Zarzi

The CZAP team conducted a short season of intensive field survey in the region of Zarzi in January 2013. The survey included systematic, intensive field-walking in transects in order to search for archaeological sites. The emphasis of the survey was on early prehistoric sites with the particular aim to identify sites of Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene date that would be approximately contemporary with the project’s research focus on the transition from hunter-forager to farmer-herder in the Early Neolithic period, ca. 10,000-7000 BC.

The project permit issued by the Directorates of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah allows for archaeological survey by the CZAP team in a region 15 x 15km, with the Chemi Rezan valley of Zarzi located in the north of the survey region.

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We also commenced exploration of appropriate cave sites, in particular with the aim to identify potential candidates for speleothem analysis in order to contribute new evidence for research into the ancient climate of the region, including the interaction between climate change and human social change during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene.

In 2021, we worked in the region of Zarzi Cave for two days. At Zarzi Cave itself we systematically collected chipped stone materials on the cave talus and lower slopes. These lithics all appear to date to the Epipalaeolithic period.

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An open air site (Zagros Survey ZS3, now named Zawi Chami Razan) is situated across the Chemi Tabin river from Zarzi Cave on a low knoll overlooking the river. We located this open-air site during a survey season in January 2013. In the 2021 season we conducted systematic surface survey of the site; significant quantities of ground stone tools including boulder mortar pieces were recovered across the site. We excavated a 2 x 2m sounding at Zawi Chami Razan. A line of stones may be the remnants of a wall and lithic finds from this sounding indicated occupation of Epipalaeolithic date.

Returning to the site in May 2022, a small Iraq-UK Project team conducted a two-week season of excavations open-air site of Zawi Chami Razan (Zagros Survey site ZS3), expanding on the investigations in 2021. Four trenches have revealed substantial evidence for food preparation and craft activities.  Our survey of the site in 2013 identified a large boulder mortar (discussed in our Open Access monograph). Further survey and excavations have found numerous boulder mortars and stone pestles, stone structures, and food debris such as burnt animal bone, snail shell and crab claw.