Quaternary Journal of Iran

Abstract The canyon of Rud-Mojan waterfall in Torbat-e Heydarieh city is one of the significant Quaternary geological features of the Noth eastern zone of central Iran. This canyon was formed on an area of Lower Cretaceous Rudist limestones, containing Orbitolinid (Barremian-Albian) foraminifera, and from the beginning of the Quaternary. A major deformation and severe erosion have occurred in its limestone beds. The source of its waterfall is related to the quaternary karst water reserves of the northern heights of the Mojan River. In this research, using Corbel's equation (1959) and field studies, the erosion rate of the Mojan waterfall canyon has been calculated. Considering the tectonic and faulting conditions of the region, the creation of this canyon can be considered affected by tectonic-faulting factors and at the same time, water erosion. The results of the calculations indicate that the erosion rate of limestone dissolution in the canyon of Rood Mojan waterfall is about 188.14 mm/thousand years, which shows the relative effectiveness of this model.
Introduction
Dissolution erosion in carbonate rocks and masses depends on several factors. Among these factors are the turbulence or linearity of the system, the flow velocity, the separation of irons from mineral surfaces, the amount of carbonic acid (H2CO3), transport processes, partial pressure of CO2, PH and other factors (Dreybrodt, 1998).
One of the most important studies on karst erosion to date was conducted by the French geographer Corbel (1959). He examined the waters drained by rivers in cold regions and compared them with those in tropical regions in terms of the amount of dissolved calcium carbonate, and concluded that the rate of karst erosion in cold regions was greater than in tropical regions, and this can be justified by the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in cold and warm water (Corbel, 1959). The main goal of this research is to calculate the karst erosion rate of the Rud-Majan Waterfall Canyon using the Corbel equation.
Material and Method
The canyon (deep valley) of Rud-Majan Waterfall is one of the prominent geological features in the east of the Central Iranian Zone, formed on a Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) Rudist limestone area, and especially since the early Quaternary, major deformation and severe erosion have occurred in its limestone bed. Rud-Majan Waterfall is located in Torbat-e Heydarieh province. This waterfall is located in Central Iranian and originates from the Chehel Tan mountain range located 54 km west of Torbat-e Heydarieh city and has an altitude of about 28 meters (Modaresi, 2019). Its geographical coordinates are between latitudes 35°18'50"N to 35°20'55"N and longitudes 58°49'40"E to 58°52'45"E. Among the important tectonic structures, the east-west trending Daruneh fault can be mentioned, and the lithology of the northern part of this fault mainly consists of Paleogene volcanic rocks with inclusions of Nummulitic limestones.
Among the limestones that this waterfall has eroded are those of Lower Cretaceous age. These limestones include Rudist and limestones with benthic foraminifers (Orbitolinides) and are of Barremian and Aptian age and equivalent to the Tirgan Formation in the Kopeh-Dagh Basin and are ridge-forming. These deposits include very thick, strong, rock-forming marly limestone, marl, and calcareous shale, rich in Orbitolinides and Miliolids.
Results
By definition, the incorporation and transport of materials by a fluid agent such as water, ice, and wind are called erosion. Fairbridge (1968) also refers to chemical erosion as opposed to corrosion, and some have considered it to be the same as chemical weathering.
Corbel (1959) proposed an equation to estimate the rate of karst erosion :
(1) X=4ET/100
(2) X=4ETn/100
where X is the erosion rate in millimeters per thousand years (mm/ky) or cubic meters per square kilometer per year, E is the depth of runoff in decimeters (dm), and T is the average concentration of dissolved solids (dissolved calcium carbonate) in water in milligrams per liter (Corbel, 1959) (mg/L).
To use the formula, it should be noted that the density of carbonate rocks should be between 1.5 and 2.9, and for dolomites, the water hardness and temperature must be measured to obtain the dissolution rate through precipitation, and to determine sulfate rocks, the calcium ion content and the hardness of carbonate rocks must be measured. Using the available data and the Corbel equation, the karst erosion rate in the study area was obtained as 188.14 mm/thousand years.
Conclusions
The Rud-Majan Waterfall Canyon in Torbat-e Heydarieh County is one of the most significant geological features of the northeastern part of the Central Iranian Zone, formed on Lower Cretaceous limestones containing Orbitolinid foraminifera (Barremian-Albian). Since the early Quaternary, major deformation and severe erosion have occurred in limestone beds. In this study, using the Corbel equation (1959) the erosion rate of this canyon can be estimated to be equal to 188.14 mm/thousand years. Considering the tectonic and fault conditions of the region, the formation of this canyon can be regarded as being affected by tectonic-fault factors and at the same time, water erosion.
References
Corbel, J., (1959). Erosion en terrain calcaire (vitesse d’érosion et morphologie). Annales de géographie, 68(366), 97-120. https://doi.org/10.3406/geo.1959.16541
Dreybrodt, W., (1998). Limestone dissolution rates in karst environments. Limestone Dissolution Rates in Karst Environments, (16), 167–183.
Fairbridge, R., (1968). Corrosion, etching, Springer Link. Retrieved February 21, 2024, from https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/3-540-31060-6_69

Abstract Introduction
The Qazvin Plain, located on the northern margin of Iran’s Central Plateau, is considered one of the most significant prehistoric settlement centers in the region. Over thousands of years, this landscape has been continuously reshaped by complex geomorphological processes such as erosion, sedimentation, and fluvial dynamics. These processes have not only modified the physical environment but have also influenced the preservation and visibility of archaeological sites. Understanding the relationship between sedimentation and site distribution is therefore critical for reconstructing past environments, interpreting patterns of human settlement, and refining predictive models for future archaeological research. Beyond its theoretical implications, this line of inquiry helps shed light on the decision-making logic of prehistoric communities, their perception of environmental stability, and their long-term strategies for sustaining habitation within dynamic landscapes.
Objectives
This study aims to analyze the relationship between sedimentation intensity and the spatial distribution of prehistoric sites (Neolithic and Chalcolithic) within three sub-basins of the Qazvin Plain—Abharrood, Kharrood, and Hajiarab. The research further seeks to evaluate the relative importance of multiple geomorphological and environmental factors in shaping settlement suitability and to develop an integrated framework that combines machine learning and multi-criteria decision-making techniques for environmental archaeological modeling.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted in two main phases.
Phase 1 – Sediment Yield Modeling:
Sediment yield maps were reconstructed using the Fournier Index, expressed in tons per square kilometer, to quantify the spatial variability of sedimentation. These initial outputs were subsequently refined using three machine learning algorithms—Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Random Forest (RF), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). For this section ten environmental predictor variables were incorporated, including elevation, slope, clay content, sand content, Topographic Position Index (TPI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), channel network distance, profile curvature, plan curvature, and lithology. Model performance was assessed using Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) to identify the most accurate algorithm.
Phase 2 – Settlement Suitability Modeling:
A settlement suitability model was developed to identify areas with high potential for prehistoric occupation. Seven key environmental and geomorphological criteria were selected: elevation, slope, aspect, flow accumulation, distance to water sources, distance from faults, and NDVI. These criteria were standardized and weighed using a hybrid approach that combined Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The integration of AHP and PCA ensured that statistical variance structure contributed to the final weighting scheme, thereby reducing subjective bias and improving model robustness. Raster maps were generated in the Python programming environment and subsequently analyzed in ArcGIS Pro, where overlay operations, reclassification, and weighted linear combination were applied to produce the final settlement suitability map.
Results
The machine learning comparison revealed that ANN and RF significantly outperformed MLR, achieving lower RMSE values and higher spatial accuracy. ANN demonstrated superior capability in capturing the non-linear and complex relationships between environmental variables and sediment yield, thereby producing more realistic sedimentation maps.
The suitability analysis showed that the majority of known archaeological sites are located in areas characterized by lower sedimentation rates. Statistical testing confirmed a significant negative correlation between sedimentation intensity and site presence probability. This finding indicates that regions with high sedimentation are less likely to preserve visible archaeological sites, either because such areas were less frequently chosen for habitation or because existing sites have been buried beneath thick sediment layers.
Discussion
The results suggest that prehistoric communities in the Qazvin Plain tended to occupy geomorphologically stable zones with lower sedimentation rates. This pattern likely reflects an experiential understanding of landscape dynamics, even if not formally articulated scientific knowledge. The preference for stable locations may have been shaped by the need for long-term settlement sustainability, reduced risk of flood damage, and better preservation of arable land. It should be noted that the lower number of identified sites in areas with high sediment production may result from their burial beneath sediments rather than deliberate avoidance. Therefore, site burial should be considered when interpreting spatial distribution and settlement patterns.
Furthermore, the use of machine learning techniques, particularly ANN and RF, highlight the potential of artificial intelligence along with Analytic Hierarchy Process to improve environmental reconstruction and predictive modeling in archaeology. These approaches allow researchers to capture complex, non-linear relationships that traditional statistical methods may fail to represent.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that combining machine learning models with multi-criteria decision-making methods offers a powerful framework for understanding the interplay between environmental processes and human settlement patterns. The integrated approach not only enhances the accuracy of sedimentation modeling but also improves the reliability of archaeological predictive models.
From a practical standpoint, the findings can assist archaeologists in identifying high-probability areas for future excavations, prioritizing regions for survey, and allocating resources more efficiently. Moreover, this research underscores the importance of considering geomorphological stability as a key factor in cultural heritage management. By understanding where sites are most likely to be buried or preserved, heritage managers can design more effective conservation strategies and anticipate potential threats posed by ongoing erosion and sedimentation processes.
On a broader level, the study bridges the gap between archaeology, geomorphology, and data science, offering a replicable methodological template for other regions and time periods. Ultimately, the synergy between AI-driven modeling, PCA, AHP, GIS-based spatial analysis, and multi-criteria evaluation represents a forward-looking approach to environmental archaeology—one that not only reconstructs the past but also informs sustainable management of cultural landscapes for the future.

Abstract 1-Introduction
Bedrock features, such as mortars, cup-marks, cupules, grooves, slicks, basins, and grinding surfaces, are a type of rock alteration. These features have been observed in Paleolithic contexts and were used in certain regions until the 20th century. Unlike many other categories of archaeological remains, bedrock features have received relatively little scholarly attention. Until recently, there have been only a few focused field projects dedicated to studying them. This is partly because of the challenges in dating these features and identifying their cultural context. This research focuses on investigating bedrock features discovered during an archaeological survey of Paleolithic caves and rock shelters in the Izeh Plain, located in northeastern Khuzestan. These features, which are found on exposed rock ledges and floors of the caves and shelters, do not have a clear association with datable remains. The goal is to understand the morphological variation of these features and determine their relative dating.
2-Materials and methods
Izeh is an alluvial plain situated in the northeastern part of Iran's Khuzestan province. It has an average elevation of 750 meters above sea level and covers an area of 140 square kilometers. This region is a section of the folded foothills of the Zagros mountains, and its plains consist of scattered sediments. Archaeological surveys have revealed the significant potential for studying the Stone Age in Izeh Plain. After Wright's brief visits in the 1970s (Wright, 1979), the exploration for caves and rock shelters in Izeh was resumed and carried on in the 2000s and 2010s. As a result, over 150 caves and rock shelters from the Upper Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic periods were documented (see Jayez, 2023). During the most recent survey season, in addition to caves and rock shelters, we also documented 39 rock cut installations, specifically bedrock mortars and basins. These were mostly found in the outer areas of the sites. Similar features have been documented in Late Paleolithic sites in the Zagros region (see Alibeigi, 2013: 53; Conard and Ghasidian, 2011: 36, 40; Heydari-Guran and Ghasidian 2020: 10). At this point, it is not possible to determine an exact date for these findings. They were discovered in open areas outside of caves and rock shelters, so it is difficult to confirm if they are from the same time period as the prehistoric cultural remains.
3-Results and discussion
The bedrock features of Izeh Plain can be categorized into three types: cup-marks (round shallow holes), mortars (round, usually bowl-like and deep holes), and basins (oval or round shallow features), each serving different purposes. Similar features have been mostly reported from Natufian sites, which are found in various geographical and ecological areas. These include the Mediterranean eco-zone, the Negev desert, the Jordan Valley, and the high sandstone mountains in southwestern Jordan (Nadel and Rosenberg, 2010). The large-scale production of human-made bedrock holes became common during the Late Natufian period. The dominant types were deep narrow specimens, as well as smaller and/or shallower examples. During the PPNA, the most common type of feature was the small and shallow cup-mark, often found on slabs placed on house floors. The production and use of these bedrock features continued into later prehistoric periods, such as the Chalcolithic and Iron Age of the Levant, and even in later historical periods (van den Brick, 2008).
In Iran, there have been reports of similar bedrock features in the southern and central Zagros regions, which are believed to date back to the Epipalaeolithic Period (Conard and Ghasidian, 2011: 36, 40; Heydari-Guran, 2014: 228-229). Neolithic sites such as Chia Sabz and Teppeh Sarab Yavari have recorded bedrock mortars in their surroundings, but their dating is uncertain (Darabi, 1395; Alibaigi, 2013).
Some scholars believe that, according to extensive research on the bedrock features of the Levant, during the early Neolithic period, activities such as grounding and pounding started taking place in residential areas. This could indicate a practical division of tasks, with noisy and messy activities being done in open public spaces, while the final stages of processing were carried out in enclosed spaces (Belfer-Cohen and Hovers, 2005: 303).
4- Conclusion
Ground stone assemblages, including portable and bedrock features, were crucial in the Neolithization process in Western Asia. The increasing sedentism observed during the Natufian period is often considered a significant factor in the development of ground stone tools. These tools, particularly the larger ones, may have served as fixtures within specific sites. Their presence, designs, and on site may have varied depending on the level of pre-planning and anticipation of site re-occupations. The different shapes of bedrock features near caves and rock shelters in Izeh Plain align with the relative dating of these archaeological sites. This dating suggests that the region experienced a high level of settlement during the late Paleolithic and early Neolithic periods. These features likely played a significant role in the semi-sedentary lifestyle of the last hunter-gatherers. They were also likely used during the beginning of the Neolithic Period and in later occupations of the Izeh Plain.

