Luristan Excavation Documents Vol. VI: Bani Surmah: An Early Bronze Age Graveyard in Pusht-I Kuh, Luristan (ACTA Iranica)

This volume presents the final report of the excavations at the Bani Surmah graveyard in Pusht-i Kuh Luristan, Iran, by Ghent University and the Royal Museums of Art and History, Brussels. The Excavations, directed by Louis Vanden Berghe, were conducted in 1966 and 1967. Thirty-seven tombs made of stone boulders were excavated. Some were small and measured between two and four meters in length. Most, however, were much larger and measured ten meters or more in length. Most tombs were collective and were used by several generations. The burial goods cover almost the whole third millennium. Bani Surmah is located in the sub-region I of the Pusht-i Kuh, which is the closest to Mesopotamia. Many of the objects found in the tombs, such as common and painted pottery, seals and metalwork are of Mesopotamian origin. The close ties of this region with Mesopotamia raise some questions about the historical geography. Also the way of life and subsistence of past population groups in Pusht-i Kuh are considered. All the finds are illustrated in line drawings, the tombs and most objects also in photo.