The First Direct Evidence of the Djeitun Pottery Type in Eastern Mazandaran

The timing and process of Neolithisation in Eastern Mazandaran have been a topic of debate amongarchaeologists, as the Southern Caspian littoral is regarded as a likely route for the spread of Neolithic culture toCentral Asia. Until recently, there was no reliable evidence connecting this region to the Pottery Neolithic (PN)sites of Central Asia (Djeitun Culture). However, an archaeological field survey conducted in 2021 at the site ofTappeh Fakhi has provided direct evidence of Djeitun pottery in this region. Since the processes of endogenousor exogenous Neolithisation and domestication in Eastern Mazandaran remain controversial, sites such as TappehFakhi can shed light on the issues we are facing. When compared to adjacent regions such as the Central Plateau,Shahrud Plain, Gorgan Plain, Khorasan Region, and Western Central Asia, the Neolithic sherds found at TappehFakhi suggest a chronology beginning in the final 7th millennium BCE. In contrast, the Chalcolithic sherds indicatethat the site continued to be occupied until the end of the 5th millennium BCE. During the field survey, two potentialpaths for the introduction of the Djeitun culture to Eastern Mazandaran were considered: one from the southernslopes (Shahrud region) to the northern part of the Alborz mountains, and another through the Gorgan plain. Giventhe location of Tappeh Fakhi, it appears to be a significant site that connects the two cultures, i.e. the Djeitun andCaspian Neolithic Software, likely through the Gorgan Plain. This paper will summarise the known aspects of thePN in Eastern Mazandaran and its inter-regional interactions.