Mendeley  

Zotero  

Azizi Kharanaghi M H. (2022). Primary Result of Archaeological Excavation at Toll-e Suzo Genaveh, Bushehr Province. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 6(19), : 2 doi:10.30699/PJAS.6.19.33
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-700-en.html

Abstract
Archaeological studies on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf are in the early stages. Although such studies have been started in this area for decades, long interruptions have led to a lack of reliable results. This issue is more acute in the prehistoric period. Limited research results publication has also increased this problem. Although archeological surveys have been done well in Bushehr province, unfortunately, the results of those studies have not been published well. Studying on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf is not just a research topic today; it is a research duty. Archaeological studies conducted in this region have shown that at least from seven thousand years ago, people who live on the land of Iran have been settled on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf and had the opportunity to use the sea; although in the early periods this settlement was seasonal; but according to the new evidence of mud-brick architecture at Toll-e Suzo, villages and then permanent cities have been created in this region since the fourth millennium BC, and in the historical and Islamic period, these areas have been completely inhibited. In addition to the food supply, the sea has been playing an important role in trade relations since the Fifth/ fourth millennium BC, which should be considered in archaeological studies of the region. Toll-e Suzo, which is located in Genaveh district, Bushehr Province, is one of the prehistoric sites of the region, which, according to the cultural evidence identified from the excavation in the stratigraphic trench, has been settled from the middle of the fifth millennium to the end of the fourth millennium BC. The inhabitants of this area have been in contact with the interior of the Fars cultural region and southwestern Iran and have also access to marine resources.
Keywords: Persian Gulf, Archaeological Excavation, Toll-e Suzo, Middle Bakun Period, Lapuei Period.

Introduction
The first season of archeological excavations in Toll-e Suzo led to the identification of the cultures of the fifth millennium (Middle Bakun) and fourth millennium (Lapuei) BC, 28 km north of the Persian Gulf coast. This season’s excavation goal was determining the buffer and Core zoom of the site and stratigraphical excavation, which was carried out in the winter of 2017. In this excavation, a trench measuring 4 × 4 meters in the center and at the top of the site was excavated. The thickness of the cultural layers that have been excavated in this trench is 5.80 meters. During the excavation of this trench, two cultural periods with possible gaps were identified. It should be noted that 1.5 meters of the surface layers of the top of the site have been destroyed by bulldozers and surface layers/ periods are not excited. The lower layers (contexts 1016-1036) represent the Middle Bakun (late and mid fifth millennium BC) with diagnostic painted pottery from this period. This pottery is quite comparable with the findings of archaeological excavations in the Fars cultural region. Although the dimensions of excavation were small during this period, the establishment of this period in Toll-e Suzo can be considered as belonging to semi-monogamous communities that, according to the climatic conditions, were established in this area in suitable seasons. The Middle Bakun period is the culmination of several thousand years of pre-historical cultural development in the Fars region.
Research Methods: Archaeological field activity and library have been used in this research. In this way, during one season of field excavation, cultural evidence and archaeological documents were collected, and then by studying published references and library sources and archival reports, the background research of the region was studied and comparative examples were collected.
Research Questions: 1- The oldest settlement evidence of Toll-e Suzo is related to what periods? 2- What is the chorological sequence of Toll-e Suzo? 3- Is there evidence of Fars prehistoric cultures on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf? 4- Did the people of Toll-e Suzo have the possibility to exploit the marine resources?
Research Hypothesis: 1- The oldest cultural evidence of settlement in Toll-e Suzo dates back to the fifth millennium BC. 2- Toll-e Suzo has been identified according to the material evidence and the thickness of the settlement layers has two cultural periods; Bakun and Lepoi. 3- Fars prehistoric cultures were completely prevalent on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf in Bushehr province. 4- The animal bone evidence of the Toll-e Suzo excavations shows that the inhabitants of this area used marine resources.

Conclusion
During this period, despite regional differences, a large part of southern Iran reached uniformity in terms of material culture (Week et al, 2010). Regarding the distribution of Bakun pottery in such a wide area from the Persian Gulf in the south to the Bakhtiari Mountains in the north and from the eastern borders of Khuzestan in the west to the western borders of Kerman in the east, the hypothesis of traveling potters is raised. They were moving, due to different spatial situations, while preserving the main and standard features of this period, they have also designed various local motifs on pottery (Askari et al, 2008: 38; Weeks et al, 2010). Another hypothesis is based on the fact that there was a tradition of extramarital relations between local villagers of this period and other areas, which by transferring women to some kind of technical knowledge, vocabulary, and grammar of the decorative patterns of Bakun pottery (Alizadeh, 2004). : 48-49). Also, the phenomenon of nomadic tribes has played a major role in the transportation and exchange of goods produced by the villagers (Alizadeh, 2004; Alizadeh, 2003). Today, Bushehr province and the northern coast of the Persian Gulf are the winter quarters of the Qashqai tribe, so in the so-called winter, these tribes are scattered in all areas of Bushehr province and in the summer in Fars province (Afshar Sistani, 1362: 432). Suzo archaeological evidence also confirms this.
Another cultural period identified in this excavation is Lepuei (contexts 1000-1015). The proposed date for this period is the mid-fourth millennium BC. The diagnostic pottery of this period is simple polished and patterned red vessels, which in some cases are decorated with scarlet motifs. In addition to this type, simple buff ware, gray ware and two samples of Poro Elamite pottery also have been recognized in the fourth-millennium pottery collection of this period. Remains of the mud-brick and right-angled architecture were also encountered under the surface layers, which, due to the small dimensions of the excavation, is not possible to provide a specific function for this structure. According to the architectural evidence, unlike the previous period, it seems that the establishment in this period was permanent and relations with the interior areas of Fars and Khuzestan (according to the samples of the nose-handed jar vessels which are identified on this level) were established. The chronology presented in this paper is only based on comparable and relative studies, but the presentation of absolute dating is inevitable due to the lack of archaeological studies in the prehistoric period in this area, which is hoped to be possible in the future.