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Conference Presentations by Mohammad (Sepehr) Akhavan Kharazian

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying of copper anomalies using stream sediment exploration in the 1:100000 geological map of Natanz (North-East Esfahan)

The study’s framework covers the 1:100000 Natanz geological map which including outcrops of sever... more The study’s framework covers the 1:100000 Natanz geological map which including outcrops of several igneous as Eocene volcanic units that consist of andesite, trachyandesite and dacite with NW-SE- trending. They are located in central part and east margin of Urumieh-Dokhtar arc and were intruded by intrusive units of granite, granodiorite and tonalite in composition and Oligocene-Miocene in age. Sedimentary units composed of Miocene-Pliocene conglomerate and sandstone show widspread and vast outcrops in the southern half of the map. Ten lithological groups have been defined on the basis of composition, the relationship of lithological units and their ages with mineralization. By GIS, stream domain and geological map were combined and measured. After dilution, has been attained actual grade for every sample. Then, by examining the stream sediments of the area and by carrying out statistical calculations in order to assess the copper distribution model in the region, threshold and anomalies value of copper element have been determined. By drawing streams distribution model and sampling points along with copper values, areas with copper anomalies have been identified. It has also been discovered that southern areas comparison of the previously discovered mineralization exposures. Considering that no exploration surveys have ever been performed in the central portion of the study area, these anomalies are suggested for further exploration studies.
پنجره مطالعاتی، برگه زمینشناسی 1:100000 نطنز را پوشش میدهد و از رخنمونهای متعددی از آذرین با واحدهای آتشفشانی ائوسن شامل
آندزیت، تراکیآندزیت و داسیت با روند شمالغرب جنوبشرق در بخش میانی و حاشیه شرقی کمان ارومیه دختر قرار دارند که توسط - -
واحدهای نفوذی با ترکیب گرانیت، گرانودیوریت و تونالیت با سن الیگوسن میوسن قطع شدهاند. همچنین واحدهای رسوبی شامل کنگلومرا و -
ماسه سنگ میوسن و پلیوسن رخنمونهای بزرگ و پراکندهای را در نیمه جنوبی نشان میدهند. منطقه مورد بحث بر اساس ترکیب و ارتباط
واحدهای سنگی و نیز سن آنها با کانی سازی، به ده جامعه سنگی تقسیم شدند. به کمک GIS حوزه آبریز و نقشه زمین شناسی تلفیق و
مساحت محاسبه شد. پس از رقیق شدگی، عیار واقعی هر نمونه بدست آمد. سپس با بررسی رسوبات آبراههای منطقه و محاسبات آماری به
منظور تعیین الگوی پراکندگی مس در منطقه، مقادیر حد آستانه و ناهنجاری مس تشخیص داده شد. بعبارتی، با ترسیم الگوی توزیع آبراهه ها و
ترسیم نقاط نمونه برداری همراه با مقادیر مس، مناطق دارای ناهنجاری تعیین گردیدند. همچنین مشخص شد که مناطق جنوبی با رخنمونهای
کانیسازی از قبل شناسایی شده، تطابق دارند. با توجه به اینکه تاکنون در ناحیه مرکزی پنجره مطالعاتی کار اکتشافی صورت نگرفته است این
ناهنجاری جهت بررسیهای بیشتر اکتشافی معرفی میشود.

Research paper thumbnail of Detecting of prospective areas of lead and zinc using stream sediment discoveries in the 1:100000 geological map of Kashan (North Esfahan)

