Bestansur
بستانسور · Bestansur, Sulaymaniyah · Tall Bestansur
Early Neolithic (c.8000–7100 BCE; Bestansur horizon)·Pre-Pottery Neolithic B → Pottery Neolithic Shahrizor·🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Shahrizor Plain, Kurdistan, Iraq
About
About Bestansur
Low Early Neolithic mound 15 km SE of Sulaymaniyah on Shahrizor Plain, excavated by Roger Matthews (CZAP) since 2012. PPNB courtyard houses with gypsum plaster, under-floor burials, stone vessels and early wheat/barley — Iraq-Kurdistan parallel to Zagros Neolithic at Ganj Dareh and Chogha Golan.
Why it mattersShahrizor Early Neolithic 8th millennium centre bridging Zagros and Mesopotamian PPNB — courtyard architecture and burial under floors.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why abandon c.7100 BCE? Climate or social?
Theories
- 01Matthews Shahrizor early tell formation model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- PPNB town c.8000 BCE
- Period
- Early Neolithic (c.8000–7100 BCE; Bestansur horizon)
- Culture
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic B → Pottery Neolithic Shahrizor
- Builders
- Pre-Pottery Neolithic B communities
- Purpose
- Early Neolithic proto-urban centre on Shahrizor alluvium with plastered architecture
- Rediscovered
- Modern archaeological survey/ rescue
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.8000 BCE
PPNB courtyard town founded
c.7500 BCE
Plastered floor horizon peak
c.7100 BCE
Abandonment
2012
Matthews CZAP excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
35.3200° N · 45.7200° E · 620 m · 3 mapped features
Bestansur — West workshop
fortificationKey sub-area of Bestansur (Early Neolithic) showing Pre-Pottery Neolithic B horizon
35.3193° N · 45.7198° EBestansur — Ceremonial building
workshopKey sub-area of Bestansur (Early Neolithic) showing Pre-Pottery Neolithic B horizon
35.3201° N · 45.7204° EBestansur — Storage quarter
cave hallKey sub-area of Bestansur (Early Neolithic) showing Pre-Pottery Neolithic B horizon
35.3209° N · 45.7210° E
Gallery