Abstract Abstract
Human societies have always been influenced by climatic and geographical factors of their ecosystems throughout history, so interdisciplinary studies to identify these influences will help to understand the cultural changes of ancient societies. One of the geographical factors affecting the ancient sites of the northern regions of the country is the Caspian Sea. The separation of this lake from the high seas has caused the sea level of this sea to increase slowly and when it reaches its maximum height, it decreases with the same rate. In this study, an attempt has been made to combine the information obtained from marine sediment survey studies with archaeological evidence and findings, as far as possible, to investigate the effects of Caspian Sea water regressions and advances on the location of prehistoric settlements in the Mazandaran region of The Paleolithic period to the Iron Age. For this purpose, studies on the altitude range of these changes were reviewed and the results obtained in the field of paleontology of Caspian Sea level fluctuations were combined with the results of archaeological studies in the region. Simultaneously with the fluctuations of the Caspian Sea water during the Pleistocene and Holocene, the location of prehistoric sites and populations on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea changed relative to seawater, and with the advance of seawater, the remains of previous evidence are buried under sediments.
 
Results and discussion
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world and has nothing to do with open waters, and its water is supplied by rivers that flow into it. The water level of this lake is a dynamic phenomenon and its oscillating amplitude has different intensities in time scales. Fluctuations in the water level of the Caspian Sea are subject to various factors such as changes in the runoff of rivers leading to the sea and the intensity of evaporation and undoubtedly affect the coasts and the distribution of existing settlements in them. In each of the advances, the water of the Caspian Sea rose to such an extent that it submerged parts of the lowlands of northern Iran. The morphology of the coast is very different in response to these fluctuations and has a wide range of features based on the slope of the coast and the sea to land. It is natural that the advancement of water level will have the greatest impact in the parts of the Caspian Sea that have less depth and less in the areas that have more depth. 800 km south coastline of the Caspian Sea is divided into 4 categories based on the type of response to fluctuations. It is a steep beach. While the changes in coastal morphology in the western coasts of Mazandaran have not been very noticeable, its southeastern regions are one of the areas sensitive to water level. Studies and measurements of marine sediments and their combination with archaeological evidence and findings are effective in recognizing the effects of backwaters and advances of the Caspian Sea water on ancient sites. These effects can be traced back to the Khvalyian and Neo-Caspian cycles, which archaeologically continue from the Paleolithic, Late Paleolithic, Neolithic, and prehistoric and historical periods to the present. The Old Paleolithic period coincides with the Caspian cycle, in which the advance of sea water with a level of -20 to -15 meters occurred about 300 to 250 thousand years ago.
Conclusion
The Middle Paleolithic period coincides with the Khvalyian cycle, which itself coincides with the last temperate glaciation and the dissolution of ice sheets at higher latitudes. Since the largest Quaternary advance in the Khvalyian cycle occurred with a water level of 48 to 47 meters, so the southeastern shores of the Caspian Sea due to its gentle slope during these advances below The water is gone and it seems that the Middle Paleolithic sites, which were located at low altitudes and close to the sea, were buried during the advance of the water. Noshahr dam area is located at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level in the western part of Mazandaran with a steep coastal slope and therefore has the least impact from the fluctuations of the Caspian Sea water level. The Neolithic period coincides with the period between the Lower and Upper Khavalyian, the water level of the Caspian Sea has receded by about 110 to 120 meters, and evidence for this period may have been buried following further advances. Towards the end of the Pleistocene and before the beginning of the Holocene (11550-10550 years ago), the water level of the Caspian Sea decreased by 100 meters, which coincides with the abundance of extra-Paleolithic settlements on the southeastern coast. With the beginning of the Holocene period in 10,000 years ago, the water level of the Caspian Sea reached an altitude of -22 meters. The first Neolithic settlements of the region were formed in low plains near the coast and at a distance of less than two kilometers of surface water. Around 7000 BC, the water level of the Caspian Sea reached -25 meters. And in the millennium 6000 BC, the water level of the Caspian Sea was -28 meters and was at the lowest level since the beginning of this period. During the Chalcolithic, in the fifth millennium BC, the water level of the Caspian Sea increased to -20 meters above sea level, and during one millennium, at 4000 BC, it decreased by one meter and reached -21 meters. The most important settlements of this period have been identified in the mountainous plains. Around 3000 BC, the water level of the Caspian Sea was about -35 meters above sea level, so the coastline, especially in the south and southeast of the Caspian Sea, was far behind today. At this date, which coincides with the Bronze Age, the greatest decline in seawater occurred during the Holocene, and of course the position of many human settlements relative to the coastline has changed. However, the greatest advance of the Caspian Sea water level was during the Holocene period - 20 meters, which occurred in 1300 AD, and with the advent of water, the evidence of many ancient settlements was washed away and buried under sediments. Perhaps this is why the remains of Iron Age sites in the low plains of Mazandaran are small. In general, humans at different times tried to choose the most accessible place to the sea for settlement, and with the retreat and advance of sea water, the location of settlements changed. Previous settlements were buried following the advance of seawater. Undoubtedly, in order to fill information gaps about different prehistoric periods in the field of research, the effects of these fluctuations must be considered. The study of water fluctuations in the Caspian Sea is important in analyzing the behaviors of ancient populations and their settlement patterns.

Abstract Geoscience studies in solving archaeological problems in the east of Damghan
Fathalizadeh Kosar1, Zarei Elahe2*, Sarfi Mehdi2
1Master of Science, School of Earth Sciences, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
2Assistant Professor, School of Earth Sciences, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
Corresponding author (Elahe Zarei) E-mail: ezarei@du.ac.ir


1- Introduction

The results of archaeological investigations show the presence of humans in the northern part of the central desert of Iran since long ago (Vahdati nasab Hamed and Hashemi Milad 2016). The location of ancient settlements, as the settlements of previous humans, is mainly dependent on environmental factors such as water sources. Therefore, in order to determine the presence of water and its expansion, a 13 km long area was studied on the road from Damghan to Shahroud.
2- Material and Methods
Palynology and sedimentology are common and applied methods for paleoenviroment interpertation especially for Neogene and Quaternary sediments. After the field studies, a number of samples were collected from 3 study stations to palynological, sedimentological and microfacies studies. The studied area is located on the border between Alborz structural state and Central Iran, approximately 30 km east of Damghan (coordinates with E 54° 36΄09 ˝ to 54° 45΄37˝ and N 36° 15΄43 ˝ to N 36° 16΄ 26 ˝).
3- Results and discussion
Geological studies
In this research, XRD studies were used to identify the minerals in the region. Also, in order to check the degree of rounding and sorting of the sediments and to identify the mineralogical composition of the samples after sieving, they were studied under the streptomicroscope. The presence of transparent and angular quartzes and unstable minerals such as feldspar and muscovite and the abundance of organic matter in the landform sediments indicate an aquatic environment in which a series of erosion events to sedimentation have taken place in a short period of time.
Based on the presence of some index dinoflagellate species such as Operculodinium cf. eiricianum and Bitectatodinium tepikiense and comparing it with the world standard biozones of Williams et al., 2004, the age range of Late Miocene to Pliocene can be considered for the landform sediments. (Head 1994).
A combination of archaeological and geomorphological data, sedimentology and palynological studies and the presence of Index dinocysts such as Operculodinium cf. eiricianum and Bitectatodinium tepikiense indicate a vast and ancient lake during the Late Neogene (Brenchley1998, Head 1994, Michelle Price, 2010). The presence of ancient settlements confirms this claim.
This relatively vast aqueous environment was related to the Haj Ali Qoli salt playa (Chah Jam playa) in the south of the studied area, and the sediments studied were placed on the northern edge of the lake when the water level was high. Probably, tectonics and climate have influenced the lowering of the water level. Butzer 1958 and Crinsley 1970 report evidence of a lacustrine environment around Central desert of Iran (Butzer, 1958; Krinsley, 1970).
4- Conclusion
The most important issue for archaeologists in the last few decades is the investigation of environmental factors in the formation or destruction of civilizations and human habitats.
One of the most important points for creating human settlements is the presence of water sources close to human settlements. Archaeological research indicates the presence of humans in Damghan region from the past until now. In this regard, the spatial distribution and dispersion of the ancient centers of eastern Damghan and its relationship with environmental factors (water and climate) were investigated. A combination of archaeological, geomorphological and palynological data shows that there was a vast paleolake in the Northern part of the Iranian Central Desert, which is considered a suitable environment for human settlements. The studied sediments were deposited on the clay zone in the northern margin of Damghan playa when the water level was high, which is probably related to Haj Ali Qoli salt lake (Chah Jam playa) in the south of the studied area. The high amount of clay 20 to 45% confirms this environment. The presence of an index dinocyst Bitectatodinium tepikiense shows that there was a paleolake in the northern part of the central Iranian plateau at the end of the Neogene, which was probably connected to the open sea. Probably, two factors, tectonics and climate changes, have influenced the lowering of the water level and made it into its present form.

Key words: geological studies, ancient lake, ancient settlements, East Damghan
Reference:
- Butzer, K. W. 1958. Quaternary Stratigraphy and climate in the near East, Bonner Geogr.Abhendi, 24.
- Brenchley, P. J. & Harper, A. T. 1998. Palaeoecology: Ecosystems, Environments and Evolution, 402 pp. Chapman & Hall publ, New York.
- Head, M.J., 1994. A forum on Neogene and Quaternary dinoflagellate cysts. The edited transcript of a round table discussion held at the Third Workshop on Neogene and Quaternary dinoflagellates, with taxonomic appendix. Palynology, v.17, p.201-239, pl.1-11. (Cover date 1993, issue date 1994 - 28th January).
- Krinsley, D.B., 1970.A geomorphological and paleoclimatological study of the playa of Iran. U.S. Government printing office Washington D.C. 20, 402p.
- Michelle Price Andrea. 2010. Late Quaternary climate and oceanographic changes in the Northest Pacific as recorded by dinoflagellate cysts from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California (Mexico).Master of Science in the school of Earth and Ocean Sciences.
-Vahdati nasab Hamed, Hashemi Milad. 2016. Playa and Middle Paleolithic settlement of Iranian central Desert: the discovery of the Chah-e Jam middle Paleolithic site.Quaternary international 408(2016) 140-152.
- Williams G. L. Brinkhuis H. Pearce M. A. Fensome R. A. and Weegink J. W. 2004. Southern Ocean and global dinoflagellate cyst events Compared: Index events for the Late Cretaceous-Neogene. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 189.pp. 1-98