Abstract The 1:100000 geological map of Kashan covers the study’s framework of this research. Out... more Abstract
The 1:100000 geological map of Kashan covers the study’s framework of this research. Outcrops in the southern half of the map include several igneous and sedimentary exposures. Ten lithological groups have been defined on the basis of composition and the association of lithological units and their ages with mineralization. Volcanic rocks consist of mafic to intermediate composition and intrusions consist of granite, granodiorite, tonalite, monzodiorite, quartzdiorite to gabbro that reperesent a post Eocene to Miocene in age with a NW-SE direction. The area of rock units has been measured by GIS. Then, by examining of the stream sediments from the stdied area and by carrying out statistical calculations to assess the lead and zinc distribution model in the region, threshold limit value and anomalies of these elements have been determined. By drawing streams distribution model, areas with anomalies have been identified, as well as it has been discovered that eastern areas correspond to GIS outcrops of the study area and previously discovered crystallization outcrops. Since no exploration surveys have ever been performed in this area, anomalies of the western portion of the study area located near plutonic and sedimentary units are suggested for further exploration studies.
برگه زمین¬شناسی 100000:1 کاشان پنجره مطالعاتی این تحقیق را پوشش می¬دهد. رخنمون¬های نیمه جنوبی محدوده مورد بحث شامل تعدادی از بیرون زدگی های آذرین و رسوبی می باشد که بر اساس ترکیب و ارتباط واحدهای سنگی و نیز سن آن ها با کانی سازی به ده جامعه سنگی تقسیم شدند. سنگهای آتشفشانی از جنس حدواسط تا بازیک و واحدهای نفوذی با ترکیبی از گرانیت، گرانودیوریت، تونالیت، مونزودیوریت، کوارتزدیوریت تا گابرو به سن بعد از ائوسن تا میوسن با روند شمال¬غرب-جنوب¬شرق دیده می¬شوند. به کمک GIS، مساحت واحدهای سنگی در حوزه آبریز محاسبه شده و با حذف مولفه سین ژنتیک، عیار واقعی تک عنصری برای هر نمونه به دست می¬آید. سپس با بررسی رسوبات آبراهه¬ای منطقه و محاسبات آماری به منظور تعیین الگوی پراکندگی سرب و روی در منطقه، مقادیر حد آستانه و ناهنجاری این عناصر تشخص داده شد. مناطق دارای ناهنجاری براساس ترسیم الگوی توزیع آبراهه¬های محدوده مورد مطالعه و نیز ترسیم نقاط نمونه¬ برداری در نرم افزار GIS، شناسایی شدند و تشخیص داده شد که مناطق شرقی با رخنمونهای کانی¬سازی از قبل شناسایی شده تطابق دارند. با توجه به اینکه تاکنون در این ناحیه کار اکتشافی صورت نگرفته است ناهنجاری بخش غربی پنجره مطالعاتی که در نزدیکی واحدهای نفوذی و رسوبی قرار دارد جهت بررسی¬های بیشتر اکتشافی معرفی می¬شود.

Research paper thumbnail of Isotopic excursions at period boundaries

Biotic extinctions of varying magnitudes are associated with many era boundaries, and there are o... more Biotic extinctions of varying magnitudes are associated with many era boundaries, and there are often accompanying excursions in the carbon isotopic record. Such isotopic excursions reflect environmental events of sufficient size to have an impact on the global carbon cycle. However, it is not always easy to determine whether the excursion was the result of the extinction event, is attributable to some other consequence of the event leading to the extinction or may be largely unrelated to the extinction event. The problems associated with interpretation of isotopic excursions are demonstrated by three important boundary events including: 1-Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event 2-Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum 3-Permo-Triassic boundary event.

Papers by Mohammad (Sepehr) Akhavan Kharazian

Research paper thumbnail of Qaleh Kurd Cave (Qazvin, Iran): Oldest Evidence of Middle Pleistocene Hominin Occupations and a Human Deciduous Tooth in the Iranian Central Plateau

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, May 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Initial Upper Paleolithic in the Zagros Mountains

Frontiers in earth science, Apr 19, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Anzo, The First Evidence of Paleolithic Cave Sites in the Northern Margin of the Iranian Central Desert, Semnan, Iran

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2019

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific re... more HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Mirak 8 (Semnan), mission d’étude / Qaleh Kord (Qazvin), première campagne de fouilles

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - 10ème Campagne, Fouille du site Mirak 8

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP. Rapport annuel 2022. Fouilles et analyses à Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran)

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran) et Mirak (Semnan, Iran). Bilan du Quadriennal 2018-2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran), Mirak (Semnan, Iran). Bilan des analyses réalisées en 2020

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kord (Qazvin, Iran), Analyses et deuxième campagne de fouilles

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Geological−archeological study of the Mirak area (Semnan, Iran) using sedimentological and physico−chemical analyzes

Quaternary Journal of Iran (Iranqua), 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The Late Pleistocene in the Northern fringes of Iranian Central Desert and the Formation of Archaeological Sites; Case Study: Mirak, Semnan

