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Mirzaye A, Sardari-Zarchi A. (2021). Lapui-Period Settlements on the Persepolis Plain: Jalyan. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 5(15), 31-56. doi:10.30699/PJAS.5.15.31
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-356-en.html

Abstract
The Kur river basin located on the center of Fars province is one of the main regions in Iran for the formation and development of prehistoric settlements. The Persepolis plain on the marginal areas of southeastern the basin has been a strategic and cross-cultural place for socio-economic exchanges from prehistoric times. The area during Chalcolithic period including Bakun and Lapui phases in 5th and 4th millennium B.C. has been settled by small villages such as Tal-e Bakun and Jalyan Archaeological sites. Jaylan is a complex site constituted of three parts and mounds that its name was the adaption of a neighboring village (Jaylan or Galyan), is situated 3.2 northwestern of Persepolis palaces and inside of its Buffer Zone. The site is completely flat on the farming lands, which can identify just by some surface finds, especially pottery sherds. The most important landscape complication of the ancient site is the Polvar (Sivand) river close to 100 m., and flows across the plain continuing southwest join to Kur river. Archaeological soundings at Jaylan excavated on the six trenches in various sizes between 7×5 m., 3×3 m., 2×6 m., and 2×2 m. Furthermore, 10 small test trenches at a distance of 10 to 50 m. from the center of site to recognize its core area and buffer zone that these didn’t have any cultural layers. So the area of the site is restricted to 0.5 hectares. a large quantity of Lapui pottery assemblage was found in lower levels, which generally divided into two categories including common ware and fine ware form to red, orange, and slight quantity in grey and buff colors. other significant finds are human burial and foundation of a large mud-bricks wall. Archaeological excavations at Jalyan show the site related to Lapui period, was a small settlement with two occupational phases. 
Keywords: Lapui, Jalyan, Kur River Basin, 4th Millennium B.C., Archaeological Excavation.

Introduction
The Kur river basin located on the center of Fars province is one of the main regions in Iran for the formation and development of prehistoric settlements. The Persepolis plain on the marginal areas of southeastern the basin has been a strategic and cross-cultural place for socio-economic exchanges from prehistoric times. The exchanges and transformations continued to the historic period with the formation of great ancient cities such as Persepolis and Istakhr during the Achaemenid and Sasanian eras. 
Tal-e Bakun is one of the diagnostic prehistoric sites on the area that formed from the fifth millennium B.C. identified by painted fine buff ware, several occupational phases, architectural spaces, and administrative documents such as seals and sealing. The last cultural settlements of the Tal-e Bakun found slightly thin occupational layers of the Lapui period during the late fourth millennium B.C. with plain fine red ware. In the period, new settlements were raised on the Kur river basin usually near the strings such as Tal-e Jalyan, which are commonly small in size.         
Lapui period during the first half of the fourth millennium B.C is the argumentative subject in the studies about prehistoric Fars region, providing some questions: why did abruptly change the pottery style during the transition from Bakun to Lapui period? How is the occupational nature of Lapui settlements? how sparsely small Lapui settlements transformed to the great city of Anshan (Tal-e Malyan) during the Banesh period on the late fourth millennium B.C.? and finally why Lapui period settlements of the Fars couldn’t develop akin to Susiana and Mesopotamian cities in the early of fourth Millennium B.C? how is the administration and socio-economic organization of the Lapui small settlements in the several plains of Kur river basin? 

The Site of Jalyan
Given the questions, it is necessary to do systematic surveys and archaeological excavations on some sites related Lapui period. Although firstly archaeological excavations on the Jaylan in 2019 found late Islamic layers on the surface levels based on the Geomagnetic survey results and anomalies, but by continuing of some soundings to get virgin soils old occupational phases from the Lapui period uncovered about 1 to 2.5 m. in dept. that established on the virgin soils.
Jaylan is an archaeological complex site constituted of three parts and mounds that its name was the adaption of a neighboring village (Jaylan or Galyan), is situated 3.2 northwestern of Persepolis palaces and inside of its Buffer Zone. The site is completely flat on the farming lands, which can identify just by some surface finds, especially pottery sherds. The most important landscape complication of the ancient site is the Polvar (Sivand) river close to 100 m., and flows across the plain continuing southwest join to Kur river. based on delimitation soundings, the estimated core area of the site is approximately 0.5 hectares with 2 to 2.5 m. the thickness of cultural layers.  
Archaeological soundings at Jaylan excavated on the six trenches in various sizes between 7×5 m., 3×3 m., 2×6 m., and 2×2 m. Furthermore, 10 small test trenches at a distance of 10 to 50 m. from the center of site to recognize its core area and buffer zone that these didn’t have any cultural layers. So the area of the site is restricted to 0.5 hectares.    

