Archealogy

The little Zab River in northwestern Iran rises from the mountains Piranshehr and
flows from the northwest to the southeast direction to join Iraq from Alan passage.
The River basin contains a large number of ancient settlements, and its lower area
that is close to the Zab River has been the most interesting place for people in the
Neolithic Age. An increasing population during Chalcolithic Age led to the
dispersion of settlements. These sites are located in the north of this basin, in a
valley and a little plain.

During the recent years more sites of rock art have been identified by the scholars. In Northwest of Iran There are high mountains and good natural conditions created favorable region for life. In different area there are some rock art. All of rock art in northwest of Iran located in Mountainous areas. This part of Iran have been identified 5 site such as Mahabad region, Shahin Dezh region, Meshkin Shahr region, Arasbaran region (Songon), Ahar region (Petroglyphs of Dowzdaghi). Although this regain close to west of Iran region but they are different from the west motifs. There motifs are similar to Azarbijan motifs in north of Iran.

Zab basin is located in the south part of Urmia Lake.The little Zab River in northwestern Iran rises from the mountains Piranshehr and flows from the northwest to the southeast direction to join Iraq from Alan passage. The River basin contains a large number of ancient settlements. Based on sherd pottery has been residential from prehistoric period to now. Important too is the presence of Uruk pottery, including the beveled-rim bowl, at 5 sites in Zab basin. This pottery is not seen in the northwest of Iran yet and is not in evidence in the higher regions of Hamadan. For the first time this material can be seen in the Little Zab basin. This pottery as the late Uruk period that is late fourth millennium BC, at this time we see social complexity accelerating in the Middle East. Geographical position and Settlement pattern, Signs of Commercial and cultural relation of the North-Western Iran Society and northern Mesopotamia in late Chalcolithic.

The little Zab River rises in north western of Iran, in the mountains of northwest of Piranshahr city and flows northwest to southeast and west to join Iraq soil.  It is close to tracks that cross the Zagros and that once linked Assyria with the areas surrounding Lake Urmia on the north and the main Iranian plateau on the east. Around the river, there are lots of ancient and historical sites. In the result of Archaeological survey 16 sites of ancient settlement have been distinguished, 12 of them located in north of basin and 4 of them located in south part of Zab basin. Rabat lies in Iran on what was the Mannean side of the main mountain range, but close to traditional routes that led westward to Assyria and Babylonia. Due the important of Rabat in the south of the part Basin, expectation to more of sites to be located here. But almost of first millennium sites located in north. This region have importance role Between Assyrian and Mennaean. The Haji Omran passage in west connects this region to the north of Mesopotamia. The site of Rabat Tepe can be dated to the 8th/7th centuries B.C. and its remains are closely related to that from sites like Qalaichi, Ziwiye or Hasanlu. Rabat Tepe most likely belonged to the Mannean realm. The numerous military campaigns and intrusions of both Assyrian and Urartians kings in NW-Iran clearly indicate the pivotal role this region has played in power games between great empires. For almost 150 years, from the middle of the 9'h tiıı the end of the 8'h century the Urartian areas in Iran were not attacked any more by Assyria. It was only during the reign of Sargon II. of Assyria that Urartu and Assyria clashed in Iran again. The reason was that Urartu interfered more and more in the affairs of the kingdom of Mannea, which Assyria considered a tributary. In 714bc, Sargon II, king of Assyria, conducted a major military campaign across the Zagros Mountains into western Iran.  During the campaign of Sargon II in 714 B.C. numerous cities and fortifications were mentioned in the region and Tepe Rabat may be one of them. Sargon II’s Eighth Campaign, 714 B.C. into the region resulted in intensive defeat of Urartians which ended the Urartian dominant on the eastern, southern and western regions of Urmia Lake and they just dominated the north of the Urmia lake, and by far, any Urartian epigraphy has not found in this place after the year 714 B.C. The first half of the 7th century is when Mannaean seized the power in that area, the time during which it was expanded more than ever, and Urmia plain was dominated by Mannaean, so according to these evidences, it can be said that this region is for Mannaean Empire in 7th century. However, the basin at a time when the boundaries between Mannaean and Assyria in the West and is bordered to the north by Urartu. Perhaps Grde Soreh has been the last Urartian places in this area. In the 9th century BC, in the presence of powerful local governments, including Mannaean, Gīlzānū and Hūbūshkia. Among sites of the north basin, Shin Abad and Pasveh of the vast territory and of more than ten hectares and are likely to be consistent with ancient Hūbūshkia with Gīlzānū and Musasir are geographically close. More recently, efforts have been made Musasir location in northern Iraq near the northern Zab basin. Hajji Omran pass also very affordable route linking northern Mesopotamia that is likely part of the Assyrian invasion has been done this way. Shin Abad and Pasveh excavations can be very useful information on this topic

حوضه دریاچه ارومیه با ویژگیهای خاص جغرافیایی و طبیعی همواره مورد توجه گروههای مختلف جمعیتی در دوران پیش از تاریخ تا به حال بوده‏است. امکان ارتباط حوضه دریاچه ارومیه از طریق کرویدورهای چون کیل شین و حاج عمران با شمال بین النهرین بسیار آسانتر از برقراری ارتباط با سایر مناطق خصوصا زاگرس مرکزی است. برخی شکل گیری روستاهای حوضه دریاچه ارومیه را در دوره نوسنگی را نتیجة مهاجرت مردمان شمال بین النهرین می‏دانند که به دنبال یافتن چراگاههای مناسب و وضعیت بهتر از طریق دره هایی که امروزه یخش غربی حوضه دراچه ارومیه را به شمال عراق وصل میکند، به این منطقه آمده‏اند. بر اساس شواهد باستان شناسی در دوره مس و سنگ ارتباط میان شمال غرب ایران و شرق اناتولی از طریق ارز روم، شرق رود ارس و حوالی دریاچه اورمیه صورت می‏گرفته است. اگرچه در بحث تشابهات فرهنگی باید روند تکامل جوامع را نیز در نظر داشت اما با توجه به مدارک و شواهد به نظر می‏رسد این فرهنگ نیز بیشتر متاثر از بین النهرین است و از طریق دره های میان کوهی شمالی زاگرس منتقل شده است.