stone "walls" and paleolithic tools: the mac064 site

British Institute of Persian Studies

Stone "Walls" and Paleolithic Tools: The MAC064 SiteAuthor(s): Michael RosenbergSource: Iran, Vol. 28 (1990), pp. 83-88Published by: British Institute of Persian StudiesStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4299837 .

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SHORTER NOTICE

STONE "WALLS" AND PALEOLITHIC TOOLS: THE MAC064 SITE

by Michael Rosenberg University of Pennsylvania

During the summer of 1978, the author conducted an archaeological survey of Paleolithic sites in the Mary Dasht, Iran.' In addition to 29 sheltered sites, 327 open-air loci of human activity, ranging in size from single finds to substantial lithic and ceramic scatters, were discovered. The goals, methods, and results of the survey have been detailed elsewhere (Rosenberg 1988), as have the results of a sondage conducted at Eshkaft-e Gavi, one of the sheltered sites (Rosenberg 1985). This report relates to MAC064, an open-air site discovered during the 1978 survey.2

The location of the MAC survey square is illustrated in Fig. 1. The dominant topographic feature of the MAC square is a pass that runs northwest to southeast through the lower half of the square. This pass con- nects the Baiza district of the Mary Dasht with the narrow upper valley of the Kur River. The pass is the easiest route between the more mountainous terrain surrounding the upper reaches of the Kur River and the Baiza district. It is used extensively by many Qashqa'i groups to move between these two areas during the course of their yearly migrations. A large stream channel runs down the centre of the pass, parallel to a modern dirt road. Zagrosian oak forest presently covers the entire survey square and extends a few kilometres to the east and southeast.

Including the focal cave site MAC (MAC001), as well as MBC and MCC, two other cave sites situated within the square, a total of 225' loci of human activity were located in the square during the course of the survey. These range from single finds to extensive scatters, and not all date to the Paleolithic. The locations of the various major and minor scatters within the MAC square are illustrated in Fig. 2. With the exception of those specifically referred to below, the identifying numbers of scatters and single finds (cf. Rosenberg 1988) are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

MAC064 is the single largest lithic scatter within the MAC square. It is situated in the southeast corner of the square, on relatively flat ground, as the pass opens onto the Baiza plain. The scatter is roughly triangular in configuration and approximately 2000 sq. metres in area. Two low, roughly linear, wall-like piles of cobbles, each about 50 metres long, border a portion of the scatter. Fig. 3 is based on a sketch plan of the site made in the field in 1978. The Iranian Revolution interrupted a planned return to the site in 1979 that was to carry out a more detailed investigation.

In all, 620 pieces of chipped stone were collected from within the confines of MAC064. They constitute all the readily visible chipped stone at the site, not just the shaped artifacts. Of these 620 artifacts, 472

(ca. 75%) appear to have been utilised in one fashion or another. Of these, 106 are examples of commonly recognised types; the balance are simply utilised to

varying degrees. The 106 typed artifacts consist of two

choppers, 28 side scrapers, four transverse scrapers, three convergent scrapers, 20 whole or fragmentary discoidal-like cores, ten flake-blade cores, six blade cores (one of the blade cores coexists on the same nodule as one of the flake-blade cores), one ridged blade, one circular scraper, 13 end scrapers, nine carinated scrapers of various types, one dihedral burin, one polyhedral burin, and seven thumbnail scrapers. A number of the various scrapers are marginal examples of the types to which they are assigned. Whether this is a product of site function, such that tools used at

MAC064 did not require the degree of resharpening that would eventually endow them with fully developed configurations, or whether it results from other factors, is not clear. No geometrics were found, though artifacts of that type do occur at some of the sheltered sites that ring the Mary Dasht (Rosenberg 1985, 1988).

Chronologically, the choppers and the flake-blade cores do not characterise any particular period. Of the

remaining 94 artifacts, 55 (i.e., the side, transverse, and

convergent scrapers, as well as the spent disc cores) are

examples of types that, alone and in combination, characterise Zagros Mousterian assemblages (Skinner 1965; Dibble 1984). However, it is this grouping that contains the largest number of marginal examples. Moreover, side scrapers are known to occur in later

period assemblages (Hole and Flannery 1967) and

personal observations lead me to think the same may be the case for this variety of disc core. Thus, the

apparent high frequency, if not the very presence, of these types in the MAC064 assemblage may be mis-

leading. The remaining 39 artifacts are of types usually considered Upper Paleolithic in combination.

The MAC064 site falls within the confines of the MAC230 site, as do a number of other MAC scatters. MAC230 is an extremely large ceramic scatter that is *estimated to stretch for over 1500 metres along the eastern bank of the stream bed that runs down the floor of the pass, beginning at a point several hundred metres

83



84 JOURNAL OF PERSIAN STUDIES

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Fig. 1. Map of Mary Dasht showing the location of the MAC survey square.

southeast of the MAC(001) shelter, and extending in a

southeasterly direction past the boundary of the

square. On the basis of the few sherds examined, the MAC230 ceramic scatter appears to be of Partho- Sassanian date (W. Sumner 1978, pers. comm.), and Partho-Sassanian ceramic sherds did occur interspers- ed with the lithic material of MAC064. Thus, the two linear arrangements of cobbles mentioned above can also be attributed to MAC230, at least in theory. Aside from the two piles of cobbles, no other features were

recognised. Several single finds, including a carnelian bead (MAC053) and a metal projectile point (MAC071) may or may not be associated with MAC230.

