Assessing the Palaeoenvironment Conditions of Perhistoric with Emphasis on the Drainage Network: Case Study of Tal-e Malyan (Anshan), Fars, Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Geology, Research Institute for Earth Sciences, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Iranian Center for Archaeological Research (ICAR), Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Geography, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22111/ijas.2026.53581.1376

Abstract

Tal-e Malyan, also known as Ancient Anshan, has been recognised as an archaeological site since at least the mid-nineteenth century. Covering an area of about 200 hectares, it was one of the major prehistoric centres and the capital of the Elamite civilisation during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. This study provides a multi-proxy reconstruction of the palaeoenvironmental dynamics between 6000 and 3500 BP. By integrating sedimentological, geomorphological, and geoelectrical (Electrical Resistance Tomography, ERT) datasets with stratigraphic evidence from existing archaeological trenches in the Kur River Basin (Fars, Iran), we evaluate the environmental precursors to urban development. A total of 140 sediment samples were subjected to granulometric analysis to delineate depositional energy regimes. Additionally, ten geophysical profiles were surveyed to a depth of 20 m. The geoelectrical data identified a substantial palaeochannel conduit near Trench 18, measuring 20 m in width and 6 m in depth, dating to ca. 6000 BP, along with a secondary southern channel that is 5 m wide and 2 m deep. Furthermore, fluvial successions documented in Trench 8 suggest that two primary fluvial branches, originating from the western Qalat Mountains, intersected the site. These findings, supported by the presence of a lake environment on the eastern periphery, indicate that the spatial evolution and eventual relocation of settlements within the Beyza Plain were fundamentally governed by shifting hydro-geomorphological conditions and the need for stable water access.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 December 2026

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