The Mamasani Archaeological Survey: Epipalaeolithic to Elamite settlement patterns in the Mamasani district of the Zagros Mountains, Fars Province, Iran

The current study presents the results of archaeological survey in the Mamasani district of south-western Iran, in the southern Zagros Mountains. The two main valleys of the survey area, the Dasht-e Rostam-e Yek and Dasht-e Rostam-e Do are situated on a major route through the mountains that connects the archaeologically well known sites of Tal-e Malyan (Anshan) and Persepolis in highland Fars with Susa and the large, alluvial plains of lowland Khuzestan and beyond. The survey area forms a small, geographically cohesive unit, which was investigated for evidence of long term settlement patterns for several reasons. It was apparent from previous scholarship and preliminary reconnaissance that many sites were located within the valleys, but coverage of the area was fragmentary and incomplete. Sites of prehistoric, Elamite, Achaemenid and Islamic date had already been documented in the Mamasani valleys, but little was known of the settled history of the region and the context of these finds. The Mamasani valleys form a discrete area, well defined by natural topography, which has provided a complete regional sample of settlement. The current thesis presents the results of an extensive archaeological survey conducted in January-February 2003 and presents detailed analysis of settlement patterns from the Epipalaeolithic to Neo-Elamite periods. The significance of the survey area lies in the very broad extent of time represented by the archaeology, and in the geographical and cultural context of the region as part of a natural communications corridor through the southern Zagros Mountains. The location of the Mamasani valleys means they are well positioned for trade and communication within south-western Iran, connecting with several access routes between highland Fars, the lowland plains of Khuzestan and the Persian Gulf, as well as more distant connections with areas to the north, south and east. The results of the survey have established the basic structure of long-term settlement in the Mamasani district and have established clear evidence that the area was incorporated into broad cultural, economic and political networks at different times in its history. The current study adds significant new archaeological settlement data to the current knowledge base of south-western Iran