Quaternary Journal of Iran (Iranqua), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of First geoarchaeological study of a Palaeolithic site on the northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert: Mirak (Semnan, Iran)

Journal of Arid Environments, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Anzo: The First Evidence of Paleolithic Cave Sites in the Northern Margin of the Iranian Central Desert, Semnan, Iran

Archaeology, 2019

The archaeological survey of the southern foothills of Alborz Mountains was conducted in search o... more The archaeological survey of the southern foothills of Alborz Mountains was conducted in search of caves and rock shelters with Palaeolithic remains. The region under investigation in Semnan Province is located in the northwestern margins of Dasht-e Kavir in Iranian Plateau. It was investigated primarily in 1980s and 1990s by Iranian archaeologists. From 2009, The Paleolithic Survey of the Iranian Central Desert Project (PSICDP) was established in order to evaluate the Paleolithic potential of the region, as a result of which Palaeolithic sites were documented and their surface collections were published. The current survey was conducted as a part of PSICDP project in autumn 2017. As a result, 12 caves and rock shelters were recorded, despite the promising condition of which only one had evidence from Palaeolithic Period. Anzo Cave, in northwest of Mehdishahr, was the only cave which yielded few number of chipped stones on the outer slope of the cave. The results of this survey rais...

Research paper thumbnail of The open-air Paleolithic site of Mirak, northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert (Semnan, Iran): Evidence of repeated human occupations during the late Pleistocene

Comptes Rendus Palevol

The northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert has provided valuable evidence of terminal Pleist... more The northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert has provided valuable evidence of terminal Pleistocene human settlements. Mirak constitutes one of the largest open-air lithic scatters in the region, consisting of eight natural mounds. Fieldwork was initiated in 2015 by the joint Iranian-French program at Mirak 8. Preliminary results have demonstrated at least three successive phases of human occupation during the MIS3: an upper layer with clear Upper Paleolithic affinities and a maximum age of 28 ky, a lower layer with clear Middle Paleolithic affinities that dates around 47 ky, and an intermediate layer with mixed characteristics that can be seen as an intermediate Paleolithic phase which dates between 28 ± 2 and 38 ± 2 ky. At the time when Upper Paleolithic cultures originated in the Zagros Mountains, cultures with clear Middle Paleolithic affinities persisted nearby along the northern edge of the Iranian Central Plateau.

Research paper thumbnail of Do bayesian methods lead to more precise chronologies?‘BayLum’ and a first OSL-based chronology for the palaeolithic open-air site of Mirak (Iran)

Quaternary Geochronology

Bayesian inference has been applied extensively to chronologies in archaeological science since i... more Bayesian inference has been applied extensively to chronologies in archaeological science since it provides several advantages over the (classic) frequentist approach. One of the most important aspects of applying Bayesian methods is their capacity to consider the stratigraphic relationship between ages. In luminescence dating, a crucial motivation for applying Bayesian modelling is the ability to address the systematic shared uncertainty. The recently deployed R package 'BayLum' was developed to ameliorate luminescence-based chronologies by employing Bayesian modelling. Our contribution aims at estimating the impact of strati-graphic order and systematic shared uncertainty on the age results. In this paper, for the first time, we present a comprehensive luminescence-based chronology for the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic site of Mirak. This open-air site is located in the northern fringes of the Iranian central desert, which is considered to be one of the dispersal corridors for hominins (Neanderthal and modern human) living across western and central Asia. We compare chronologies derived by frequentist and Bayesian methods to discuss the effect of stratigraphic ordering and the correlation between samples due to systematic shared uncertainty. Our investigations indicate that applying the stratigraphic order, when age uncertainty overlap one another, plays a fundamental role in reducing the uncertainty. At the site Mirak the obtained Bayesian chronology considering the stratigraphic order for the layer containing predominately Upper Palaeolithic techno-complex results in 21-28 ka. The age of the intermediate layer is in the range of 26-33 ka, and the lower-most layer containing Middle Palaeolithic assemblage gives the age-range of 43-55 ka. These results indicate that Late Pleistocene humans have exploited the site during MIS 3-2. Furthermore, the chronology gives further evidence to the hypothesis that the Iranian central plateau served as a frequently used habitat and dispersal corridor for human groups populating western and central Asia.