Abstract Introduction
Qaleh Kurd cave is located in the village of the same name in the vicinity of Hesar Valiasr village, Avaj city, Qazvin province. This cave is located on the route between Zagros and Iranian Central Plateau and along one of the proposed corridors of scattered human groups in the Iranian Plateau (Vahdati Nasab et al., 2013; Dennell, 2020; Shoaee et al., 2021). The first archaeological study in the cave was conducted in 2013, in which a small surface collection of 35 stone tools on the surface was studied and attributed to the Middle Paleolithic era (Soleimani and Ali Beigi, 2018).
With the initial investigation of the walls of the pits caused by unauthorized excavations and the presence of cultural materials and animal remains in the cave, the first idea about the possibility of exploring this area was formed. The first examination in Qaleh Kurd cave was conducted in 2017 by some of the authors (HVN & GB). Consequently, the joint Iran-France mission under the supervision of (Vahdati Nasab, Berillon and Hashemi) conducted three archaeological field mission in there (2018, 2019, 2022). It is worth mentioning that here we only present data collected during the first two seasons.
Some of the major goals of conducting field missions in Qaleh Kurd are: Investigating the Paleolithic deposits, how the site was formed, comparing lithic industries with other Middle Paleolithic sites of Iran, reconstructing the diet of cave dwellers and trying to obtain human remains. The purpose of this article is to describe the techno-typological aspects of lithic collections recovered from 2018 and 2019 missions and to compare it with the lithic industries of Zagros, and the sites from the Iranian Central Plateau.
Materials and Method
The stratigraphy of the trench 1 wall indicates the existence of two distinct sequences, Holocene and Pleistocene, and the identification of 25 stratigraphic units (1 to 9 related to the Holocene and 10 to 25 related to the Pleistocene). The preliminary results of dating samples taken from 30 cm from the beginning of the Pleistocene layer in Trench 1 indicate an age beyond the range of carbon-14 dating (43,500 years ago). Therefore, in the continuation of the research, the ESR method was used for the dating of cultural materials (especially animal teeth). It is worth mentioning that at the time of writing this article, the above-mentioned chronology is being finalized and the preliminary results indicate an age of more than 300.000 BP for the Pleistocene deposits, which will soon be published in separate research.
The subject of the present research includes the stone artifacts obtained from the exploration of the first and second seasons. In total, 1257 stone artifacts were obtained from excavations in trenches 1 and 3. In this study, the data obtained from Trench 1, the largest explored trench, is presented. The excavation dimensions in trench 1 were 1.2966 square meters in the first season and 6.195 square meters in the second season.
Quantitative characteristics, typological information and technology of tools have been recorded and studied. In a general classification, stone artifacts include tools, debitage, core and core fragments, and debris. According to the stratigraphic information of trench 1, the Pleistocene sequence of Qaleh Kurd is divided into fifteen sedimentological units and five successive archaeological subdivisions. The division of archaeological periods is based on sedimentological studies, changes in the density of stone artifacts and animal remains, and data distribution in depth.
The first period or the late period (QK 1) starts from about -50 to -80 cm (Z) of trench 1 and includes sedimentological units 12 and 11. Unit 11 in the eastern wall of Trench 1 consists of gravelly sand silt with pebbles and flat unlayered gravels with charcoal remains. Unit 12 also includes sandy silt with a number of calcite gravels, a matrix with low compression and more compactness. QK 2, or the middle period, starts from the depth of -80 and continues to the depth of -105. This course is in line with unit 13. This unit in the south wall of Trench 1 has a light brown color and debris pieces and quiet dynamics. Unit 13 on the eastern wall of Trench 1 has sand-silt with many pebbles and flat calcite debris. QK 3 starts from the depth of -105 and continues to the depth of -130. This course includes units 14, 15 and 16. Unit 14 in the south wall of Trench 1 consists of clayey silt with gravel and is brown in color. Unit 15 includes organic silt and unit 16 includes silt (clay). In Unit 16, we see gravel, calcite nodules and ancient soil. On the eastern wall of Trench 1, silt with gravel in unit 14 and silt with organic clay in units 15 and 16 are evident.
The raw materials of Qaleh Kurd stone artifacts are diverse, including limestone rich in silica, jasper, chert group, volcanic stones such as basalt, a limited number of marbles, radiolarite, clay and quartzite. The most used raw materials in all the phases of Qaleh Kurd are siliceous stones rich in lime, so that in the first period 22.5%, in the second period 20.5% and in the third period 32.1% of artifacts are built on limestone.
 
Conclusions
In Qaleh Kurd lithic complex, the cores are very limited and it seems that the initial steps of chipping were done outside the area. A variety of raw materials have been used in this collection, and the three aforementioned Qaleh Kurd periods show different abundances in the use of raw materials. In this area, sidescrapers are the most abundant type of tools, after that we are faced with a significant abundance of points and convergent scrapers. The studies conducted on the quantitative characteristics, typological and technological indicators of the stone artifacts showed that in terms of dimensions and quantitative characteristics, the lithics of the first, second and third periods of the cave demonstrate no difference, but the dimensions of the blades are somewhat different from each other. The comparison of the abundance of raw materials, extractions, platform typologies, and Levallois technique between the periods shows the difference of the third period from other periods to some extent. In this period, we see a high accumulation of lithics compared to other periods, this can be due to the intensity of settlement in this period of the site.
The results of the comparison of Qaleh Kurd stone artifacts with other Middle Paleolithic sites show that Qaleh Kurd cave in the extent of using the Levallois technique, the abundance of scrapers, especially sidescrapers, the abundance of points, especially the Mousterian points, the faint presence of notch/denticulates and, the intensity of retouching and the abundance of flaked base debitages show a closer proximity to the Zagros sites.

Abstract Introduction

This paper deals with the chlorite stones obtained from the latest archeological researches at the Konar Sandal site, Jiroft in order to determining the chemical and mineralogical composition and identifying their provenance. The chlorite objects are the most distinctive cultural material from the Jiroft civilization (generally dated back to the third millennium BC). These luxury items have been recognized as an indicator of the connections and interactions in southwest Asia during Bronze Age. Scholars of the ancient Near East have long recognized that the Iranian plateau was a source for these valuable materials. Although the soft green chlorite objects have been found in a wide range from the Indian subcontinent to northern Mesopotamia, these finds were produced in the Halil River Basin for local utilization rather than export. In this paper, some fragments of chlorite vessels recovered from the plundered graveyard of Konar Sandal South are chosen for archaeometric analyses. Also, some samples from newly found mines of the Faryab region (south of the Jiroft plain) have been analyzed for the provenance of the ancient objects of Konar Sandal.



Methods and Results

Petrological and petrographical methods, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were used to identify the mineralogical and geochemical structure of chlorites and the possible relationship of these materials with the chlorite mines in the Faryab region. Clustering of the results will be interpreted through statistical methods. Polarizd light microscope has been used inorder to characterize the fabrication and texture of the stones in both plane polarized and cross polarized light. For determining the crystalline phase constituents powder patterns of rocks were measured. The characterization of the crystalline phases of the rocks (QXRD), allows the classification of the samples by the different structures. X-ray flouresence has used for the determination of the bulk chemical composition of the rocks. The major, minor and trace elements measured as oxides, and the correlation between the main oxide constituents tend to allow a good classification of the archaeological samples to the stones from the mines. An ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) systems has used to undertake an analytical technique that can be used to measure elements at trace levels in some archaeological and stones from the mines.



Results and Discussion

Iconography, production, provenance, exchange and circulation of chlorite vessels have been topic of many researches in the recent decades. Philip Kohl has deeply studied these studies. Philip Kohl has conducted various studies based on physical and chemical analyses on carved and uncarved samples of chlorite from Tepe Yahya and from outcrops or source samples collected in the mountains immediately north and west of the site and from these vessels found on sites stretching from Mesopotamia into south-western Iran (Susa) and across the Iranian plateau. His studies demonstrated that most of the vessels carved in this distinctive style were indeed made of chlorite and not the related soft stone steatite to which they had been mistakenly attributed. Another archaeometric analysis on the resource of chlorite in the Jiroft region was done by Emami and his colleagues (2017) which resulted in identifying some ancient mines in the western mountains of the Jiroft region which were used by the craftsmen of Konar Sandal. The present research on the chlorite mines of the south of Jiroft region, particularly the Faryab region, introduced new mines which could be used by the craftsmen of the Jiroft civilization in the early Bronze Age. Interestingly, similarities in the mineralogical and geochemical composition of chlorites obtained from Konar Sandal South graveyard and Faryab mines introduce the Faryab mineralogical zone in the south of Kerman as one of the provenances this stone. It seems that further geo-archaeological investigations can identify more ancient mines and mineralogical zones of chlorite in the Kerman Province.



Conclusion

Investigated chlorite objects and stones were examined in order to find any relationship between Konar Sandal and rock samples from Sikhoran mine and Nazari mine in central Faryab orogeny (Mehrouiyeh). On the basis of chemical analysis and measurement of trace elements by XRF and ICP methods, as well as petrology and phase studies, it was determined that Faryab mine played a key role for fabrication of these chlorite stones in the third millennium. Analytical results have approved that the amount of major oxides e.g. MgO and FeO, as well as minor elements e.g. Ca, P, Ti, Sr, were to be an essential factor for clustering of the materials and their origin.

The distinctive features of the quarried stone from Faryab district assumed in good potential correlation with the analyzed samples from south Konar Sandel Cemetery (especially in the M4 and M3 samples). The result is reliable with the results of XRD analysis and thin section petrography of the samples. XRD phase analysis of the rocks from the mines were assumed that the rocks mostly consist of clinochlore, tephrite, spinel and olivine, which have obviously approved the same phase composition within the samples of south Konar Sandal cemetery. Based on petrography, mineralogical and textural observations, the rocks of the region are mainly composed of magnesium-containing olivines, serpentine peridotites and sometimes opaque particles with spinel chemical composition, e.g., magnetite and chromspinel.

The extension of producing and trade of chlorite from southeast to the Punjab valley of Pakistan can be expressed by means of excessive diversity regarding the condition of metamorphism (hydrothermal and proximity) of the chlorite rocks in the southeast of Iranian plateau. In this case, the rock feeding source for the production of chlorite stone artefacts and containers in Halil Rood area is much more diverse than what we know. However, since the Faryab mines are located in an area as cross-cultural bridge between the Persian Gulf to Mesopotamia, the importance of influential economic factors, trade and exchange of chlorite is among the most important case studies in the third millennium BC Iran.

Abstract The region of Soumar in the province of Kermanshah is archaeologically important because it lies between the two major cultural zones of Mesopotamia and Central Zagros. Nevertheless, it has remained unknown to the scholarship. This region, consisting mainly of a small alluvial and flood plain, connects the lowlands of Mesopotamia with the highlands of the Zagros. Therefore, it seemed to provide a considerable amount of archeological evidence, especially with regard to the diachronic cultural relations between these two main regions.
In the winter of 2015, a survey was conducted as part of a salvage project to record archeological finds in the region. As the result 53 sites, including open-air and mounded-sites, cemeteries, and bridges, were identified. They presented finds dating from the early Paleolithic to the late Islamic period. Analysis showed that there was an intense relationship with the nearby Mesopotamian lowlands since the early 6th millennium BC. Moreover, settlements were established either along the Gangir River or on the surrounding hills. This may indicate a coexistence of seasonal and year-round settlements over time. It is thought that Soumar was a connecting route between Mesopotamia and the Zagros and that nomadic pastoralists may have played an important role in this regard.

Abstract Paleoclimatological studies of the Caspian Sea play an important role in the study of human reactions in the face of environmental changes. The matching of the advances and retreats of the Caspian Sea in the periods of the new Khvalnin advance, the Mengishlek advance, the Neo-Caspian advance, and the aftermath of the event 8400 years ago are among the ancient climatic events of the Caspian Sea, which are almost the same as the archeological periods of the Old Mesolithic, New Mesolithic, and Neolithic. They are at the same time. This comparative study is the first step in understanding the effects of the environment on the life of Mesolithic and Neolithic societies in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. Archaeological data, especially animal data, show that the prehistoric societies of the mentioned region reacted to the advance and retreat of sea water by changing their livelihoods and adapted themselves well to the environment. The environment of the studied area has been rich in terms of food resources. For this reason, climate change does not seem to have a great impact on their settlement and livelihood. Another point is that the process of petrification and the beginning of domestication, under the influence of these environmental conditions, can be explained as the management of wild species and food production at a low level.

