In search of Neolithic Appearance along the Northern Shorelines of the Persian Gulf: A Report on the Excavation at the Pre-pottery Neolithic Site of Tapeh Mahtaj, Behbahan Plain

Tapeh Mahtaj is the earliest known occupation that has yet been discovered in the eastern plains of southwestern Iran. The site contains Pre-Pottery Neolithic deposits, ca. 40 cm in depth. The available finds suggest that the site was seasonally occupied during the second half of the 8th millennium bc. Three occupational phases were recognized at the site. The upper levels witnessed the introduction of obsidian into the region and also contained a large amount of grinding stones that were not in their primary context. Tapeh Mahtaj provides crucial information on the appearance of agriculture in the plains, which were closer to the coast line 10,000 years ago than today. This issue provides us with information on the Neolithization of the Persian Gulf Oasis