Research paper thumbnail of Identifying of copper anomalies using stream sediment exploration in the 1:100000 geological map of Natanz (North-East Esfahan)

The study’s framework covers the 1:100000 Natanz geological map which including outcrops of sever... more The study’s framework covers the 1:100000 Natanz geological map which including outcrops of several igneous as Eocene volcanic units that consist of andesite, trachyandesite and dacite with NW-SE- trending. They are located in central part and east margin of Urumieh-Dokhtar arc and were intruded by intrusive units of granite, granodiorite and tonalite in composition and Oligocene-Miocene in age. Sedimentary units composed of Miocene-Pliocene conglomerate and sandstone show widspread and vast outcrops in the southern half of the map. Ten lithological groups have been defined on the basis of composition, the relationship of lithological units and their ages with mineralization. By GIS, stream domain and geological map were combined and measured. After dilution, has been attained actual grade for every sample. Then, by examining the stream sediments of the area and by carrying out statistical calculations in order to assess the copper distribution model in the region, threshold and anomalies value of copper element have been determined. By drawing streams distribution model and sampling points along with copper values, areas with copper anomalies have been identified. It has also been discovered that southern areas comparison of the previously discovered mineralization exposures. Considering that no exploration surveys have ever been performed in the central portion of the study area, these anomalies are suggested for further exploration studies.
پنجره مطالعاتی، برگه زمینشناسی 1:100000 نطنز را پوشش میدهد و از رخنمونهای متعددی از آذرین با واحدهای آتشفشانی ائوسن شامل
آندزیت، تراکیآندزیت و داسیت با روند شمالغرب جنوبشرق در بخش میانی و حاشیه شرقی کمان ارومیه دختر قرار دارند که توسط - -
واحدهای نفوذی با ترکیب گرانیت، گرانودیوریت و تونالیت با سن الیگوسن میوسن قطع شدهاند. همچنین واحدهای رسوبی شامل کنگلومرا و -
ماسه سنگ میوسن و پلیوسن رخنمونهای بزرگ و پراکندهای را در نیمه جنوبی نشان میدهند. منطقه مورد بحث بر اساس ترکیب و ارتباط
واحدهای سنگی و نیز سن آنها با کانی سازی، به ده جامعه سنگی تقسیم شدند. به کمک GIS حوزه آبریز و نقشه زمین شناسی تلفیق و
مساحت محاسبه شد. پس از رقیق شدگی، عیار واقعی هر نمونه بدست آمد. سپس با بررسی رسوبات آبراههای منطقه و محاسبات آماری به
منظور تعیین الگوی پراکندگی مس در منطقه، مقادیر حد آستانه و ناهنجاری مس تشخیص داده شد. بعبارتی، با ترسیم الگوی توزیع آبراهه ها و
ترسیم نقاط نمونه برداری همراه با مقادیر مس، مناطق دارای ناهنجاری تعیین گردیدند. همچنین مشخص شد که مناطق جنوبی با رخنمونهای
کانیسازی از قبل شناسایی شده، تطابق دارند. با توجه به اینکه تاکنون در ناحیه مرکزی پنجره مطالعاتی کار اکتشافی صورت نگرفته است این
ناهنجاری جهت بررسیهای بیشتر اکتشافی معرفی میشود.

Research paper thumbnail of Detecting of prospective areas of lead and zinc using stream sediment discoveries in the 1:100000 geological map of Kashan (North Esfahan)