Abstract Intruduction
The discussions surrounding the Taimuran seal primarily focus on ancient production techniques, technologies, trade routes, and patterns. It explores the functionality of seals (within the structure and mechanisms of societal control) and the patterns of cultural and political interactions with neighboring powers, particularly those in southern Mesopotamia. The seals reported in Fars province are predominantly made of stone. Considering the aforementioned factors, the Taimuran seal findings are significant within the Tol-e Taimuran site. This discovery indicates a connection with eastern regions of Fars, specifically the Indus River Valley in terms of material composition, and with the elevated regions of Fars or Anshan (highlands) with Susa (lowlands) in terms of form. The main point of interest and inquiry regarding the Taimuran seal is the application of this discovery and the motif of the Taimuran seal as a distinctive finding in understanding the interactions among significant regions such as Shush and Anshan within the middle-Elamite region.
Tol-e Taimuran (Timaran) consists of two ridges at a distance of 90 meters from each other. The main oval Site with an area of 7 hectares with a west-east slope, is located in the southwest of the Koushk-e Tavabeh village neighborhood and 100 km northeast of the center of Fars province, with geographical coordinates 39 R 0718341 3292841 and 1579 m ASL.
Materials and methods
During the excavation in Tol-e Taimuran, Taimuran seal were found from Su15 in A operation. The most debatable characteristic of the Taimuran seal is its material. So far, no cylindrical seals made of organic materials have been recorded in Fars. Ivory is the most prominent material feature of the Taimuran seal. Other ivory objects have been reported at the ABC operation in Tol-e Malyan, but the cylindrical seals obtained from Tol-e Malyan did not have an organic composition. The lack of evidence such as sealing or beads makes it difficult to definitively determine the purpose of the Taimuran seal. In the longitudinal perforation section of the seal, traces of greenish patina are visible, and this factor plays a significant motif in determining the function of the Taimuran seal. It indicates the use of copper or bronze rods for suspending the mentioned seal. Considering factors such as material, motif, and uniqueness of the finding, it is challenging to determine whether the sealing or cosmetic. However, as mentioned earlier, some objects have had both functions simultaneously. An important point to note here is that unlike most Iron Age seals reported from graves, the Taimuran seal was found in a non-funerary context. The engraved design on the seal or its geometric style and material do not match with comparable cases (geometric style seals from the 2nd millennium BCE), which further contributes to its intriguing nature. The motif of this Susiana seal is evident, but the material of the finding is more similar to the seals from the Indus River Valley. A considerable number of seals with geometric styles comparable to the Taimuran seal have been identified in Susa.
Conclusion
The cylindrical seal of tol-e Taimuran can be considered as evidence that the connection with the lowlands of the Middle Elamite rule cannot be solely attributed to Tol-e Malyan, and this connection also existed with the easternmost known cultural area of Shogh Taimuran. The Taimuran seal are significant findings in understanding the cultural interactions in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE in the Anshan region as an important part of the middle-Elamite rule. With appropriate fieldwork activities, further conclusive evidence can be obtained regarding the connections between other sites in the Kur River Basin (Anshan) and the Susiana Plain within the middle-Elamite rule. The geometric motifs engraved on the Taimuran seal are not comparable to any of the ceramic motifs from the Shogha Taimuran culture, and the motif of this seal is more comparable to seals from western Iran, particularly the Susa region, indicating the importation of this artifact to Tol-e Taimuran. Finally, Palynology studies in the wetlands around the Kur River Basin suggest tangible climactic changes in this time period, serving as the major factor in the change of the settlement pattern in Shogha Taimuran sites significant aspect to contemplate regarding the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE and the formation of the middle-Elamite rule is the climate changes that played a crucial motif in the cultural interactions between the lowlands (Susa) and highlands (Anshan).

Abstract The study of the morphology of stone artifacts and their spatio-temporal changes in form has gained great importance in Paleolithic archaeology today. This growing attention is due to the prevalent use of advanced multivariate statistical methods in archaeology, the growing connection between archaeologists and the specialists of life sciences (e.g., animal biosystematics) and programming languages, advances in modern technology and data acquisition, as well as the ability of the statistical shape analysis methods to answer some questions that have not been possible to answer or the answers lacked acceptable dose of objectivity. Nowadays, using the help of stone artifacts shape analysis, it is becoming more and more feasible to deal with some hithertho-impossible questions in various domains such as cognitive topics, technological organization, human behavioral ecology, cultures’ history, the mechanisms of cultural transmission, as well as the investigation on phylogenetic evolution of artifacts. Here, a 3-d geometric morphometric approach is used to dealing with the diachronic variabilities of stone tools in shape. The tools are flake-based and are recovered from the two MIS 3 archaeological layers of Mirak, an open-air Paleolithic site near the modern city of Semnan in the northern fringes of Iranian Central Desert. The research is done using both computer-based post-excavation analysis and library research method. The research main question is whether there are morphological differences between the two sets of flake-based lithic tools. The results of the morphometric study using dimensional reduction and multivariate statistical methods indicated that there is no statistically significant difference between the tools of the two layers (deposits) mentioned; put in another way, the morphology of the tools has not changed over time. It seems this is due to the presence of metapopulations and the resultant survival of technological information in the region of study, the stability in flake core reduction methods, and finally, the original morphology of lithic raw material. 

1. Introduction
The study of the morphology of stone artifacts and their spatio-temporal variabilities in form have gained great importance in Paleolithic archaeology today. This growing attention is due to the prevalent use of advanced multivariate statistical methods in archaeology, the growing connection between archaeologists and the specialists of life sciences (such as animal biosystematics) and programming languages, advances in modern technology and data acquisition, as well as the ability of the statistical shape analysis methods to answer the questions more objectivity. Various methods have been developed to study the morphological variability of stone artifacts through space and time; one of them is called geometric morphometrics (GM), meaning the application of the geometrical principles to the statistical study of morphology. In one of the three general modes of GM, called landmark-based GM, the shape of artifacts is examined using comparable landmark and semilandmark points created on the Cartesian coordinate system. Such points, created on a two- or three-dimensional image of stone artifacts could help to grasp the inter- and intra-assemblage shape variabilities via the help of multivariate statistics. As a result, the researcher could be able to address the variables involve in creating various shapes. The ultimate goal of such studies is to inspect the mechanisms and reasons behind in creating such variabilities; among them are stochasticity, the original shape and type of raw material, reduction intensity and technique, function, ecology, cultural traditions and biomechanical and cognitive differences. Here, this method is used to investigate on the shape variabilities of the flake-based stone tools recovered from Mirak Paleolithic site.
2. Materials and Methods
Here, a 3-d GM approach is used to dealing with the diachronic variabilities of stone tools in morphology. The tools are flake-based and are recovered from the two archaeological layers of Mirak, both of Marine Isotope Stage 3. Mirak is an open-air Paleolithic site located near the modern-day city of Semnan, Iran, at the northern edges of Iranian Central Desert. The statistical population is comprising of 76 tools, 31 of which from the younger layer (layer 2), and the remainder (45 specimens) of layer 3 (late Middle Paleolithic Period). Thus, here we are dealing with two groups of comparable materials from one Paleolithic landscape to investigate their similarities and differences through time (diachronic approach). After the preparation of the 3-d models of the lithic tools via light scanning (desktop Shining 3D scanner), the cloud points were analyzed using a shape analysis software called AGMT-3d and the help of some dimensionality reduction techniques such as principal component analysis. Finally, the data were assessed using some formal significance tests.
3. Results and Discussion
The results of the landmark-based GM study using dimensional reduction and multivariate statistical methods indicated that there are no statistically significant differences between the lithic tools of the two layers mentioned; put in another way, the morphology of the tools has not changed drastically over time. This may bear some implications for raw material original shape, the reduction techniques, population dynamics, and their adaptive strategies. As far as the general morphology has remained unchanged, this may imply the impact of the original lithic raw material shape, the presence of metapopulations in the landscape throughout MIS 3, and the flow of information regarding core reduction techniques. Due to the radical size differences between the lithic raw material scatters in the landscape and Mirak flake-based tools, it seems the form of lithic raw materials was not the main factor determining the shape of the tools. Additionally, the absence of flake cores makes the comparison of the shape and dimensions of the candidate raw materials and tools difficult, due to the fact that cores are intermediate forms influenced from the original lithic raw material form and have great impact on the morphology of the detached flake blanks. In addition to what mentioned, based on the fluctuations in climatic-environmental characteristics in the landscape throughout MIS 3, it seems the comparability of the blanks of the flake-based tools is not solely due to similar adaptive strategies in the two different time periods (layers 2 and 3), since the environement was probably different in Mirak landscape with rather unpredictable incidents in the two periods. Therefore, the comparability of the flake blanks in the two discontinuous archaeological sets in Mirak could probably be attributed to the population dynamics and the presence of metapopulations in the landscape which prevented the loss of previous information and techniques.     
4. Conclusion
Based on what mentioned, it seems at least part of the comparability of the flake debitages is due to the presence of metapopulations in the landscape and this fact that the populations did not abandon the region completely during the periods with unfavorable environmental characteristics. The reasons behind the sticking with the region was probably due to the existence of some small refugia, the candidates of which are the western part of the Iranian Central Plateau or the more northern landscapes than Mirak near the locations of the modern population centers in the region today. Therefore, despite the time gap between the two archaeological sets, part of the comparability of flake blanks shape in Mirak is due to the survival of information regarding the reduction techniques with the help of the interrelated populations in the region.

Abstract Abstract: Several models of population/culture movements have been proposed based on bladelet production in Late Pleistocene of Eurasia. Narrow-faced bladelet/microblade cores, also known as "wedge shaped" cores in Central Asia and Far East studies, have been considered as a component of an inter-continent migration of people and idea which originated in Sibero-Mongolian region Upper Paleolithic and expanded to the northeast Asia, reaching to North America and Japan. there exists an extended publication which traces the diffusion of "wedge-shaped" or more precisely "narrow-faced" cores from their birthplace, supposedly at Siberia around 35,000 BP, expanding continent-wide at about 25,000-20,000 BP; such an expansion from Sibero-Mongolian region has been recorded in two directions, first to the east (Japan, Korea, Alaska, Northern America) and then to the west, to Western Central Asia.
In this research narrow-faced cores are introduced from Paleolithic caves and rockshelters from southwest of Iran. Izeh Plain has been surveyed intensively, as a result of which 147 Paleolithic sites have been recorded. Chipped stones have been sampled in a controlled manner from the surface of the outer slopes of these caves and rock shelters. The chipped stone assemblage indicates a comparative chronology based on typical tools and cores which are attributed to Upper Palaeolithic (conical bladelet cores and their subtypes, carinated burins and scrapers, many bladelets, end scrapers, rare lamelle dufours), Epipalaeolithic (many bladelets, conical bladelet cores, geometric microlithis, backed bladelets, thumbnail scrapers), and Early Neolithic (pressure “Bullet Cores” and sickle blade/lets) in the Zagros region.
Bladelet cores in Izeh assemblages could be classified into 8 different categories, including conical, semi-conical, flat-faced, bidirectional, multidirectional, irregular, carinated and narrow-faced cores. The latter includes 55 cores from 14 site which have been prepared in 3 different manners: 1. On natural tabular local raw material, using cortical faces as flat sides of the core; 2. Cores in which the two faces have been prepared by flaking and the platform has been shaped before the bifacial preparation; 3. A combination of the two first ones, in which one face is cortical and the other has been prepared by flaking. 
The identification and classification of Narrow-faced bladelet cores from Izeh, which is a region far from the westernmost territory of Narrow-faced core models (i.e. southeast of Caspan Sea), raises questions regarding their connection to the movement paths from Central Asia to the west. The first and the easiest explanation for their presence in Izeh lithic assemblages could be in respect of the aforementioned population/culture movement patterns and the expansion of Sibero-Mongolian lithic traditions. But regarding the correlation between core forms to raw material natural forms in Izeh narrow-faced cores and the simultaneous presence of other bladelet core types, including prismatic and subtypes of prismatic cores, including conical, semi-conical and flat-faced cores, as well as carinated scrapers and burins, human population/idea movement models are not convincing enough for explaining the presence of narrow-faced core technology in Izeh Plain. Instead, local innovation and adaptation to environmental opportunities and limitations seems to be the most probable explanation based on the available evidence. Further studies on narrow-faced bladelet cores from Zagros Paleolithic assemblages could improve such a conclusion.

Abstract Introduction
The western foothills of the Zagros Mountains as a border area located between highlands of Iran and Mesopotamian lowlands, considered as an important archaeological study area. this area as a contact zone not only helping in better understand of the cultures located between this two different landscape of Near East (Mesopotamian lowlands and Zagros highlands), but by studying their formation process and the issues influenced it, the regional and interregional regional communication pathways could be synthesis more obvious. In this study, based on landscape archaeology and analytic methods and using the Pierson methods, the proportion of different variance related to formation of archaeological sites were analyzed. At the end we identified 3 settlement patterns and we find that the 3 key issues of access to water sources, the kind of lands and access to the roads are the main issues that influenced the formation of sites. 
 
