# The oldest Pottery Neolithic (PN) culture of northeastern Iran: First absolute dating from eastern Mazandaran plains

## TL;DR

This paper presents the earliest absolute dates for the Pottery Neolithic period in northeastern Iran, based on excavations in eastern Mazandaran.

## Contribution

The study provides the first reliable radiocarbon dating for the Pottery Neolithic in the region, establishing a timeline from the first half of the 7th millennium BC.

## Key findings

- The Pottery Neolithic in eastern Mazandaran dates back to at least 6600 BC, based on excavations at Touq Tappeh and Tappeh Valiki.
- The PN period lasted until the early 6th millennium BC, with no chronological gap between Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic phases.
- Pottery from the lowest layers of Tappeh Valiki suggests the PN may have started even earlier than currently dated.

## Abstract

In the past, establishing a clear chronology for the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic periods in eastern Mazandaran proved challenging. A major obstacle had been the lack of radiocarbon dating. Previous dates provided by Coon and McBurney were not considered reliable, even after recalibrations. However, over the last fifteen years, new archaeological fieldwork and research have significantly enhanced our understanding of these periods. Recent excavations at the PN sites of Touq Tappeh and Tappeh Valiki have provided new information about the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic chronology and dating. The sites yielded the oldest dating of the PN in northeastern Iran so far, making the PN of eastern Mazandaran start at least from the first half of the 7th millennium BC and lasted until the early 6th millennium BC (c. 6600–5800 BC). While Tappeh Valiki represents the oldest dates, the PN periods may have started in the region even earlier, given the presence of potteries from the lowest layers of the site. Analysis of the available material from these sites through dating indicates strong regional connections, while also showing inter-regional connections. The new dating from the old and new Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic sites of eastern Mazandaran suggests there is no gap between them, which is not surprising given the favorable environment during the early Holocene.