The Dalma Tradition : Prehistoric Inter-Regional Cultural Integration in Highland Western Iran
Abstract
In the mid-fifth millennium B.C., the remarkably homogeneous Dalma ceramic assemblage spread throughout much of the rugged Zagros highlands of north and central western Iran. This study examines Dalma pottery production and distribution patterns by utilizing two distinct kinds of evidence. First, the several diagnostic Dalma wares and their geographical distributions are presented. Second, stylistic and apparent (macroscopic) ware homogeneity is investigated by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). in order to identify local and regional ceramic production and distribution patterns. Stylistic, distributional, and INAA results are then integrated and interpreted in the light of ethnographic data on highland trade and markets, socio-political integration, and highland ethnicity.