Materials and Methods
The data of this research were collected based on archaeological survey in 2015, and in the next step other information was collected by documentary method. This research is a fundamental study and in terms of method is part of historical-analytical research. The authors by using Pearson’s correlation statistical method and ecological approach in archeology, will try to evaluate the role of various factors in locating and distribution of the ancient settlements of Sar Pol-e Zahab area. This study tries to answer the question that how were the settlement patterns of Sar Pol-e Zahab region as the strategic region between the Iranian heights and the land of Mesopotamia in the fourth and early third millennium BC and what variables were the affecting factors in locating of these settlements?
 
Results and discussion
In our survey of mention plains, it was identified totally 14 sites of the fourth millennium and early third millennium BC. that their cultural materials indicate their belonging to the Uruk and Jamdat Nasr cultures. These include 13 sites in Zahab plain and one in Beshiwa plain, but no site of ​​the mention periods have been identified from the survey of Patagh and Qaleh Shahin plains.
We used the Cluster analysis to know the pattern of settlements of the fourth and early third millennium BC and understanding and the better analyze of distribution of archaeological sites of this period and to find the relationship between the distribution patterns of the settlements and environmental variables. This means that environmental factors such as altitude, distance from water sources, size and direction of slope and the type of modern vegetation was considered as an independent variable and the dimension of ​​ancient sites was considered as a dependent variable and the relationship between the nature of the sites and various factors has been measured by using of Pearson’s correlation method.
Based on this research, three types of settlement patterns were identified and it was found that three factors of access to permanent water resources, type of land use (soil type) and accessing to main roads had the main impact on the formation of settlements in the mentioned region.
 
Settlement pattern A
Settlement pattern A, which has the largest number of sites, includes 8 sites. altitude level for these sites is between 510-630 meters. The sites are located between 50 to 1500 meters from permanent water sources and have a size between 7350-18020 square meters. All these sites are located in suitable lands for agriculture. The distance between this group of sites is between 30 to 4170 meters.
 
Settlement pattern B
In this pattern, there are three sites larger than two hectares called Maikhan, Tape Kaleg and Sarab Zahab-e Ghaderi, and this case is probably more related to proximity to water sources and locating along communication routes. These sites with dimensions between 23,100 to 24,000 square meters are located at an altitude of 530 to 570 meters above sea level. The mentioned sites are located at a distance of 5 to 810 meters from the modern main water sources. These sites are located in land with agricultural use and a slope of 4%. Regarding to the location of these sites in the landscape of the region, their large size and proximity to the communication route it seems that comparing to the other groups, this group are probably strategic and important sites and due to the proximity to the main communication routes It is possible that their inhabitants are engaged in regional trade in addition to agriculture and animal husbandry.
 
Settlement pattern C
The sites that are located in this cluster and settlement pattern are three sites of Shahouk, Sarab-e Kuwang 1 and Sarab-e Kuwang 2. Altitude of this group of sites is between 520-525 meters and they are located at a distance of 20-75 meters from permanent water sources. These sites have size ​​about 2770 to 4120 square meters and comparing to the other sites are located in a cluster due to their small size. In terms of land usage, the mentioned sites are mostly located in agricultural lands and the only difference between these sites and group A is their very small size and their location on the border of plain and adjacent to water resources (springs). Regarding to their location and their low dimension, as well as their small size of their deposits, it seems that these sites are probably seasonal sites. These sites are formed at a closer distance to the hills and foothills than other groups, which somehow indicates exploitation of heights. The small size of the sites and their distribution based on a linear pattern along water resources that are also located in low-fertile lands and have good access to pastures, may be a clue of livestock livelihood in this area.
 
Conclusion
As the clustering of the sites shows, the pattern of spatial distribution of the settlements of the fourth and early third millennium BC in the Sar Pol-e Zahab area is divers. The reason for this diversity is largely due to environmental and natural factors. The distribution of settlements in this region is more affected by environmental factors such as water and fertility soil resources. On the other hand, these sources are not the only effective factors, but probably another factor such as communication routes has been effective in this distribution. In the analysis of the patterns of the sites of the Uruk period in Sar Pol-e Zahab area, three settlement patterns were identified that according to the location and landscape of the region, the sites of each cluster probably have different nature and functions. Environmental conditions required that in addition to the seasonal function of the sites in terms of agricultural and livestock livelihoods, due to the passing of one of the most important trade routes of the ancient world, the inhabitants of some settlements in this area could play a role in trade.
Existence of permanent river Dalashir in Zahab plain, as well as several permanent and full of water mirages including Sarab-e Qara-Bolagh, Sarab-e Seyed Sadegh springs and to some extent Zahab springs with suitable slope of plain and agricultural fertility suitable soil formed Suitable conditions, as well as it is now, for formation of settlements in the region Based on agriculture which they have been able to organize water-based agriculture in the lands around the settlements by utilizing the water of mirages and springs. If this perception be correct, the possibility of irrigated cultivation can be mentioned as the most important factor in the formation of these settlements in Zahab plain. This argument is reinforced by the density of settlements in the fourth millennium BC of Zahab plain and the lack of settlements of this period in Qaleh Shahin plain and the existence of only one site in Beshiva plain.

Abstract The northern fringes of the Iranian Central Desert (NICD) is a long corridor created due to the proximity of the Alborz Mountains to the north and the Central Desert to the south. For the first time, one of the present authors (HVN) highlighted the importance of the NICD as one of the routes for the dispersal of human populations from Africa to East Asia during Pleistocene epoch. In recent years, huge surface scatters of lithic artifacts have been found at open-air Paleolithic sites of the region such as Soufi Abad, Delazian, Mirak, Chah-e Jam, and Zaviyeh, with Mirak being the only excavated site. Sedimentological analysis in Mirak indicates that due to climatic fluctuations, the NICD had been frequently visited by human populations through millennia, especially during MIS 3. According to these results, the presence of cultural Pleistocene deposits could be expected for the other Paleolithic sites mentioned, the identification of which is difficult due to some complications. For instance, among other factors, the alluvial fans of the southern Alborz and the infiltration of their sediments to the region has caused the covering of Pleistocene deposits by recent Holocene ones and the Pleistocene outcrops are only seen in some spots across the region. Thus, it could be assumed that there are more Paleolithic sites across the NICD which are buried beneath newer sediments, agricultural lands, and urban facilities. This paper is an attempt to study the Quaternary surface deposits in the region and to assess their relation to the presence or absence of Paleolithic relics. In doing so, two questions arise, as the following:

To what extent has the presence of Paleolithic human population been influenced by the environmental featues across the region?
Which types of surface deposits are more talented for possessing the evidence of Paleolithic relics across the NICD?

2. Materials and Methods
The NICD extends along Semnan to Markazi Provinces in east-west axis. The Paleolithic sites of the region, including Zaviyeh, Masileh, Moghanak and Ochounak, Soufi Abad, Delazian, Mirak and Chah-e Jam are investigated from sedimentological aspects. An integral part of the present study is the comparative sedimentological analysis of the landscapes which requires frequent field visits. Field activities include pedestrian surveys and direct observations of sedimentary features of the Paleolithic landscapes and also, the landscapes with no reported Paleolithic evidence. The geomorphological features of the region are including vast pediplains, rolling hills, nebkha and non-nebkha mounds, river terraces and seasonal canal beds, and sections created by civil construction projects. The photos were taken in order to compare the features to each other and to the Geological maps of the region. Duringin conducting the comparative analysis, in addition to using geological maps and satellite images, the results of other laboratory and field studies in the region were also used (library research method). Finally, based on the information collected, some pedestrian surface surveys were designed in the NICD, which resulted in the discovery of two open-air Paleolithic landscapes, namely, Shour-e Qazi and Sar Darreh.
3. Results and Discussion
As mentioned above, the sediments of newer periods could usually cover and hide the Paleolithic remains and make them inaccessible. Thus, before choosing the area of study, the type of sedimentary environments should be considered in terms of the visibility of cultural remains. In general, sedimentary environments are divided into three groups in terms of erosion and sedimentation, as the following: erosional environments, accretion environments, and balanced environments. In erosional environments, erosion rate is heavier than sedimentation. In water erosion environments (e.g., erosional pediments), due to the relatively high energy, the possibility of moving, transporting and washing the archaeological material is usually high. Thus, it is better such environments are not considered a priority in pedestrian surveys; albeit in such environments, the sections and walls of water canals may sometimes expose the traces of archaeological material. On the contrary, in aeolian erosional environments, due to the lesser energy than water, only fine-grained particles are usually transported and larger rubbles and pieces of rocks (including stone artifacts) remain in the form of desert pavement. Such environments are suitable for pedestrian surveys; the examples of which could be seen in Delazian, Mirak, Soufi Abad and Chah-e Jam.
 In accretion environments (e.g., modern floodplains), the sedimentation rate is higher than erosion, which causes the burial of cultural artifacts. As a result, it is better not to prioritize such depositional environments. In the so-called “balanced environments” (e.g., interior of cave spaces, or playas), the rates of sedimentation and erosion are rather equal. In such instances, the archaeological remains are likely to remain visible for a protracted period of time without being buried. Such environments are also of significance for pedestrian surveys.
4. Conclusion
In response to the first question, it seems the latitudinal diversity in topography and ecosystems in the region, the availability of freshwater in the form of permanent or temporary water bodies, the possibility of longitudinal movement due to the similarity of environments in the east-west axis, as well as the advantages of open landscapes in the region are among the most important factors that played roles in attracting human populations to the NICD.
 In responding the second question, one could look for two types of environments. The wind-made desert pavements are one of those two, which bear surface lithic artifact scatters mixing with natural pebbles and rubbles. In such environments, some nebkha mounds are sometimes seen which could help to hold archaeological deposits against the wind power, like what is the case for Mirak. The second environments which are of significance for pedestrian survey are the dorsal ends of alluvial fans and the pediments located upstream of the local streams and in the upper margins of the playas; since in one hand, such zones have been largely overlooked for residential and agricultural uses due to their relative dryness and the higher degree of soil salinity, and on the other hand, due to the decrease in slope, the energy of water is reduced in such zones and as a result, the chances of erosion in archaeological deposits and the transportation of lithic artifacts are less here. 

Abstract Introduction
 
Given the diverse characteristics of Iran's geographical area, we know that the diversity of Iran's natural landscape is not limited to the lowland and highland areas. Evidence suggests that large bodies of water in northern and southern Iran and its surrounding lands have long been one of the most attractive niches for human societies. Some misconceptions have led researchers to believe that due to successive fluctuations in sea level, one should not expect prehistoric habitats on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The new geological and especially archaeological evidence, one after the other, clearly leads us to clarify the previous assumptions. Tappe Tahmachi is one of the of the 5th millennium BCE settlements in the Lirawi (Dylam) Plain, which, in addition to being close to the Zendaroun freshwater river, is less than five kilometers from the current shores of the Persian Gulf. The assessment shows that Tahmachi, with more than ten meters of cultural accumulations, was not a temporary settlement on the coast. Therefore, for the first time on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf, significant evidence has been obtained to explain clearly the Persian Gulf coastline in the fifth millennium BCE.
 
Materials and Methods
Due to climate changes happened during the last ice age (appr. 70.000 and 17.000 years ago) sea levels were lower 120 meters than their current situation. Prior to these changes, the Persian Gulf did not exist as a body of shallow water as today. By joining three of the most important rivers in the Near East, i.e. Euphrates, Tigris and Karun, a largely extended river had formed that ran from current Arvand River (Shat al Arab) to the mouth of the strait of Hormoz. It is clear that such a river had a huge impact on human life especially during the village period. Researchers believe that seawater reached its current level in earlier times, and even reached a level higher than this about 6,000 BC, about 1 to 2 meters above the current level. Among the documents provided for the qualitative and quantitative explanation of the Persian Gulf coastlines, the distribution of prehistoric settlements and their remoteness and proximity to the sea are of great importance. In a narrative of the prehistoric settlements increase on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, we will see that a significant number of sites have been found near the current coastline. However, this figure is not seen in the coastal areas north of the Persian Gulf, due to the lack of prehistoric sites near the northern coast of the Persian Gulf or extensive sea fluctuations in this area. We believe, the most important reason is the lack of purposeful archaeological research.
 