Two questions stand out. (1) When were these two stone features first built? (2) What was the function of these installations? Obviously, the extensive architec- tural activity known to be a feature of life during later

periods, makes it possible to attribute the stone features to some late prehistoric or historic period. Given the fact that they fall within the MAC230

ceramic scatter, the Partho-Sasanian period (240 B.C.-641 A.D.) is the most logical choice for such a

hypothetical late date. Alternatively, it is possible to associate these features with the MAC064 scatter, in which case they would be of appreciably greater age. If so, the Upper Paleolithic component (end scrapers, burins, carinated scrapers, etc.) within the MAC064 assemblage makes that period the most reasonable

hypothetical early date for their construction.

Regarding the basic question of early versus late date, it is noteworthy that the MAC064 lithic scatter not only falls largely within the confines of these two stone "walls", but that they constitute a significant portion of the site boundary, with only occasional single finds

beyond them. Thus, if anything, there is a stronger spatial association of these stone features with the MAC064 lithic scatter than with the MAC230 scatter. For that reason, of the two, the author tentatively considers an early date as being the more strongly suggested by the limited available data.

The question of MAC064's function as a site is even



SHORTER NOTICE 85

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ca. 55 m.

NOT TO SCALE

Fig. 3. Plan of the MACO64 site.

more difficult to address objectively with just the available data. The presence of 620 pieces of chipped stone, plus however many buried or overlooked artifacts as may exist, suggests that MAC064 may not have been deposited all at once. That, in turn, raises the

consequent question of why people would reoccupy a

specific open-air locale time and again. If, as are several of the other MAC scatters, a site is

situated in close proximity to some topographic feature or features (such as stream channels), the

reoccupation of the site over time can rationally be

suggested to relate to these environmental features

(Rosenberg 1988). However, the MAC064 scatter is not associated with a stream channel; nor does it seem to be spatially associated with any other specific topographic feature beyond the pass itself. In other words, there seems to be nothing about the position of MAC064 in the pass to suggest that people could not have carried out similar activities 50, 100, 150, or more metres away in virtually any direction. That raises the

possibility that what may have drawn human groups to MAC064 subsequent to an initial period of use were the stone features themselves, a fixed improvement that

may have made MAC064 preferable to (unimproved) alternative locales in the vicinity of that site. That is, if these installations were integral to the site's function and if their construction dated to the initial period of

use, the "walls" would have constituted a pull on any later groups seeking to use that area for the same

purpose. Obviously, one can speculate at length about the

possible function of the MAC064 "walls". However, to do so at this time is pointless. The thumbnail scrapers, side scrapers, etc. leave open the possibility that MAC064 may date to more than one period. Thus, any attempt to clarify function by means of typological comparison to contemporary assemblages is question- able. The fact that MAC064 is a surface scatter, with artifacts that have long been exposed to the elements, would seem to preclude wear analysis as well. Finally, a resumption of field work at MAC064 is not likely in the near future, ruling out verification of speculative hypotheses by means of data derived from additional work at MAC064.

In conclusion, future research may eventually clarify when the MAC064 stone "walls" were constructed. It



SHORTER NOTICE 87

Fig. 4. Chipped stone artifacts from MAC064. (1) chopper, (2) side scraper, (3) exhausted disc core, (4) side scraper, (5) side scraper, (6) exhausted disc core re-used as carinated scraper, (7) carinated scraper, (8) burin on backed blade, (9) atypical end scraper,

(10) carinated scraper, (11) steep scraper, (12) thumbnail scraper, (13) thumbnail scraper.




may also contribute to an understanding of the MAC064 site's function. If the hypothetical early date for the stone "walls" can ultimately be demonstrated, that potential fact has significance regarding human capabilities during the Paleolithic-the greater the

date, the greater the potential significance of such capabilities. In addition, to the degree that any such future research clarifies MAC064's function, MAC064 will prove the source of new insights into life in the Zagros during the Paleolithic.

'The 1978 Mary Dasht survey was conducted under the auspices of the Malyan Project, as part of the author's dissertation research. The author is indebted to Dr. William M. Sumner and Dr. Robert H. Dyson Jr., directors of the Malyan Project, for their support and guidance in that research.

2Open-air site designations consisted of a three-letter name, representing the survey unit, plus a number, representing the single find or scatter within the survey unit.

3MAC site designations end at 230, five numbers were not actually used.

Bibliography Dibble, H. L. 1984. "The Mousterian Industry from Bisitun Cave",

Paleorient 10, 23-34. Hole, F. and Flannery, K. V. 1967. "The Prehistory of Southwestern

Iran: A Preliminary Report", Proc. Prehist. Soc. 33, 147-206. Rosenberg, M. 1985. "Report on a Sondage at Eshkaft-e Gavi,

Iran". Iran XXIII, 51-62. -- , 1988. Paleolithic Settlement Patterns in the Marv Dasht, Fars

Province, Iran. University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. dissertation. Skinner, J. H. 1965. The Flake Industries of Southwest Asia: A Typological

Study. Columbia University, Ph.D. dissertation.



stone "walls" and paleolithic tools: the mac064 site

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