The Late Bronze Age of the Central Zagros and the Interlude of Khabur Ware
Subject Areas : Prehistoric Archaeology
1 - Khodakaram Mazaheri, Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran.
Keywords: Late Bronze Age, Central Zagros, Post III2 Godin, Khabur Ware, Mitanni.,
Abstract :
After a period of gradual progress, the Central Zagros region achieved significant cultural cohesion and continuity in the Middle Bronze Age. Settlements expanded significantly, its population reached its peak, and central sites such as Godin, Giriran, and Babajan developed in different parts of this region. With the beginning of the Late Bronze Age, significant cultural changes and instability covered the entire Central Zagros, and the previous cultural cohesion and continuity was transformed. However, the scope of the aforementioned changes has not been explained, its framework has not been clarified, and its nature has not been investigated. The main goal of this research is to explain the cultural situation of the Late Bronze Age of the Central Zagros and to describe the most important cultural changes that occurred in this region. In this regard, an attempt is made to investigate the nature of the aforementioned cultural changes and developments. In this research, using the results of new field activities as well as library studies of the results of old field studies and using a descriptive-analytical method, the cultural situation of the Central Zagros in the period in question is studied, analyzed, and evaluated. Archaeological findings indicate that in the Late Bronze Age, many of the previously known sites in the Central Zagros were abandoned, and Settlements declined significantly. Scattered cemeteries spread throughout the region. In addition, at this time, we witness the prevalence of a new pottery collection that, while having important differences from the earlier painted pottery tradition, has close stylistic affinities with the late Khabur ware. It seems that the aforementioned changes and developments were influenced by the emergence of the Mitanni kingdom. Probably, with appearance of the Mitanni government and the development of pastoral life in the steppe lands of that empire, some of the pastoral groups of that land expanded their pastoral nomadic range to the Central Zagros regions. Of course, it can be said that the range of influence of the aforementioned pastoral groups was not very wide and probably did not last. However, their influence left widespread effects in the Central Zagros.
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