Sample name: Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq (East Mound)

Reference: K. Roustaei, M. Mashkour, and M. Tengberg. 2015. Tappeh Sang-e Chakhmaq and the beginning of the Neolithic in north-east Iran. Antiquity 89(345):573-595 [ER 3764]

Lithology: ash

Taphonomic context: human accumulation,settlement

Archaeology: bone tools,buildings,burials,ceramics,hearths,stone tools,other artifacts,other structures

Habitat comments: "The site comprises two adjacent mounds some 100m apart, the West Mound and the East Mound. The East Mound, oval in shape, covers an area of c. 1.9 ha and rises 5 m above the plain. The excavated sequence consisted of intermittent layers of mud-brick or pisé architecture and their related accumulations. A horseshoe-shaped hearth was constructed in pisé, and a sequence of at least six successive, delicately smoothed and burnished clay coatings were visible within it. A 0.5 m-thick mud-brick wall running east-west was found in the second trench; associated with the mud brick wall, the upper part of a human cranium was unearthed, belonging to an intra-site burial".
"The pottery of the East Mound is handmade. Nearly all sherds show various degrees of burnishing, usually in the form of thin horizontal parallel bands. The common shapes of vessels are deep bowls and jars, but other forms also occur, such as basins. The lithic assemblage shows an overwhelming majority of bladelets and blades, followed, in much lower numbers, by flakes, drills, end scrapers, cores and geometrics. In addition, more than 100 fragments of baked or unbaked clay objects were found and over 200 small stone beads. Needles and awls were common among the bone objects. Other artefacts included seven intact or broken spindle whorls made of pottery and a foliated stone".

Life forms: carnivores,ungulates,other small mammals,turtles

Sampling methods: quarry

Sample size: 132 specimens

Years: 2009

Sampling comments: "In April 2009, two small soundings were opened at the East Mound. The main trench, Trench 1 (2.5 × 1.5 m), and Trench 2 (1.5 × 1.5 m) located c. 70 m west of Trench 1, on the highest part of the site. In Trench 1 (c. 4.7 m in depth) 83 contexts (100-182 from top to bottom) were recognised and grouped into five different phases. Trench 2, meanwhile, was excavated to a depth of about 1 m, with the deposits divided into six contexts (200–205 from top to bottom) representing a single phase". No information is provided on whether the material was screened.

Sample number: 4027

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2022-10-24 13:24:27

Modified: 2022-10-24 02:30:36