The first direct evidence of the Djeitun pottery type in Eastern Mazandaran

Asadi Ojaei, S. K., Seresti, R. A., Thornton, C. P. and Matthews, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8316-4312 (2025) The first direct evidence of the Djeitun pottery type in Eastern Mazandaran. Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies, 15 (2). pp. 43-58. ISSN 2251-743X doi: 10.22111/IJAS.2025.53586.1375

Abstract/Summary

The timing and process of Neolithisation in Eastern Mazandaran have been a topic of debate among archaeologists, as the Southern Caspian littoral is regarded as a likely route for the spread of Neolithic culture to Central Asia. Until recently, there was no reliable evidence connecting this region to the Pottery Neolithic (PN) sites of Central Asia (Djeitun Culture). However, an archaeological field survey conducted in 2021 at the site of Tappeh Fakhi has provided direct evidence of Djeitun pottery in this region. Since the processes of endogenous or exogenous Neolithisation and domestication in Eastern Mazandaran remain controversial, sites such as Tappeh Fakhi can shed light on the issues we are facing. When compared to adjacent regions such as the Central Plateau, Shahrud Plain, Gorgan Plain, Khorasan Region, and Western Central Asia, the Neolithic sherds found at Tappeh Fakhi suggest a chronology beginning in the final 7th millennium BCE. In contrast, the Chalcolithic sherds indicate that the site continued to be occupied until the end of the 5th millennium BCE. During the field survey, two potential paths for the introduction of the Djeitun culture to Eastern Mazandaran were considered: one from the southern slopes (Shahrud region) to the northern part of the Alborz mountains, and another through the Gorgan plain. Given the location of Tappeh Fakhi, it appears to be a significant site that connects the two cultures, i.e. the Djeitun and Caspian Neolithic Software, likely through the Gorgan Plain. This paper will summarise the known aspects of the PN in Eastern Mazandaran and its inter-regional interactions.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/127754
Identification Number/DOI	10.22111/IJAS.2025.53586.1375
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	University of Sistan and Baluchistan
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