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IntroductionArchaeological surveys were frequent in the western and especially in southwestern Iran, but unfortunately, we know only little about the past cultures of Zanjan province since no adequate attention has been paid to the cultural and historical remains of this province. Hence, there is very little information about the prehistoric cultures of the region. Considering that the region was attractive to various human groups at different times and the unique location of the region among three different cultural zones on the central plateau in western and northwestern Iran, the study of ancient settlements and the evaluation of their features seemed necessary. Thus, an archaeological project was carried out through two survey seasons in 2003 and 2005 in order to study and identify the archaeological sites of the Abharroud basin (Aali 2003a; 2003b;2006a;2006b). The project, which was conducted by Abolfazl Aali, provided valuable information about the region from very ancient times up to the present; this paper presents the settlement patterns of the prehistoric sites. The objectives of the surveyZanjan province, especially its eastern parts, has always attracted various human groups. The region is rich in natural resources necessary for habitation, such as fertile plains, permanent rivers, streams and springs, animal and plant resources, which makes it a popular area for occupation. The province is located between two mountain ranges to the north and south and the main transport route was always through the plains of Abhar and Khorram Darreh. As this region has been a natural and principal way to connect the central plateau with northwestern Iran since the Neolithic, the study of settlement through time is of great value. This region is also important because the road to Great Khorasan passes through it to the east. Therefore, studying the settlement patterns of the region can provide valuable information and a better understanding of the interaction between nearby cultural-geographical regions. The main objectives of the survey were: (i) to identify ancient sites; (ii) to investigate settlement patterns and their distribution in different periods; (iii) to draw an archaeological map of the settlements; (iv) to study inter and intra-site relations and the interaction with the environment in the region; and finally (v) to clarify the nature of relations with nearby regions. The survey methodThe Abharroud basin, which includes the towns of Abhar and Khoram Dareh, is a vast area of 3400km 2 , of which 2993km 2 belongs to the town of Abhar and the remaining 407km 2 to the town Khoram Dareh. The first survey was carried out in an area of 1200km 2 , which included the entire town of Khoram Dareh and some parts of Abhar. During the second season, the remaining parts of Abhar were covered, which included the districts of Sa'een Qaleh, Sonbol Abad, Sultanieh, Darsajin, and Dolat Abad (Aali 2006b.18). Considering the vastness of the area, existing limitations, preliminary knowledge about the conditions of the settleme...

Summary Communal buildings have been reported from a number of early Neolithic sites from the Levant and Anatolia, but none were known from the central Zagros. Here we report on the recent excavations at Asiab, Kermanshah province, Iran, and argue that the principal feature found during Robert Braidwood’s excavation at the site in 1960 should be interpreted as an example of a communal building. We discuss the results of the previous and recent excavations, highlight the key features of this building, and the implications for our understanding of the early Neolithic in the ‘eastern wing’ of the Fertile Crescent.