near Khorramabad,

Inizan 1981), to the industrial development of the

appeared without contest as the richest and the best

Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) on the whole of the

preserved ones (Fig. 9). Thus, our efforts were

eastern and northern Mediterranean circumference:

dedicated to the study of this impressive lithic series,

large and straight bladelets at the base, small and

formerly excavated by F. Hole and K. Flannery (Hole

twisted bladelets at the top. This work confirms and

and Flannery 1967). The typo-technological study

precise the information given by Hole and Flannery

made it possible to describe the principal productions

(1967) and Olszewski (2001). This sequence should

and associated methods:

be clarified by new planned excavations, and

_ Large bladelets (3-7 cm) with straight profile and inverse/alterned retouch (Dufour) or direct bilateral

retouch

(Arjeneh

points,

rods).

Diagnostic breaks on some of these pieces suggests they were projectile heads; _ Small bladelets (1.5-2.5 cm) with twisted profile and alterned retouch (Dufour sub-type Roc-deCombe) made from “burins” cores; _ Laminar production dominated by unipolar blanks, often retouched as end scrapers and/or retouched blades, more rarely as burins.

completed by the study of the rest of the assemblage (tools on blade). This study, undertaken by J.-G. Bordes and S. Shidrang, will be continued next year with, as far as possible, a stay in Philadelphia to study the material from Warwasi which is preserved there.

Acknowledgments We would like to thank the people and institutions that facilitated the organization of the mission: Dr. Azarnoush,

Director

of

Iranian

Center

for

Archaeological Research (ICAR) at Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), the

For all of these productions, the knapping technique is the direct soft-hammer percussion.

French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. M. Kargar, Director

of

National

Museum

of

Iran,

Mr.

Thanks to the quality of the old excavations, it was

K. Alizadeh, International relation Section, (ICAR,

possible to set back all the diagnostic pieces according

ICHTO), Mr. Bairanvand and Moradi (ICHTO,

to their depth. Thus, we could propose that these

Kermanshah), Mrs. M. Mehdi Abadi, director of

productions are organized in an archaeological

Bisoutun National Project and all the Iranian

sequence which can be related not only to the closest

(especially

reference sequences (Warwasi: Olszewski 1999, 2001;

M. Rahmati, M. Mashkour, Sh. Razmjou) and French

Olszewski and Dibble 1994; Shanidar: Solecki 1955),

(B. Maureille) colleagues who helped us.

A. Moradi

Bisotouni,

A. Azadi,

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New Research on Palaeolithic of Iran …

Fig. 1. Map of Iran showing the location of the sites under research by Iranian-French mission (Graphic: F. Biglari)

Fig. 2. A general view of Shiwatoo, arrows showing the location of the lithic scatter (Photo: F. Biglari 2004)

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Fig. 3. Acheulian artifacts from Shiwatoo, Mahabad region (Drawing: J. Jaubert)

Fig. 4. Mar Tarik cave, the arrow shows location of the cave mouth (Photo: M. Rahmati 2004)

New Research on Palaeolithic of Iran …

Fig. 5. Mar Tarik, general map and longitudinal profile of the cavity (Topography: J.-G. Bordes, J. Jaubert, R. Naderi, V. Mourre; Cad: V. Mourre)

Fig. 6. Selected Mousterian artifacts from Mar Tarik cave (Drawing: J. Jaubert, S. Shidrang)

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Fig. 7. Selected Mousterian artifacts from Mar Tarik cave (Drawing: J. Jaubert, S. Shidrang)

New Research on Palaeolithic of Iran …

Fig. 8. Limestone plaque with engravings from Mar Tarik cave (Photo: J.-G. Bordes, F. Biglari)

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Fig. 9. Selected Upper Paleolithic artifacts from Yafteh cave (Drawing: S. Shidrang)