Bibi Zoleikhaee: New Evidence for Pre-Pottery Neolithic Period from Kohgiluyeh Region

Compared to other regions in the Near East, our knowledge about the Neolithic period in Iran is rather limited; in the Central Zagros area, however, we have a more reliable set of information about this period. Except some areas in Fars and Bakhtyari, less information is available for southern Zagros, including Kohgiluyeh region. Kohgiluyeh region in southern Zagros is located between two major cultural zones of Khuzestan and Fars in southwestern Iran. This intermediate region is archaeologically less known compared to its neighbors. In the present paper, an Early Neolithic site is introduced. On the basis of surface collection, with majority of bladelets and cores, the site has been dated to the early Neolithic or Aceramic Neolithic. Considering the modern climate of the region and environmental context of the site we may postulate that the residents of the site practiced a simple form of early-agricultural economy. Due to the mountainous landscape of the region, their substance pattern had been based on using the nearby resources through hunting, food gathering and using water sources.