Abstract The 1:100000 geological map of Kashan covers the study’s framework of this research. Out... more Abstract
The 1:100000 geological map of Kashan covers the study’s framework of this research. Outcrops in the southern half of the map include several igneous and sedimentary exposures. Ten lithological groups have been defined on the basis of composition and the association of lithological units and their ages with mineralization. Volcanic rocks consist of mafic to intermediate composition and intrusions consist of granite, granodiorite, tonalite, monzodiorite, quartzdiorite to gabbro that reperesent a post Eocene to Miocene in age with a NW-SE direction. The area of rock units has been measured by GIS. Then, by examining of the stream sediments from the stdied area and by carrying out statistical calculations to assess the lead and zinc distribution model in the region, threshold limit value and anomalies of these elements have been determined. By drawing streams distribution model, areas with anomalies have been identified, as well as it has been discovered that eastern areas correspond to GIS outcrops of the study area and previously discovered crystallization outcrops. Since no exploration surveys have ever been performed in this area, anomalies of the western portion of the study area located near plutonic and sedimentary units are suggested for further exploration studies.
برگه زمین¬شناسی 100000:1 کاشان پنجره مطالعاتی این تحقیق را پوشش می¬دهد. رخنمون¬های نیمه جنوبی محدوده مورد بحث شامل تعدادی از بیرون زدگی های آذرین و رسوبی می باشد که بر اساس ترکیب و ارتباط واحدهای سنگی و نیز سن آن ها با کانی سازی به ده جامعه سنگی تقسیم شدند. سنگهای آتشفشانی از جنس حدواسط تا بازیک و واحدهای نفوذی با ترکیبی از گرانیت، گرانودیوریت، تونالیت، مونزودیوریت، کوارتزدیوریت تا گابرو به سن بعد از ائوسن تا میوسن با روند شمال¬غرب-جنوب¬شرق دیده می¬شوند. به کمک GIS، مساحت واحدهای سنگی در حوزه آبریز محاسبه شده و با حذف مولفه سین ژنتیک، عیار واقعی تک عنصری برای هر نمونه به دست می¬آید. سپس با بررسی رسوبات آبراهه¬ای منطقه و محاسبات آماری به منظور تعیین الگوی پراکندگی سرب و روی در منطقه، مقادیر حد آستانه و ناهنجاری این عناصر تشخص داده شد. مناطق دارای ناهنجاری براساس ترسیم الگوی توزیع آبراهه¬های محدوده مورد مطالعه و نیز ترسیم نقاط نمونه¬ برداری در نرم افزار GIS، شناسایی شدند و تشخیص داده شد که مناطق شرقی با رخنمونهای کانی¬سازی از قبل شناسایی شده تطابق دارند. با توجه به اینکه تاکنون در این ناحیه کار اکتشافی صورت نگرفته است ناهنجاری بخش غربی پنجره مطالعاتی که در نزدیکی واحدهای نفوذی و رسوبی قرار دارد جهت بررسی¬های بیشتر اکتشافی معرفی می¬شود.

Research paper thumbnail of Isotopic excursions at period boundaries

Biotic extinctions of varying magnitudes are associated with many era boundaries, and there are o... more Biotic extinctions of varying magnitudes are associated with many era boundaries, and there are often accompanying excursions in the carbon isotopic record. Such isotopic excursions reflect environmental events of sufficient size to have an impact on the global carbon cycle. However, it is not always easy to determine whether the excursion was the result of the extinction event, is attributable to some other consequence of the event leading to the extinction or may be largely unrelated to the extinction event. The problems associated with interpretation of isotopic excursions are demonstrated by three important boundary events including: 1-Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary event 2-Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum 3-Permo-Triassic boundary event.

Research paper thumbnail of Qaleh Kurd Cave (Qazvin, Iran): Oldest Evidence of Middle Pleistocene Hominin Occupations and a Human Deciduous Tooth in the Iranian Central Plateau

Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, May 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Initial Upper Paleolithic in the Zagros Mountains

Frontiers in earth science, Apr 19, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Anzo, The First Evidence of Paleolithic Cave Sites in the Northern Margin of the Iranian Central Desert, Semnan, Iran

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2019

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific re... more HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Mirak 8 (Semnan), mission d’étude / Qaleh Kord (Qazvin), première campagne de fouilles

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - 10ème Campagne, Fouille du site Mirak 8

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP. Rapport annuel 2022. Fouilles et analyses à Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran)

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran) et Mirak (Semnan, Iran). Bilan du Quadriennal 2018-2021

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kurd (Qazvin, Iran), Mirak (Semnan, Iran). Bilan des analyses réalisées en 2020

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Programme Paléoanthropologique Franco-Iranien - FIPP - Qaleh Kord (Qazvin, Iran), Analyses et deuxième campagne de fouilles

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Geological−archeological study of the Mirak area (Semnan, Iran) using sedimentological and physico−chemical analyzes

Quaternary Journal of Iran (Iranqua), 2019

Research paper thumbnail of The Late Pleistocene in the Northern fringes of Iranian Central Desert and the Formation of Archaeological Sites; Case Study: Mirak, Semnan

