Tepe Tula’i, and the Question of Nomadic Pastoralism

Tepe Tula’i in Khuzistan, Iran is one of the few acknowledged Neolithic pastoralist camps, but some question whether it is a camp of nomadic pastoralists. Features of Tula’i and its environment are discussed in relation to the possibility of nomadism. The debate concerns whether whole-group nomadic pastoralism could be sustained before the use of horses and other pack animals. The alternative is seasonal transhumance by small groups of herders detached seasonally from permanent settlements. Using evidence from Tula’i and other archaeological sites, ethnography, climatic and environmental studies, and physiological needs of humans and livestock, this paper argues for nomadic transhumance in the Neolithic and for the necessity of nomadism in the Iranian Zagros Mountains for as long as people have inhabited these lands.

Keywords:

Iran , Zagros Mountains , nomadism , transhumance , Neolithic , Goat , Agriculture