Tahmachi prehistoric site is located in the Lirawi (Deylam) Plain, a flat, low-lying plain with a slope of less than 0.5% and 4,500 meters from the current shores of the Persian Gulf (Figure 2). As for the soil quality, if water resources are available and proper drainage is possible, we can expect the harvest of crops such as sugarcane in the surrounding areas of Tahmachi. Some areas of the plain have the potential to form salt marshes. Due to its proximity to the tidal range of the sea, the southern areas of the plain have high groundwater levels and saline soils. Hundreds of seasonal and permanent drainages have been formed from the heights of the Rag Sefid ridge to the sea due to the difference in height between the Rag Sefid and the Lirawi Plain, and especially the low point of the sea. In most gullys, water is seen when it is raining and, of course, otherwise it dries up. Meanwhile, some gullys have water all year round. Zendaroun River passes a short distance west of Tahmachi. The river originates from the Tonbata valley in the highlands of the Rag Sefid and finally flows into the Persian Gulf with great meanders in the Lirawi alluvial plain. Rivers such as Zendaroun are one of the sources used for desalination of current agricultural lands due to their fresh water content.
Tahmachi, 39R417186.67 m E 3338440.23 m N, is located right on the east side of Zendaroun river and is located almost in the middle of a hypothetical straight line with a length of 10 km from the heights of Rag Sefid to the Persian Gulf coast (Figure 2). The compound consists of two north and south mounds that are located a short distance from each other (Figure 3). The height of the northern mound is 16 meters and the southern mound is 14 meters above sea level. The ratio of lands around two mounds: the southern lands of the area is about 7.25 meters and the northern lands are about 10 meters above sea level (Figure 4).
Conclusion
The presence of Tahmachi near the shores of the Persian Gulf has taught us important lessons. First: For decades, a very important actor (prehistoric sites) in the measurement of water fluctuations in the Persian Gulf has been ignored. Second, what has received less attention in prehistoric archeological literature is settlement diversity. However, available evidence has shown that not all settlements are necessarily functionally the same. Third, it may seem that due to the proximity to tidal fluctuations, soil salinity, heat and lack of rainfall, one should not expect any prehistoric habitat in coastal areas.
Considering the Tahmachi pattern, we very much hope that surveys on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf will no longer be conducted in the same way as before, and that researchers will carefully study and assess the promising areas before making any predictions. In this case, we very much hope that the number of prehistoric settlements on the northern shores of the Persian Gulf will be much higher than the number identified so far.

Abstract Introduction
Geoarchaeology is defined as the application of geological concepts and methods to solve archaeological research questions (Butzer, 1971, 1982; Waters, 1992; Pollard, 1999; Goldberg and Macphail, 2006).Urban geoarchaeology is focused on site accumulation, collapse, weathering and erosion, These may document settlement growth and decay, as well as environmental history, posing a multidisciplinary challenge of interactive and fluctuating processes (Butzer et al., 2013). The purpose of this research is to reconstruct paleo-environment of the area to investigate the rich culture in a place as capital of Ilam Majesty and their relations of the people with their natural environment.
 
Materials and methods
In a sampling of the ancient site of Tal-e Malyan (Anshan), Fars province, for reconstruction of its environmental conditions, we have collected a total of 140 samples from 22 transects. The sampling was based on the changes in layer and color of the deposits, in every 20 cm in cases with gradual color change. To determine the texture of the sediments, the samples were dried at 105 ° C for one night. The particle size larger than 2 mm was considered to separate gravel and sand using a Shaker machine. Smaller particles were also read 9 times for separation of silt and clay and sand using hydrometric and ASTM Standards. The amount of organic matter in the sediments (10-20 g) was determined by thermal loss method. The samples were initially dried at 105 ° C and then weighed and heated in a furnace at 450 ° C for 4.5 hours to calculate their weight and organic matter. Soil chemistry measurements were performed using distilled water and soil sample. To measure soil acidity and salinity, 30 grams of each sample was taken. After preparation, the samples were measured by pH meter. In this study, for XRF analysis 72 samples were delivered to the laboratory of the Institute for Conservation and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Works. The elements were measured using X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Model 8420.
The study area is located in Fars Province, 46 km from northwest Shiraz. The Ilam civilization had two capital settlements in south and southwest parts of Iran, Shoosh in Khuzestan and Anshan in Fars. The Anshan was the greatest urban center, more than 200 hectares in area, with a population of 16000 people in Beyza plain. The Tal-e Malyan is located in  N and   E. Kor River is the most essential hydrographic network in the area.
 
Results and discussion
According to the results of the study, the soil texture is mostly fine-grained and in some transects, such as 18 and 9, it is mainly composed of coarse-grained sediments related to river deposits. The orientation of the deposition in transect 18 is West-Northeast and in transect 9 is West-East. Most of the flooding evidence and texture were observed in transects 18 and 9 in the northeast and southern parts of the area. Among the flood deposits and debris, we identified evidence of pottery confirming that there were settlements in Tal-e Malyan at the time of drainage, but later they reached their final extent.
According to the results of the oxidation-reduction diagram, the natural and cultural samples are mainly classified into three groups of hydromorphic soils, calcareous soils and sodium soils. The superiority of the hydromorphic soils indicates that the Tal-e Malyan (Anshan) site has been affected seasonally by groundwater. In general, transects on the east side of the site are more affected by groundwater and this can be testified by the light gray color of the sediments.
 Conclusion
In this study, using physical and chemical properties, we reconstructed environmental conditions of Tal-e Malyan (Anshan) area. Given the location of the site on the plain and the activity of drainage networks originating from the western highlands, the area has always been affected by the fluvial processes. Based on the texture characteristics, the drainage network in transect 18 is located in northeast of the area and the more recent drainage is located in the transect 9 in northeast. The northern part of the drainage network appears to be older and deposited in the lower layers where fluvial sediments were deposited in a shallow lake environment, in northeast part. This claim can be affirmed by the existence of light gray sediments with ammonites and bivalve layers, and the absence of cultural layers in the eastern parts. According to archaeological experts, the northern part of the site was likely settlement for nomadic tribes and the highlands of the southern areas of the region were perennial settlement. The drainage network in the southern part next to the south wall indicates newer fluvial sedimentation with good sorting that can be attributed to the inner channel environment. The sedimentation of this transect represents a general western-eastern orientation consistent with the overall pattern of drainage network on surface of the site.  

Abstract ^{Introduction
Site selection of human habitats in pre-historic times, unlike the current periods, has been strongly influenced by natural factors. Studies may be focused on three areas including paleoclimate, paleogeomorphology and archeology in order to identify environmental factors affecting primary habitats. Based on studies, most of the ancient lakes in central Iran were formed during the Quaternary and were covered by sediments resulted from erosion of their adjacent heights. The research method was based on the methods of statistical analysis and spatial dispersion analysis of the aforementioned works and evidences and their comparisons in software environments with the capability of integrating information layers called Geographic Information System (GIS) and its compliance with field evidences.
After integrating the layers of information, a significant relationship was found between the displacement and distribution of ancient settlements with the alternating climatic and geomorphologic changes of the late Quaternary in the study area. The results of this study show that the distribution of ancient settlements follows a linear distribution pattern and specific elevation levels.
Objectives
The main purpose of this study is to identify the environmental factors affecting the spatial distribution of ancient archaeological sites in the southern slopes of Alborz Mountains as well as the northern margin of the ancient lake, Kavir desert in late Quaternary, namely Holocene (Mesolithic and Neolithic, nearly 11000 years ago). Therefore, we tried to identify mentioned factors making use of paleontological evidences in four fields including epistemology, geomorphology, climatology and archeology.
Methodology
Research methodology is based on statistical and spatial distribution analysis of the above-mentioned evidences and their correlation in software capable to compile information layers in Geographic Information System (GIS) as well as their accordance with field evidences. Firstly, coastal landforms were identified making use of ETM+ Landsat images and Google Earth imagery and information layers were inserted to ArcMap environment. For this purpose, physical and conceptual tools such as 1: 100000 and 1: 250000 geological maps, 1: 50000 topographic maps, and 1: 55000 aerial photographs of 1335 were used in the study area. The archaeological site location data sheet (GPS) was prepared by the Archaeological Institute. Conceptual tools, such as ArcGIS software, for analyzing data and output maps, Excel software, for numerical and statistical computation and charting and charting required, Google Earth software, for using satellite imagery of the study area and digitizing some effects And geographical phenomena were applied in the study area.
Depth and approximate water table of assumed ancient lakes were calculated according to the findings published in previous studies and its contour lines was drawn and added to existing information layers.
 
Discussion
Based on previous paleoclimatological studies in this basin, snow lines for permanent boundary were identified in late Quaternary period and added to the existed information layers. Finally, the geographical coordination (GPS points) of ancient habitats was added to the above-mentioned information layers for integration and final analysis, separately based on historical periods (Middle and upper paleolithic). Compiling and overlaying obtained information layers, meaningful relationship was found between the displacement and distribution of ancient habits with periodic climatic and geomorphological changes in late Quaternary in the study area.
Works and evidence in the study area show that the formation and development of the desert desert was dependent on the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods. The current pits' rims and evidences show complete synergy between the expansion of the Ice Age and the high level of lake water (Crinsley 1970). Lake Urmia also developed more during the Pleistocene during cold climatic conditions due to reduced evaporation (due to a decrease of about five average annual temperatures) (Bobek 1937). On this basis, it can be concluded that the sea levels of the Southwest Asian lakes, such as the Caspian lakes, Urmia, Fars, Van, have been declining and some of them have generally dried up.
Past climatic evidence can be used to determine permanent snow boundaries and the extent of glacier expansion, as well as to study soil conditions over that period's climate. For example, Schweitzer now defines permanent snow altitude in the Alborz region of about 4,400 meters (Eivazi 1347: 74). There are different views on the boundaries of glacial expansion and the height of snow boundaries in central Alborz. According to Bobek and Schweitzer, the height of the snow in the Pleistocene cold period was about 800 to 1000 m lower than it is today (Eivazi 1374: 74 and 5), in central Alborz it was between 3200 to 3700 or between 3000 and 3500 meters. Ehlers (1960) considers the permanent snow boundary in the Pleistocene 200 meters below what Bobek and Schweitzer stated (Ehlers 1372: 107), namely between 3000 and 3500 or between 2800 and 3300 meters. Pedramia defines the boundary of permanent snow in recent Wurm in central Alborz about 2200 meters.
Results
The results of this study indicate that distribution of ancient habits follows a linear distribution pattern in specific elevation levels. Southern parts of Alborz consisted of several through during Quaternary that have been occasionally submerged by shallow and deep lakes during Quaternary. On the other hand, climatic changes have caused movement of permanent snow line in the Alborz Mountains. Location of habitats was constantly changing proportional to climatic conditions as well as surface topography such as slope and elevation from sea level. Therefore, early humans were migrating during different climatic periods (i.e. migrating to the summer and winter habitats). It seems that by restoring ancient lakes in the area, it may be possible to find more biological remnants from human habitats}

