نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
The central Zagros was at the center of research in connection with the Neolithic in western Asia. It has also experienced some fluctuations in this respect. To date, a wealth of archaeological and palaeoclimatological information, we can say that the first steps toward Neolithic were taken in the region during the Transitional Neolithic (ca. 9700-8000 BC). Around the middle of pre-pottery Neolithic (ca. 8000-7000 BC), an obvious unprecedented change occurred in the settlement pattern. Important sites such as Sheikhi Abad, Ganj Dareh, Abdul Hossein, Chogha Golan and probably Jani were abandoned, while the earliest settlement occurred at Ali Kosh, Chogha Sefid and Chogha Bonut in the lowlands southward. Interestingly, recent palaeoclimatic data indicate that a dry, cold climate, the so-called 9.2, prevailed in the highlands of the central Zagros. This emphasizes the role of this synchronous climate deterioration as the most likely trigger of this change on a regional scale. However, one can also consider the population pressure on resources over time. It is assumed that the harsh climate escalated the sever condition and forced societies to move to nearby, lower-lying regions with a favorable climate and environmental resources in the middle of the 8th millennium BC. However, this explanatory assumption remains temporary and open to deeper consideration until further evidence will be gained from both highlands and lowlands.