Unearthing Holocene lowland landscapes as tool to detect archaeological sites, a case study from Lower Khuzestan (SW Iran)

Summary

Over the past century archaeological research in Upper Khuzestan has shown a long history of settlements in the alluvial plains. The Lower Khuzestan plain has barely been studied with research has been restricted to superficial surface surveys. The nearby presence of the Persian Gulf and the downstream parts of the rivers Karun and Jarrahi, the first one being the largest river in Iran, offer great potential for human settlements and activities. In lowlands, however, processes of sedimentation inevitably bury former landscapes, and therefore make geological investigations crucial for understanding the location of archaeological sites. Knowledge of the processes provides insights into the environmental nature, the impact of geomorphological events, and the chronological framework. The southwestern part of the Khuzestan plain, northeast of Khorramshahr will be presented as case study. The study shows the effects of both terrestrial and littoral processes on the nature of the sedimentary environments, the influence of the Holocene transgression on the sedimentary environments and, the effect of external forces on the dynamics of the sedimentary systems and landscapes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14848