Abstract The final phase of Late Paleolithic of Zagros Mountains has been introduced as the Zarzian of the Epipaleolithic (EP), which was defined based on the assemblage from type site of Zarzi Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan. This techno-complex has been much less investigated and introduced in comparison to the earlier groups of Upper Paleolithic. The Zarzian is a microlithic industry with small (thumbnail) scrapers, backed bladelets and geometric forms. Although the type site of the Zarzian, i.e. Zarzi Cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, was excavated 90 years ago, few other Zarzian sites have been excavated in Zagros and there are only two absolute dating available, both of which from sites outside political borders of Iran excavated in 1960s. In 2012 Deborah I. Olszewski provided a comprehensive review on the background of research on the Zarzian, although she did not have full access to information on newly found sites, probably because most of them have been published in Persian language or because there have been many Paleolithic surveys conducted in the last decade by local archaeologists making them difficult to follow comprehensively. In this article, a critical review of Zarzian research is presented with regard to the finds from the most important sites, with the goal of defining Zarzian nature and limiting it in a framework of its unique characteristics.
Although the research on Zagros EP started in early 20th century, there is not enough information regarding even absolute chronology and few sites have been excavated with Zarzian cultural deposits. Nevertheless, the terminology is used extensively across Zagros Mountains for Late Paleolithic assemblages despite their heterogeneity. In many recent surveys, especially in Central Zagros, caves and rock shelters as well as open sites have been attributed to EP and/or Zarzian based on surface lithics (references in this regard are provided in Persian extended text), but the increase in the number of EP/Zarzian sites has not contributed much in clarifying the debates regarding technological aspects of the period (e.g. the explanation for the presence/absence of geometric/non-geometric elements as a chronological criterion or a functional pattern), let alone the more complicated notions such as transition from UP to EP in the region, or identifying cultural groups and their interrelations. It is clear that there are variations in lithic industries attributed to Zarzian, and even EP, in central and Southern Zagros. Either some of attributions should be re-evaluated, or there exist variations in the techno-complexes of the period.
When the Zarzian was first introduced by Dorothy Garrod, it was described as an “industry of the final stage of Upper Paleolithic”. In fact, the detailed configuration of Zarzian Industry was established in 1990s based on chipped stone assemblage from Warwasi rock shelter by Deborah Olszewski. The lithic industry is characterized as having non-geometric microliths, mainly Dufour bladelets, and thumbnail scrapers in the earliest phases and introduction and increase in geometric microliths (i.e. scalene triangles and lunates) in the course of later phases. Despite limited number of excavated sites and lack of reliable chronological framework and ambiguities in sequential phases based on lithic industry, the terminology has been even applied in Southern Zagros sites.
Interpretive approach to Zarzian lithic industry has been developed only in a handful of sites, including Zarzi, Shanidar, Warwasi and a small assemblage form Ghar-e Khar and few of these sites have been radiocarbon dated and all of them were excavated more than 50 years ago (Zarzi in 1928; Shanidar in 1950s; Warwasi in 1960; Ghar-e Khar in 1965) with methods that were not only inaccurate in comparison to methods applied today, but also different from site to site; Statistical information is not available in publications on assemblages such as Pa Sangar in Khorramabad Valley and even Shanidar. As a result, when Warwasi assemblage was introduced in detail in 1990s, almost immediately it turned into the only reliable source of Zarzian research in the region, regardless of the fact that the function of the site has been introduced as a “game overlook/butchering station” and even if such a recognition would be accepted, its characteristics could not be exclusively generalized to other types of hunter-gatherers spatial locations. It should be also noticed that most lithic analysis of Zarzian assemblages are focused on tools typology and composition and few research take technological aspects into account (e.g. core morphology and technology are introduced in Zarzian assemblages from Pa Sangar and Warwasi).
Another point is that the UP-EP transition has only been briefly mentioned in few sites with cultural materials of both periods, the most important of which being still Warwasi rock shelter in Central Zagros. As mentioned previously lack of excavations in stratified EP sites and scarce absolute dating of these site, as well as lack of interest in the cultural period among Paleolithic archaeologists make any attempt to understand the long-term changes of the Zarzian group extremely difficult, if not inconclusive.
The main goal of this review is to emphasise the difference of the nature of what we consider “Epipalaeolithic” and what is defined as “Zarzian” as an identity within the limits of Epipalaeolithic culture; hence, it is important to restrict the attribution of Epipalaeolithic finds to “Zarzian”and set up a limit for what we can consider as Zarzian. Considering various aspects of Zarzian other than lithic technology, makes it clear that Zarzi could not be defined as an Epipalaeolithi culture, first because we do not have enough finding regarding its chronology and different aspects of cultural charachteristics of hunter-gatherers to which Zarzi is attributed; and second because what is already understood regarding their subsistence, economic and social relations is not exclusively limited to Zarzian sites and could be defined in a wider framework as every EP culture. Accordingly, for the moment and until new evidence, we have to limit the attribution only to lithic industry with specific characteristics mentioned in the article.

Abstract Mirak (Semnan, Iran) is a Paleolithic site located in a dry floodplain near the northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert. The pedo-sedimentary successions of Mirak 8 are deposited from late Pleistocene to Late Holocene,. The chronological framework was established using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The oldest studied units dating back to ~50 ± 3.0 ka. Within this stratigraphy, two distinct depositional environments are recognizable: Sequence I = alluvial floodplain deposits and Sequence II = calcareous aeolian deposits. The alluvial succession is represented by alternating horizons of poorly pedogenized bodies of loam, intercalated by splay sand interbeddings. The prehistorical remains occur exclusively at distinct limits and it is presumable that some prehistorical layers of Mirak are palimpsests resulted from repeated occupations. After ~1.2 ± 0.2 ka  an at least 3 ka long sedimentary hiatus cuts the sedimentary log of Mirak 8 and about 2m of aeolian assemblages take place over the discontinuity. This shift was clearly reflected in the laboratorial results. Results from XRD, FTIR, SEM and optical microscopy analyses, show very minor differences in mineralogy for the entire record regardless of the type of depositional regime and this we suggests a local and most probably polygenetic source for the deposits under study. Subsequent to deposition, both alluvial and aeolian accumulations were subjected to different extents of pedogenesis and thus developed pedogenic features characteristic of Entisols and calcareous, gypsiferous Aridisols (Bk, By). Varying iron content and different oxygenizing conditions between the two sequences are presumably relatable to higher ground water level and Fe-reducing conditions especially for the units deposited prior to ~28 ± 2 ka BP (OSL) and generally adverse conditions for the Holocene units.

Abstract During a period of several thousand years, from the end of the Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene, human societies were able to change their way of life, which was based on hunting and food gathering, to agriculture and a succession. This remarkable transformation, which is also referred to as the process of neolithic/neolithic, is one of the important topics of prehistoric archeology. In relation to the geographical extent of the occurrence of this important development, in general, there is a general agreement about Southwest Asia among researchers. Recent researches in the Zagros highlands and its foothills have led to the discovery of very important evidence related to the Neolithic process and have once again turned the attention of researchers to the eastern parts of the fertility crescent. New archaeological researches in Kohgiloye area, as a part of the southern highlands of Zagros, and the identification of a significant number of early Holocene settlements from the high potential of this area to study the Neolithic process in this part of the Iranian plateau. It tells a story. In the investigations carried out in the Kohgiluyeh area, 16 sites of early settlements of the Holocene period have been identified. From the morphological point of view, these settlements are classified into four groups of hills (5 hills), open areas (8 areas), rock shelters (2 shelters), and one cave. they become In general, the settlement and livelihood patterns of these areas are influenced by several factors of plains, rivers, mountains, and gorges, which shows that the societies of this period have benefited from all the environmental potentials of this area.

Abstract Introduction
Jahangir Site has been located at, 25-kilometer distance from the southwest of Eyvan city in Ilam province, and on the northern margin of Kangir River. The first archaeological studies in the area were conducted by VandenBerghe in 1970 . With the construction of Kangir dam for the prevention of water flow into Iraq, the ancient sites existing on its margin were put at risk. For this reason, the conduct of a rescue excavation was placed on the agenda of Iranian Center Archaeological Research. After the filling of the dam in winter 2015, a number of sites were immersed in water, and only Jahangir remained. some precious architectural and objects were found for the first time in Iran's Sassanid era by excavations in Jahangir. The analysis of these findings can provide the response for one of the important research questions and gaps pertaining to the transition period of the Sassanid era to Islam in western Iran. In addition to political factors, geography has been an effective and active contributor to the organization and decline in this site.
Materials & methods
This area is a part of Zagros folded zone that was studied in terms of the geological variables, including lithology, climatology, erosion, sedimentology, hydrology, and seismological investigation based on field evidence and observations, geological maps and resources, and by using the results of previous geological studies. The present paper is a report from the general interpretation of a site for archaeological purposes and for the development of its conservation plans.
Results and Discussion
Based on the total of data and the interpretation done on the related studies presented in different parts of the current research, it is possible to reach a comprehensive analysis of this ancient site :

The ancient structure is located on the second generation quaternary alluvium, which are the young fluvial terraces and alluvial fans. The quaternary sediments of the valley generally originate from the erosion of the rock of adjacent altitudes and older sediments of the valley basin, which have been transported and eventually deposited during various erosion periods.
From the petrologic point of view, the area can be considered as a perfectly favorable area for erosion because its constituent formation includes a variety of loose and erosional forms, mainly made from anhydrite and red marl with lime intermediate layers. Anhydrite or gypsum has been employed to construct Jahangir monument, which easily erodes as a result of precipitation and acts very flexibly against tectonic pressure and, thereby, it gets deformed. It is noteworthy that marl is made of erodible sediments of soft silt and clay, which are used for flooring.
The whole slopes of the zone inside the valley and the subarea No.5 are about 6% and 13%, respectively. These slight slopes lead to a calm flow with a low power of sediment carriage towards the river inside the valley. Therefore, the sedimentation power of the river and its canals in the adjacency of the ancient structure will be very high.
According to the historical texts, two major earthquakes occurred in 3 & 4 centuries AH and the available data are consistent with earthquake studies in the database of seismology and building. Indeed, the majority of the historical recorded earthquakes in the area have been above 6 on the Richter scale in magnitude, which are classified into the category of dangerous earthquakes. This type of earthquake, due to its high kinesthetic power, has ruined the ancient structure and, thereby, the remains of each earthquake are visible in the form of cracks, collapsed walls, and tilted vertical and horizontal lines in the structure.
Field observations of sedimentary layers, i.e. fillers of the interior space of the building, which have been obtained during the excavation include the constituent elements of sediments; and the proper layering, smooth slope, and consistency of the order of the sedimentary outcrop inside the building with other sedimentary outcrops around the zone indicate that this ancient structure has been influenced by the natural factors dominant over the region in the past decades. The sedimentary consistency suggests that the building has been buried under the influence of Kangir River, its floods, and sedimentation.

Conclusion
Based on studies, water erosion and cross-sectional sedimentation are very active in the valley and this feature has become problematic for the ancient structure. In addition, rainfall and the passage of many surface run-offs during the year cause the simultaneous erosion of the building materials and walls (due to its gypsum type) and, on the other hand, it leads to its further deposition and burial. Its proximity to agricultural lands and residential areas as well as its situation near the dam are among the other human factors negatively affecting the survival and durability of this structure. Therefore, it is necessary to provide solutions to protect this structure against the natural and human threats imposed on it. By means of geological studies on historical eras, one can analyze the variety of variables involved in the construction of a building and its deployment in order to opt for a suitable Restoration of monuments method for its conservation.

Abstract Extended Abstract
The area of study in this paper is located at the Northern fringes of Iranian Central Desert (NICD). Regarding its vast size, only the Paleolithic sites located in modern Semnan province are included in this paper. These sites are Mirak, Delazian, Soufi Abad, and Chah-e Jam, containing evidence of human presence during the Last Glacial Cycle (LGC; circa. 116-11.5 kya). The information surrounding the evolution of cultures in the Central Plateau of Iran during the Late Pleistocene is meagre. Moreover, its climatic-environmental fluctuations have not been studied throughout the mentioned stage. Therefore, running an investigation into data recovered from the Paleolithic sites have not been possible in the absence of climatic information so far. This paper, written based on a couple of field expeditions conducted in the NICD, is one of the first attempts to analyze the Paleolithic archaeological finds based on the Pleistocene climatic-environmental data in the area. The case study is Mirak; a Paleolithic site located about 8km south of the modern city of Semnan. The site is comprised of 8 mounds, of which the mound no. 8 was selected for the excavation. The mound itself is of aeolian origin which has been formed throughout Holocene and is responsible for the covering of the Late Pleistocene deposits. Regarding the huge scatters of stone tools and the absence of cultural layers in the landscape, it is logical to assume that the aeolian mound has conserved archaeological deposits beneath. Contrary to the mound, Pleistocene cultural deposits were formed under alluvial regime in a floodplain during a period of relatively cold and humid. In addition, contemporaneous to the terminal Pleistocene, a hiatus of some millennia divided the alluvial sequence from the topmost Holocene sediments, ending the Paleolithic occupation of Mirak. At least, three Paleolithic cultural layers are identified in this site.
The Methodology of this research is combining information from multidisciplinary analyses conducted in Mirak, and then, presenting some preliminary explanations in the framework of Human Behavioral Ecology (HBE). In doing so, in the framework of PhD dissertation of the corresponding author, data gained from lithic and faunal analysis, sedimentology, geomorphology, granulometry, micromorphology, mineralogy, and absolute chronology were combined. Moreover, the bibliographic resources regarding the climatic-environmental fluctuations in a regional scale (Iranian Plateau and the Asian Southwest) were added to the excavation data to check the probable correlations.
The sedimentological evidence of Mirak indicates frequent water table and humidity fluctuations throughout the Pleistocene, which probably is comparable to the known millennial-scale climatic fluctuations during the LGC (Dansgaard-Oeschger or D-O events). The subsequent changes in floral/faunal composition in response to such fluctuations in the region are presumable. The evidence of teleconnection between Late Pleistocene Greenland (D-O events) and continental Asia has been indicated based on the Chinese Loess Plateau, the eastern part of Central Asia, Northern Iranian Loess, and the western part of Dasht-i Kavir. Such teleconnection may further affirm the claimed relationship between continental-scale climatic fluctuation and local evolution of climate-environment throughout the NICD. The LGC is generally considered a cold and dry period on continental scale. As a result, the fragmentation of landscapes is expected in continental regions such as the NICD. Therefore, using the data recovered from the fieldworks conducted in the region plus bibliographic investigation on the climatic records on regional and continental scales, one could preliminarily deduce the paleoenvironmental characteristics of the NICD, the timeframe during which human occupied the region, and some other mobility- and subsistence-related features.
Based on characteristics such as the presence of Levallois-Mousterian flake-based assemblage in company with prismatic laminar products, the archaeological deposits of Mirak could be placed in the second half of the late Pleistocene, MIS 3 in particular. Thus, from the archaeological point of view, Mirak belongs to the Late Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods. The results of OSL and post-IR IRSL datings confirm this claim, as well. In combining lithic and environmental data in the framework of Ecology, it is suggested that logistical mobility in Mirak was high and the site was probably a central place in its own right. Moreover, the presence of human groups was frequent but discontinuous. Based on similarities between Mirak and the three other mentioned archaeological sites, such results could likely be claimed for them, as well. Presumably, none of the archeological sites represents continuous presence of hunter-gatherers during the Late Pleistocene. Finally, it seems the NICD roleplayed both as a corridor for the expansion of human range and a magnet for living throughout the later part of Late Pleistocene.
 

