Ali Kosh

Ali Kosh is a Neolithic settlement site in the Deh Luran plain of southwestern Iran, in what is today Ilam province. The site preserves mudbrick houses, storage features and multiple burial contexts that date to the early farming period in the region.

Archaeological layers at Ali Kosh contain evidence for domesticated plants and animals and architectural remains that illustrate early village life. Systematic excavations in the 1960s documented the sequence of occupation and recovered pottery, bone and plant remains used to reconstruct subsistence and social practices.

The site is one of a series of early Neolithic settlements in the Deh Luran plain that together provide important data on the spread of farming in the Zagros and southwestern Iranian lowlands.

Ali Kosh lies in the Deh Luran plain in southwestern Iran, within the modern boundaries of Ilam province.

• Early agriculture and architecture: Occupied during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, the site provides evidence for early farming, animal domestication and mudbrick architecture in the Deh Luran plain.
• Excavation history: Major excavations took place in the 1960s by an international team, which documented the stratigraphy and recovered faunal and botanical remains.

What to See#

• Settlement remains and burials: Multi-layered settlement remains including mudbrick domestic structures, storage pits and burial contexts that record changes in economy and social organisation over millennia.

• Archaeological site is remote-coordinate with local authorities or university teams if planning research visits.
• Bring sun protection and plenty of water; the plain can be hot and exposed in summer.
• Combine a visit with regional archaeological sites in Ilam province to understand the broader Neolithic to Chalcolithic sequence.