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Chogha Bonut (Persian Choghā bonut) is an archaeological site in south-western Iran, located in the Khuzistan Province. It is believed that the site was settled as early as 7200 BCE, making it the oldest lowland village in south-western Iran.
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This settlement on the Susiana Plain played a big role in the early Elam civilization. Later, this area became dominated by Susa. The site is important because it preserves a record of preceramic period settlement in Iran.
Discovery
The site was accidentally discovered in 1976 when the mound was being levelled for agribusiness development. Helene Kantor, then working at Chogha Mish nearby, hurried to the site and received a permit to investigate it.
Kantor remained for two seasons (1976/77 and 1977/78), but was unable to return in 1979 due to the Iranian Revolution. Abbas Alizadeh continued investigations at the site in 1996. His findings were published in 2003. It is one of the few Neolithic sites excavated since the Iranian revolution.
Settlement
Five phases of occupation are documented at the site:
- the Aceramic phase,
- the Formative Ceramic phase,
- the Archaic Susiana 0 phase (includes the Early Susiana period, ca. 5900 BCE),
- the Late Middle Susiana phase (ca. 5200 BCE)
- the Late Susiana 2 phase. (ca. 4400-4000 BCE)