A complement for Arak

Yunyao Chen

There are four buildings recorded and numbered by Professor Phys Pelaf, including Building A,

Building, Building D, Building E and Building J. Building J is the smallest one and was evaluated as

"poorly - constructed building". In addition, the clay platform (d) inside is also described as "poorly

built". It is worth noting that "coarse" was used to describe several artifacts, including sherds, flint

flakes and pottery jars. Finally, even though there are bone piles with domestic animals found, many

wild animal bones are also attested. Therefore, Building J is likely to be the earliest one compared with

other buildings. Building E is characterized by many small windowless rooms with objects related to

marine shells. It seems that this building is a workshop and warehouse for marine shells and related

artifacts. Building D is a large complex. The presence of cobblestones, good blades of obsidian,

obsidian blade cores and hundreds of chips and small flakes of obsidian indicates that this complex

may also have been functioned as a workshop and warehouse for obsidian objects. Building E and

Building D indicate the existence of long-distance trade and specialized craft production. Building A is

the most complex building, in which three rooms have been recorded by the field notes. A wide range

of archaeological remains are excavated in this building, such as animal bones, carbonized woolen

clothes, sherds, obsidian items, chips, clay jars, several plants, etc. Building A is likely to belong to a big

family of high social ranking. The presence of Building A may be considered as an indicator of social

stratification in the Neolithic of Arak. In addition, there are many burnt objects found in Building A,

which suggests this building was destroyed by fire. Possibly, this settlement may have been attacked in

ancient times.

The cemetery of Tell Al-Felafel needs further excavations. There are only 16 graves that have been

recorded. Dr. Rich Humus thought there were more than 190 graves which remain to be excavated

because of surface depressions and sherd scatters. From my perspective, this cemetery may have

been largely unearthed before Professor Rhys Pelaf's expedition. The number and quality of burial

objects vary greatly. Perhaps, the earlier graves contain simpler and fewer objects than the later

graves. It is also possible there is a huge difference among the social status of their owners. In

addition, the owner of grave 8 is most likely to be killed, because there is an unhealed puncture
wound on the right of his breast bone.