Jani

Investigations at Jani

Jani (33º56`52``N; 46º47`00``E) is situated in the lower, warmer Zagros mountains on a fertile plain at 1,280m, southwest of Kermanshah, 90km from Sheikh-e Abad. Investigations focused on a 60m-long section cut by a channel, which provides a unique insight into the interior of a Pre-Pottery Neolithic mound. We cleaned, drew, photographed, recorded and took samples, including for micromorphological analysis.

The section provides an important insight into developments from periodic occupation associated with massive deposits of fire-cracked stones to more rapid accumulation of lenses of ash rich in charred plant remains with occasional surfaces. These were followed by construction of pits and fire installations, and then substantial architecture, with fine plaster floors and walls of ‘boat-shaped’ mud-bricks, comparable to those from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic levels at nearby Ganj Dareh (Smith 1990).

Preliminary study of the lithics, animal bones, and charred plant remains from Jani indicates strong comparison with Sheikh-e Abad, supported by a 14C date (Beta-258649) of 8140±60 cal BC, from mid-sequence.