Finds
Besides some Islamic Pottery sherds on the upper levels, a large quantity of Lapui pottery assemblage was found in lower levels, which generally divided into two categories including common ware and fine ware form to red, orange, and slight quantity in grey and buff colors. Lapui fine ware has a hard dense buff or red body, with frequent lime inclusions, fired to a uniform red or buff through the core. Surfaces are smooth, sometimes with a slight luster, and scraping or burnishing marks are common. Lapui common ware has a coarse black grit-tempered body. An oxidized grey core is characteristic of many sherds and breaks leave a rough crumbly edge, as compared to the sharp smooth edge of breaks in fine ware. The surface is usually slipped, roughly burnished. Forms include bell-shaped or cylindrical beakers, open bowls, and restricted hole mouth or low necked jar. Rim forms are usually smoothly rounded but some are slightly thickened or pinched. Bases are usually flat although a few disk bases and ring bases are found. 
One of the significant finds on the excavation of Jalyan is a human burial found in trench 5 that form hole-shaped, constructed by chine wall surrounded it. Another burial from this period was just found at Tappeh Lapui on the Marvdasht plain, similar to Jalyan squat burial. Additionally, fauna and human bones were collected at the site with the number of 38 pieces and 384 gr. in weight. By the reason of little excavation in the Lapui deposits, there are small numbers of architectural residues. Nevertheless, the architecture show buildings constructed through mud-brick and chine walls. The foundation of a large wall was found in the Trench 4 with north-south direction, created by three rows of mud-bricks in light brown color, and 115 Cm. thickness. In parallel to other architectural samples in Lapui sites such as Tappeh Mehr Ali, Tol-e Spid, Tol-e Nurabad, Tol-e Bondo, and Tol-e Sozo, as yet hasn’t found the similar huge structure that could assume concerning to defense and monumental buildings of a complex society. 
Based on old satellite imagery such as Corona photos and also new imagery of Google and Bing, two other small sites are neighboring Jalyan that called Jalyan 2 (Tale- Kharkhane Ard-e Naghsh Rostam) and Jalyan 3 (Tal-e Gavdari) at a distance of 500 and 700 m. far from the site. Both sites also belong to Lapui period. Thus, the sites display this place was a cluster of small villages adjacent to Polvar river during Lapui period that confirm its important situation. Nevertheless, we should anticipate increasing the number of Lapui settlements to more than 96 sites on the Marvdasht plain, as specified by W. Sumner in former archaeological surveys. 

Conclusion
Archaeological excavations at Jalyan show the site related to Lapui period, was a small settlement with two occupational phases. Architectural remains, especially large mud-brick wall with around 1 m. thickness display a village settlement that established close to the Polvar river. however, the prehistoric village was abandoned after a short period. The site was ruined for more than five thousand years under sediments and natural deposits of Persepolis and Marvdasht plains on the Kur river basin, and at last, resettled again as a camp seasonal site by pastoral nomadic tribes during late Islamic periods. Indeed, natural sediments and also sporadically various historical ruins sometimes covered and protected a large number of prehistoric sites that it needs to revise essentially to archaeological surveys and methods.   
W. Sumner`s archaeological researches on the Kur river basin that was comprehensive and updated methods during same time need to review after 50 years. Nowadays many of the identified archaeological sites are destroyed through agricultural activities and developmental projects, but on the other hand, archaeological excavations at some sites such as Jalyan reveal that numerous prehistoric sites would be unseen by Sumner and other archaeologists. As, by the discovery of the sites, we should reconsider and change former settlement pattern analysis based on the regional surveys.