New evidence of the Neolithic period in West Central Zagros: the Sarfirouzabad- Mahidasht Region, Iran

Because the eastern region of the Mahidasht Valley in the Sarfirouzabad region, to the south-east of Kermanshah Province, had not been studied by archaeologists, this area of central Zagros was surveyed in 2009 by a team from Tehran University. We identified 17 sites dating to the Neolithic period. The finds indicate that the formation of sedentary societies began in the pre-pottery Neolithic in this area and was followed by a considerable increase in the number of sites during the pottery Neolithic period. Preliminary analyses of these sites will be presented in the present article