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During the course of our studies on archaeometallurgy in southeastern Iran, we tried to survey the triangle of the Sirdjān, Neiriz and Shahr- e- Bābak. As a result, remains of old iron mining residues of smelting furnaces, and iron smelting slag heaps were observed and recorded. A few samples of iron ore and smelting slag have been analysed classically and instrumentally. According to the acquired results, it has been suggested that the blacksmiths of this region applied two methods to produce iron: first, producing sponge iron, and second, of molten cast iron. According to the classification and the dating, these metallurgical activities have been estimated as old as 500 years before the advent of Islam and that continued till the beginning of Islam.

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Two important points have been the motivations of the writers of this article. The first motivating factor is the importance of the Neolithic Period especially the phase of shifting from Epi-Paleolithic to Neolithic in nowadays archaeological argumentation. The second factor is the importance of Khorramabad valley at the Paleolithic period and the abundance of early Chalcolithic sites and having no knowledge about the valley’s archaeology in Neolithic Period. Exploring two important sites namely Roāhol and Merijelo and finding three sites namely Sarab Kotela, Kohele and Kharmanjā Haft Cheshmeh in this valley, have opened promising horizons for archaeologists to understand the cultural changes of the Neolithic period. Surveying the surface findings and studying on the settlement layers of these sites have provided an opportunity for initial recognition of the existence of social life in Neolithic period in the valley. The general archaeological researches on central Zagros and specific researches on Khorramabad valley and also identifying and preliminary surveying of two under- discussion sites have created a proper opportunity for proposing a new mission to excavate the sites and to conduct systematic compact survey on Khorramabad valley. This article reviews the literature of archaeological studies on central Zagros and Khorramabad valley briefly and propounds the theories of beginning of food production and Neolithisation, proposes key questions and presupposition corresponding to the writers’ suggestive plan.