The Late Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic in the Seimarreh Drainage, central Zagros : Excavations at Mar Gurgalan, Asiab and Ganj Dareh

The results of excavations into three key Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene sites in the Zagros Mountains

The transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture in Southwest Asia remains a key area of research for archaeologists. For many years, little intensive research was possible in the ‘eastern wing’ of the Fertile Crescent. This volume presents the results of the six-year long project Tracking Cultural and Environmental Change: The Late Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic in the Seimarreh Drainage, Central Zagros. The project aimed to develop a better understanding of the emergence of Neolithic societies in the central Zagros region, by re-investigating several key Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites in the Seimarreh River drainage. Over the course of four fieldwork seasons three key sites – Asiab, Ganj Dareh and Mar Gurgalan – were re-excavated. These three sites collectively cover the crucial timespan between c. 16,000–9,000 years ago during which Epipalaeolithic hunter-gatherers slowly moved towards plant cultivation and herding. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the excavations and stratigraphy of these sites, their relative and absolute chronology, as well as the finds from the excavations. This evidence is contextualized against the paleoenvironmental evidence from the region, as well as broader debates concerning the emergence of the Neolithic in Southwest Asia. The chapters are written by specialists and experts in their fields and provide a wealth of important new data, and informed discussion about their interpretation and importance.