The Bushehr Hinterland: Results of the First Season of the Iranian-British Archaeological Survey of Busherhr Province, November-December 2004

British Institute of Persian Studies, Iran Journal Vol. 44, 2006. pp. 63-103.A joint Iranian-British archaeological and geomorphological survey of Bushehr Province, Iran took place between 23rd November and 18th December 2004, as a pilot season to determine the course of future survey and excavation. There were three main research aims: To clarify the nature and chronology of coastal settlement in the Persian Gulf, and build a chronological and cultural framework for the Bushehr coastal region. To seek evidence for contact between coastal Iran, Mesopotamia and the littoral of the Arabian Peninsula during the 6th/5th millennia B.C.E. (known as the Chalcolithic, Ubaid and Neolithic Periods in each respective region). To gather data towards establishing the sequence of sea-level change in the Persian Gulf.