Central Plateau of Iran: The Transition from Sialk III6-7 to Sialk IV1 (3700-3400 b.c.)

The interval between the periods of Sialk III6-7 and IV1 (3400-3300 b.c.) on the Central Plateau of Iran (hereafter, CPI) is often introduced as an intermission in archaeological interpretations. A review of the features and changes in the architectural structures, administrative documents, economic materials, technical tools and burial evidence belonging to Sialk III6-7 and IV1 periods from prominent archaeological sites in this region clearly indicate that the interval between these two periods can be considered as a transitional period, rather than as a gap. However, in this period, some sites such as Sialk, Ghabristan, Shad Qoli Khan and Qoli Darvish are abandoned while Ozbaki and Arisman continue, albeit with shifts in occupation. Much of the archeological evidence related to the Sialk III6-7 and IV1 periods, obtained from the ancient sites of the CPI, indicates the presence of the late Susa II culture in the region, demonstrating a link between the CPI and the SW of Iran. These two periods are considered as transitional periods, as the similarities among the cultural changes in Sialk III6-7 and IV1 periods are considerable. Therefore, this one-hundred-year period is placed in the context of the transitional period.