Paléolithique moyen récent de la grotte de Qaleh Bozi 2 (Ispahan, Iran) : premiers résultats de la campagne 2008

Jacques Jaubert (1) , Fereidoun Biglari (2) , Rémy Crassard (3) , Marjan Mashkour (4) , William Rendu (5) , Sonia Shidrang (6)

1 PACEA - De la Préhistoire à l'Actuel : Culture, Environnement et Anthropologie
2 Center for Paleolithic Research
3 Archéorient - ARCHEORIENT - Environnements et sociétés de l'Orient ancien
4 AASPE - Archéozoologie, archéobotanique : sociétés, pratiques et environnements
5 TRACES - Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés
6 Center for Palaeolithic Research

Located in southwest of central Iran, not far from Zagros range, the Middle Paleolithic sites of Qaleh Bozi produced a wealth of data that expands our knowledge beyond the lithic industries of the Middle Paleolithic of Central Iran. Here we report on new excavations in Qaleh Bozi 2, the richest cave in this site complex undertaken in 2008 that yielded new assemblages of lithic artifacts, well-preserved faunal remains and charcoal fragments from a stratified context. During this season we made two stratigraphic cuts of which the western one was opened earlier during 2005 excavations. A number of dosimeters were placed in the stratigraphic cuts at Qaleh Bozi 2 and Qaleh Bozi 3 in order to date the Middle Paleolithic occupations of the sites by means of TL and OSL methods. Two micromorphological samples also were taken from the sections, to clarify the nature and formation of the deposits and postdepositional events. A total number of 356 lithic artifacts were found during excavations, of which near 26% are retouched tools. The highest percentage of the tools are various types of side-scarper dominated by single forms, followed in quantity by points and notch-denticulates. The mammalian remains can be divided into five categories: Large ungulates (Equids, Aurochs and Rhinoceros), Medium ungulates (Cervids and Suids), and Small ungulates (Goat, Sheep and Gazella). The anthropogenic activity can be detected on all the ungulate remains where important traces of impact, percussion and flaking together with burning and cutting mark the bones. The breakage patterns could be compatible with marrow extraction. The great majority of the identified remains belong to herbivores. The Equids are the dominant species within the large herbivores.

Mots clés: Zagros Mousterian; central Iran; Ispahan; Equids; Gazelle

Domaines: Archéologie et Préhistoire

Jacques Jaubert, Fereidoun Biglari, Rémy Crassard, Marjan Mashkour, William Rendu, et al.. Paléolithique moyen récent de la grotte de Qaleh Bozi 2 (Ispahan, Iran) : premiers résultats de la campagne 2008. Journal of iranian archaeology, 2010, 1, pp.21-31. ⟨hal-01828499⟩