Discoveries Unveiled: Excavations Uncover Secrets of Seasonal Pastoral Camps in the Hawraman Mountains

Recent findings from the Bardeh Mar archaeological site in Iran’s Hawraman region provide an intriguing insight into the seasonal rhythms of pastoral life during the Islamic period. These excavations, conducted in 2015 prior to the filling of the Daryan Dam reservoir, reveal significant evidence about the lifestyle of ancient herders who utilized this area as a temporary winter encampment.

According to the newly published report, archaeologists discovered that the Bardeh Mar site was actively used during two distinct historical phases: the Middle Islamic period (12th–13th centuries CE) and the Late Islamic period (18th–19th centuries CE). This discovery offers a rare glimpse into how mobile pastoral communities organized their winter settlements in the rugged highlands of western Iran.

The excavations have revealed a variety of structural remains, tools, and domestic artifacts that indicate how herders adapted their shelters and material culture over time while still adhering to long-standing traditions associated with transhumance.

• The site is located in the rugged mountains of Kordestan province.
• Excavated structures are simple, circular dry-stone constructions built without mortar.
• Distinct from permanent villages in the region, which feature rectangular architecture, the buildings at Bardeh Mar are modest and temporary.

Dr. Amir Saed Mucheshi, the lead archaeologist from the University of Kordestan, emphasized the significance of the architectural evidence found at the site. “We are not looking at a permanent village, but at a seasonal campsite. The seasonal circular houses and a combination of a house and a hut, built quickly and efficiently from locally available stone, are directly comparable to the Hawars used by modern pastoralists in Hawraman for winter grazing,” he stated.

One of the pivotal pieces of evidence confirming the site’s function was derived from a detailed analysis of animal bones recovered during the excavations. The faunal assemblage primarily consisted of remains from domesticated sheep, goats, and cattle, indicating an economy heavily reliant on herding. Additionally, bones of wild animals such as deer, foxes, and wild boars were also identified.

Dr. Marjan Mashkour, a prominent zooarchaeologist from the CNRS in France who studied the remains, remarked, “The zooarchaeological data unequivocally show that the subsistence economy at Bardeh Mar was based on pastoralism. The inhabitants were primarily herding goats, sheep, and cattle. These animals provided their main source for food and secondary products, which is entirely consistent with the site’s interpretation as a seasonal camp for pastoralists.”

The artifacts unearthed at the site further corroborate its classification as a short-term habitation site. Nearly 4,300 pottery fragments were recovered, most of which were simple, handmade, and brown-colored. The lack of glazed ceramics and the limited variety of vessel forms—primarily small and medium-sized bowls and jars—suggest that the community possessed minimal items, transporting only essential goods for their seasonal stay.

The chronology of the Bardeh Mar site was established using both radiocarbon dating of bone and charcoal samples and thermoluminescence dating of pottery. The results indicate the two primary phases of occupation occurred during the Seljuk-Ilkhanid and after the Safavid to the Qajar eras.

A significant artifact that helped anchor the later period was the discovery of clay tobacco pipes found on the floor of one structure. These pipes, dating to the 18th century, correspond with the historical record of tobacco’s introduction and popularization in the region during the Ottoman era.

The most significant outcome of this research is the demonstration of cultural continuity across centuries. The site’s spatial layout, architecture, and pastoral function persisted through both the Middle and Late Islamic periods, reflecting similar patterns of seasonal nomadism that are still practiced in Hawraman today.

The study of Bardeh Mar holds immense importance as it highlights a type of site frequently overlooked in Iranian archaeology, which has traditionally concentrated on large, permanent settlements. Additionally, the incorporation of ethnoarchaeological data in explaining the function of archaeological sites is one of the valuable results of this research.

Dr. Saed Mucheshi explained, “This research fills a critical gap in our understanding of the rural economy and land-use systems in the highlands of western Iran. It shows how ancient communities successfully adapted to a challenging mountain environment through a mobile pastoral lifestyle, a tradition that has shaped the cultural landscape of Hawraman for generations.”

The findings from Bardeh Mar, now submerged under the Daryan Dam reservoir, represent a valuable record of the enduring relationship between humans and their environment in the Zagros Mountains. The excavation of Bardeh Mar was part of the broader Daryan Dam Archaeological Salvage Program, initiated before the reservoir’s flooding between 2015 and 2016. Under the guidance of Fereidoun Biglari, this rescue project led to the discovery and excavation of numerous significant sites in the Hawraman region, ranging from the Middle Paleolithic period to the modern era.

This program provided a crucial snapshot of human occupation in this mountainous area, with most of the sites, including Bardeh Mar, now permanently underwater.