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Cultural Interactions and Pottery Evolution on the Tehran Plain: Navigating Uruk and Proto-Elamite Identities During the Late Chalcolithic Period

BAGHIZADEH, Saeed

Throughout the history of the Ancient Near East, the lowland civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Iranian Highlands have maintained dynamic interactions that influenced both regions. These exchanges contributed to a blending of cultural traits, especially evident on the Iranian Central Plateau, which served as a vital contact zone. This duality of cultural influences is particularly apparent in the material culture of the 4 th millennium BCE, where the urban populations of the Iranian Highlands exhibited a degree of biculturalism. This study explores the evolution of pottery as a key indicator of social and cultural complexity during this time. Focusing on recent research at key archaeological sites such as Tepe MeymanatAbad, Tepe Sofalin, Tepe Qabrestan, Tepe Ozbaki, and Tepe Iyqerbolagh, this paper analyses the pottery sequence from the Sialk III6-7 phase through to the late Uruk and Proto-Elamite periods. The evidence suggests that the increasing complexity in pottery production reflects broader socio- political changes and varying demands for information processing and decision-making within these emerging complex societies. This study highlights the dynamic interaction between local and external influences on the Tehran Plain, offering new insights into the evolving cultural identities of the region during the Late Chalcolithic period.

Session 4. Crafting Identity and Clusters through Material Culture, Iconography and Texts [info]