The Impact of Climate Changes on the Life Style of Hunter Communities in Bastak Region, Hormozgan Province (Case Study: Rock Paintings of Eshkaft-e-Ahou)

The rock paintings of Iran are extremely significant and after five decades of research on them, nearly twenty different regions have been identified in different parts of the Iranian plateau. Each of these regions has its own unique local style. One of the most important areas is the “Eshkaft-e-Ahou” site, which has been identified for nearly two decades, but unfortunately, no research has been conducted on it. This research, using field and library methods, describes and compares the motifs of this site, and at the end, after investigating the climatic texture of the region, the authors have tried to reconstruct the life style of the creators of the paintings. This area is located in a very impassable region and in the highest area of the Gav-Bast Mountains. In order to reach the site, one must ascent a long distance with a steep slope of the mountain. Due to the characteristics of the motifs of this place and the potential for shelter, it is possible to determine that a small population of hunters have used this place. This rocky shelter is considered a very inappropriate place in contrast to today’s concepts of settlement definitions.