Abstract
The so-called J ware of Mahidasht region, considered as a Halaf related ceramics in western Iran. The Mahidasht survey project conducted in 1975-78 identified more than 60 J ware archaeological sites. In addition to surface survey, the J ware have been stratified in 3 archaeological site excavations of Siahbid, Chogha Maran and Chogha Gavaneh as an Early Chalcolithic period pottery laying between Late Neolithic of Sarab and early Siahbid Black on Buff ware. Due to the political issues during the Mahidasht survey project in Iran, the Islamic revolution, the team could not complete their studies and such a project left unfinished. But after some 50 years later, it became possible to work on the Mahidasht project data again and such studies have been resumed. The main part of this resumed project is devoted to the studies of J ware. As a result of such studies many aspects of J ware have been investigate before. So, this paper is devoted to the topic of chronology of J ware. Detaille studies on the chronological characterizes of J ware and comparison studies of J ware with Halaf-Ubaid transitional period ceramics in northern Mesopotamia demonstrated that J ware dating back to the late 6^th millennium B.C. this relative chronological suggestion overlapping with C14 dating (5216-4994B.C) of recently excavated site located in east of central Zagros named Tepe Posht-e Froudgah.  There is close relationship between some of the painted ceramics of Posht-e Forudgah and J ware. In conclusion, the J ware period in west of central Zagros in west of Iran contrary to the previous studies considered it as an early chalcolithic period, is a short transitional phase between late Neolithic and early chalcolithic period at the second half of 6^th millennium B.C. equivalent to the Halaf-Ubaid transitional period in northern Mesopotamia.
Keywords: J ware, Halaf, Tape Posht-e Foroudgah, chronology