Quaternary Journal of Iran (Iranqua), 2017

Research paper thumbnail of First geoarchaeological study of a Palaeolithic site on the northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert: Mirak (Semnan, Iran)

Journal of Arid Environments, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Anzo: The First Evidence of Paleolithic Cave Sites in the Northern Margin of the Iranian Central Desert, Semnan, Iran

Archaeology, 2019

The archaeological survey of the southern foothills of Alborz Mountains was conducted in search o... more The archaeological survey of the southern foothills of Alborz Mountains was conducted in search of caves and rock shelters with Palaeolithic remains. The region under investigation in Semnan Province is located in the northwestern margins of Dasht-e Kavir in Iranian Plateau. It was investigated primarily in 1980s and 1990s by Iranian archaeologists. From 2009, The Paleolithic Survey of the Iranian Central Desert Project (PSICDP) was established in order to evaluate the Paleolithic potential of the region, as a result of which Palaeolithic sites were documented and their surface collections were published. The current survey was conducted as a part of PSICDP project in autumn 2017. As a result, 12 caves and rock shelters were recorded, despite the promising condition of which only one had evidence from Palaeolithic Period. Anzo Cave, in northwest of Mehdishahr, was the only cave which yielded few number of chipped stones on the outer slope of the cave. The results of this survey rais...

Research paper thumbnail of The open-air Paleolithic site of Mirak, northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert (Semnan, Iran): Evidence of repeated human occupations during the late Pleistocene

Comptes Rendus Palevol

The northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert has provided valuable evidence of terminal Pleist... more The northern edge of the Iranian Central Desert has provided valuable evidence of terminal Pleistocene human settlements. Mirak constitutes one of the largest open-air lithic scatters in the region, consisting of eight natural mounds. Fieldwork was initiated in 2015 by the joint Iranian-French program at Mirak 8. Preliminary results have demonstrated at least three successive phases of human occupation during the MIS3: an upper layer with clear Upper Paleolithic affinities and a maximum age of 28 ky, a lower layer with clear Middle Paleolithic affinities that dates around 47 ky, and an intermediate layer with mixed characteristics that can be seen as an intermediate Paleolithic phase which dates between 28 ± 2 and 38 ± 2 ky. At the time when Upper Paleolithic cultures originated in the Zagros Mountains, cultures with clear Middle Paleolithic affinities persisted nearby along the northern edge of the Iranian Central Plateau.

Research paper thumbnail of Do bayesian methods lead to more precise chronologies?‘BayLum’ and a first OSL-based chronology for the palaeolithic open-air site of Mirak (Iran)

Quaternary Geochronology

Bayesian inference has been applied extensively to chronologies in archaeological science since i... more Bayesian inference has been applied extensively to chronologies in archaeological science since it provides several advantages over the (classic) frequentist approach. One of the most important aspects of applying Bayesian methods is their capacity to consider the stratigraphic relationship between ages. In luminescence dating, a crucial motivation for applying Bayesian modelling is the ability to address the systematic shared uncertainty. The recently deployed R package 'BayLum' was developed to ameliorate luminescence-based chronologies by employing Bayesian modelling. Our contribution aims at estimating the impact of strati-graphic order and systematic shared uncertainty on the age results. In this paper, for the first time, we present a comprehensive luminescence-based chronology for the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic site of Mirak. This open-air site is located in the northern fringes of the Iranian central desert, which is considered to be one of the dispersal corridors for hominins (Neanderthal and modern human) living across western and central Asia. We compare chronologies derived by frequentist and Bayesian methods to discuss the effect of stratigraphic ordering and the correlation between samples due to systematic shared uncertainty. Our investigations indicate that applying the stratigraphic order, when age uncertainty overlap one another, plays a fundamental role in reducing the uncertainty. At the site Mirak the obtained Bayesian chronology considering the stratigraphic order for the layer containing predominately Upper Palaeolithic techno-complex results in 21-28 ka. The age of the intermediate layer is in the range of 26-33 ka, and the lower-most layer containing Middle Palaeolithic assemblage gives the age-range of 43-55 ka. These results indicate that Late Pleistocene humans have exploited the site during MIS 3-2. Furthermore, the chronology gives further evidence to the hypothesis that the Iranian central plateau served as a frequently used habitat and dispersal corridor for human groups populating western and central Asia.