Lapui-Period Settlements on the Persepolis Plain: Jalyan

The Kur river basin located on the center of Fars province is one of the main regions in Iran for the formation and development of prehistoric settlements. The Persepolis plain on the marginal areas of southeastern the basin has been a strategic and cross-cultural place for socio-economic exchanges from prehistoric times. The area during Chalcolithic period including Bakun and Lapui phases in 5th and 4th millennium B.C. has been settled by small villages such as Tal-e Bakun and Jalyan Archaeological sites. Jaylan is a complex site constituted of three parts and mounds that its name was the adaption of a neighboring village (Jaylan or Galyan), is situated 3.2 northwestern of Persepolis palaces and inside of its Buffer Zone. The site is completely flat on the farming lands, which can identify just by some surface finds, especially pottery sherds. The most important landscape complication of the ancient site is the Polvar (Sivand) river close to 100 m., and flows across the plain continuing southwest join to Kur river. Archaeological soundings at Jaylan excavated on the six trenches in various sizes between 7×5 m., 3×3 m., 2×6 m., and 2×2 m. Furthermore, 10 small test trenches at a distance of 10 to 50 m. from the center of site to recognize its core area and buffer zone that these didn’t have any cultural layers. So the area of the site is restricted to 0.5 hectares. a large quantity of Lapui pottery assemblage was found in lower levels, which generally divided into two categories including common ware and fine ware form to red, orange, and slight quantity in grey and buff colors. other significant finds are human burial and foundation of a large mud-bricks wall. Archaeological excavations at Jalyan show the site related to Lapui period, was a small settlement with two occupational phases.