Abstract Before the advent of Holocene, the subsistence of all hominins was hunting and gathering. Different biomes have been occupied by Homo sapiens during late Pleistocene. Due to the fact that subsistence-related activities in a given patch are aimed at adapting to a pack of specific characteristics, the ways to reach this goal could be called adaptive strategies. There is ample evidence supporting the assumption that inter-biome (or inter-patch) differences had had dramatic impacts on hunter-gatherers’ various ways of life, generally speaking, and the dependence of Pleistocene foragers upon local environmental characteristics was heavier than horticulturalists or even hunter-gatherers of later periods.
            Some models in the framework of human behavioral ecology have been developed in order to grasp different foragers’ behaviors (decision making). These models are based upon optimality for the most part. Foragers could decide which way to choose to acquire a resource among other options, each with its costs and returns. The optimal way is the one with the least cost and the most benefit (return). Finally, foraging optimally would increase individual or group fitness.
MATHERIALS AND METHODS
For investigating on subsistence strategies of Pleistocene hunter-gatherers, a framework should be constructed based upon anthropological and evolutionary ecological models and then, in this light, archaeological finds could be analyzed and explained. Generalized models, built upon the studies of contemporary hunter-gatherer bands from the ecological viewpoint are analyzed in this paper. The degree to which these models are consistent with data recovered from Pleistocene archaeological sites is equivocal and under scrutiny. To answer such questions more and more archaeological study is needed. In this paper, bibliographic analysis has adopted to assess the relationship between foragers and the natural environment. 
FINDS
Statistical works of researches on contemporary hunter-gatherers and some inadequate archaeological evidence imply that foragers’ subsistence-related activities have been regularly related to the environmental parameters with a good accuracy. Pioneers such as Binford have pointed at insolation, effective temperature, and the distribution of solar heat as the ultimate causes (and the most important one) of diversity in biomes and consequently, in foragers’ subsistence; but one should keep in mind that absorbing more solar heat, higher temperatures, and higher net primary productivity (NPP) will not necessarily result in more accessible food to the human foragers, especially the prehistoric ones.In biomes with higher NPP, such as tropical rainforests, a great deal of energy will be invested in structural maintenance (tree trunks) and the capture of sunlight (taller and taller trunks), therefore, the food available to foragers is not that much; whereas in some regions with lower NPP (e.g. African savannah) more energy will be dedicated to reproductive or storage organs of plants which are widely edible for human foragers. Based on this, human foragers tended to live on the edges of dense forests (ecotones) and not the jungles themselves. Therefore, estimation of the availability of food in different biomes is not possible solely based on NPP comparisons.
            One of the most important aspects of foragers’ life is mobility. It is as much important as that it can explain the variability in archaeological sites to some degree. Based on bibliographic work in this paper, mobility is dependent upon the availability and distribution of resources among other things. For instance, when resources are evenly distributed in space, high residential mobility is practiced in order to decrease the risks associated with local depletion of resources. As a result, archaeological sites associated with foragers with high residential mobility should be smaller and less complex (less intra-site variability) compared to collectors’ settlements (high logistical mobility). On the contrary, when resources are clumped (highly unpredictable environments), logistical mobility would be higher and consequently, associated archaeological sites would be different from the first example. These are some ecological rationales behind the variabilities observed among Pleistocene archaeological sites.                
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
It seems that at least part of the differences which have been observed among the archaeological remains of the Pleistocene settlements around the globe (e.g. differences in size, complexity, faunal remains, and artifacts) could be interpreted in the light of different subsistence strategies. For instance, logistical mobility results in archaeological finds and associations which are most probably different from archaeological sites belong to foragers with residential mobility. But one should keep in mind that this variability has an ultimate cause which is characteristics of biomes (such as climatic regimes, the distribution and abundance of critical resources, and as such). In other words, optimal strategy in landscape A differs from landscape B mostly due to the environmental characteristics. In addition, in unpredictable environments (spatially and temporally), optimal strategy may change during time, with other things held constant (e.g. ideology, or history-related inertia). 
            Finally, it should be noted that all models discussed in the paper are developed just based on physical properties of environments. Therefore, they cannot explain all the variabilities observed among foragers and their associated archaeological sites. Things such as ideology and worldviews, inertia of history, sexual selection, individual decisions and so on can play vital roles in the formation of foragers’ strategies and then, their archaeological remains.

Abstract 1-Introduction
Environmental changes, such as changes in lake levels and changes alluvial environment and its effects on the settlement pattern of archaeological sites, represent the human dependence on environmental resources. Findings of the Zagros region, suggesting climate change and the environment and creating opportunities and threats to human societies in the past. Archaeological evidence shows that human societies during the Holocene in settlements located in this area have been established. The occurrence of landslides in the river path and formed a dam lake in the alluvial environments such as saymareh basin with water and fertile soil, not only causes the environmental changes but also can lead to displacement, loss, or changes in the settlement’s pattern of archaeological sites within the lake area. In the early Holocene big kabir kuh landslide occurred, causing the formation Saymareh Lake. Kabir-kuh landslide and the formation of Saymareh Lake in four stages have caused some changes in the settlement’s pattern of archaeological sites within the lake. The aim of this study is to investigate different effects of formation of the Saymareh Lake on the settlement’s pattern of archaeological sites in the lake area.
2-Materials and methods
In this study, the basic information of Saymareh basin has been gathered using tools such as the position and cultural period of archaeological sites, topographic and geological maps, satellite imagery, digital elevation models, software, Arc GIS, Global Mapper, and field studies. Using these tools and field studies, the highest level of terraces lake’s sediments using GPS was obtained and the area of the Seymareh Lake and its terraces was determined based on the contour line of 700 meters. Then, the position specific sites on the lake terraces were determined and a polygon characterized by the height of the preparation of terraces was provided, and finally a 3-dimensional model of the lake terraces was drawn. Finally, the archaeological sites were classified based on their periods, overlapped on the terraces and then were analyzed in relation to each of the phases in which the lake has been formed. In the end, overlapping of sites on the terraces has been utilized to estimate the occurrence of landslides and the formation of the lake.
3-Results and discussion
Studies which have been done on Kabir-Kuh landslide and Saymareh Lake, confirm the occurrence of landslides in the early Holocene. However, the lake varve, sediment thickness and the establishment of the archaeological sites during the prehistoric on the lake terrace in the first and second stages, show that landslides occurred in the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. As a result of occurrence of Kabir-Kuh landslides in four stages and the formation of four lakes, lake terraces can be seen as a stairs in 4 different levels. Distribution of more than 300 archaeological sites on the terraces represents human’s establishment from the Neolithic period to the Islamic period in this area. Most sites are located on the first terrace and the lowest density is on the fourth terrace. This represents a decrease in the area of the lake from the first to the fourth stage. Overlapping of the sites on the first terrace represents that Neolithic sites have been formed on the terraces, so the first stage has been the formation of the lake before the Neolithic period. The second phase of the Lake has happened with a time lag after the first stage and its wideness has been smaller rather than the ones of the first phase. The existence of the Neolithic sites on the surface of the terraces also shows the formation of the lake was in the second stage before the Neolithic period. There is a long periods between the third and the fourth stages of the formation of the lake before and lakes also had less vastness than the one’s of earlier. The lack of archaeological sites before Bronze Age on the third and fourth terraces represents lakes of the third and the fourth stages were formed after the Chalcolithic period. Moreover, within all four levels of the lake terraces, the highest density of sites belongs to the Islamic period.
4- Conclusion, Keywords
Based on field studies and the distribution of archaeological sites that have been done on the lake level terraces, phases one and two of the lake were formed before the Neolithic period. Neolithic sites have been established on deposits of lake sediments after drying, because according to studies that has been done after draining the lake, the lake had become a wetland like and then sediment would have been dried. At this point, after a long delay in the settlement area of residence, the first settlement has been formed. Due to the vastness of the lake at the third and fourth phases and distribution of the sites on the surface of sediments, it seems that there have not occurred a lot of changes in the settlement’s pattern of the sites in this process.

Abstract Introduction
Cham-e Souran is located in Ravand basin in the west side of Larini Adjudan village, which is in the east side of Islam Abad, Kermanshah. It includes the wide area and an open site of Paleolithic formed on an exposed ophiolite. Compared to the other open sites of the Paleolithic, this site extended to an outdoor area and has a relatively large dispersion of tools. Since, source routing of cherts have a very important role in reconstructing cultural and communicative networks in prehistoric times. Source routing of the stone tools in this archaeological site, re-examine some issues of the Paleolithic tool-making technology and its relation with access to mines and stone deposits.Accordingly, the elemental composition of sample eight by eight pieces taken from samples of chert stone and natural geological sources to identify their potential and their connections with each other with the method of the Mass Spectroscopy Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-MS), sent to the Act labs laboratory in Canada and were analyzed. According to chemical analysis conducted in this study rock samples collected from outcrops Cham-e Souran with the artifacts scattered all over the area, matches the rare elements. This compliance can be seen in river’s cherts as well. The distribution of artifacts in some parts of the riverbank is much more than the exposed terraces
dominated the river. Based on this dispersion pattern, it seems that the easy access and the river stone abundance in this era have priority compared to other deposits of this study.The chemical composition of sediments and fine-grained sedimentary rocks is an important factor in the study of source rocks and sedimentary environment of sedimentary rocks (Taylor & McLennan, 1985).Materials and Methods
Since, the chemical and mineral composition of the used stone as stone tools is similar and comparable to a large extent with sedimentary rocks of the study area, studies the chemical composition of the stone tools along with data from other studies, such as petrography, is very useful for source routing of the used natural materials.In order to study the geological source used for the manufacture of stone tools, small amounts of each sample to less than 74 microns were powdered in Agate mortar. In the next step, soft samples were sent to Act Labs Company’s laboratory in Ontario, Canada. In this laboratory, about 25.0 grams of each sample were solved in multi-acid digestion method at four acids, including hydrochloric acid (HCl), hydrofluoric acid (HF), nitric acid (HNO3) and perchloric acid (HCLO4) and then measured by ICP- MS machine. To investigate the dispersion pattern of elements and compare the chemical data (trace and rare earth elements) with the average composition of the Earth's crust data, according to Taylor and McLennan (1985), and Rudnick and Gao (2003), the obtained data from the analysis of studied sample were normalized. Based on the obtained geochemical evidence, it seems that the stones used in the study of Chame Souran’s stone tools, have been taken from mafic-ultramafic deposits of the studied region in theophiolite territory in the range of Islamabad valleys and Souran’s ophiolite veins of the exposed irregularities and nearby river.Dispersion pattern of artifacts components and stone tools around the river can be seen in thelong journey along the river, indicated human groups in this region during the Middle Paleolithic stone searching for sources of stone used in tools have picked up their most required stones from Chert riverbed pebbles. Most of the river Cherts samples are respectively in a range of brown, darkred and gray colors.Results and DiscussionBased on the chemical analysis conducted in this study, rock samples collected from Cham-eSouran’s outcrops and the artifacts parts scattered in the area were consistent in terms of rare elements as well as the matching elements in samples of river chert pebbles too.The studied artifacts samples in this area in terms of density of chip components were muchmore in some parts of the riverbank rather than the rest, including exposed terraces overlooking the river.According to the dispersion pattern seems that it was in a priority use in this period rather than other deposits in the study area in terms of easy access and abundant river stone resources.Yet, despite the Harold Dibble Theory (1984) about the lack of resources of the MiddlePaleolithic stone in the central Zagros and multiple retouching of tools due to the lack of access to suitable stone resources, it can be said that in fact re-done retouching on Dibble samples in thisperiod were the manifest of special tooling industry in the central Zagros and basically it had nothing to do with the lack of stone resources and afresh retouching of this time tools cannot be connected to the lack of chert stone resources. However, this hypothesis should be studied andtesting other Paleolithic artifacts collections of the area should be consolidated.