---

Zab basin is in the south part of Urmia Lake. The little Zab River in northwestern Iran rises at the Piranshehr mountains and flows from the northwest to the southeast to join Iraq through Alan passage. The river basin contains many ancient settlements. Based on pot sherds it can be inferred that this basin has been a residential zone since the prehistoric period. A noteworthy feature of this basin is the presence of Uruk pottery, including the beveled-rim bowl, at 5 sites in Zab basin. This pottery has not been seen either in the northwest of Iran or in the higher regions of Hamadan. For the first time this material is identified in the Little Zab basin. This pottery belongs to the late Uruk period, i.e. late fourth millennium BC. Geographical position and settlement patterns could be signs of commercial and cultural relations between societies of Northwestern Iran and northern Mesopotamia in late Chalcolithic.
 

---

The little Zab River in northwestern Iran rises from the mountains Piranshehr and flows from the northwest to the southeast direction to join Iraq from Alan passage. The River basin contains a large number of ancient settlements, and its lower area that is close to the Zab River has been the most interesting place for people in the Neolithic Age. An increasing population during Chalcolithic Age led to the dispersion of settlements. These sites are located in the north of this basin, in a valley and a little plain.

---

Bari Castle is located on the western side of Urmia Lake. The castle enclosed with stony walls measuring several meters high, encompasses a widespread area. It was used in the first millennium BC considering the castle’s architectural features and potsherd remains found on its surface. For almost 150 years, from the middle of the 9^th century to the end of the 8^th century, the Urartian areas in Iran did not witness any attack from Assyrians. It was only during the reign of Sargon II, clashes erupted between Urartu and Assyria. The reason was that Urartu interfered more and more in the affairs of the kingdom of Mannea, which Assyria considered a tributary. The first half of the 7^th century is when Mannaean seized the power in that area. It was the time which saw the expansion of Mannean more than ever, especially its dominance on the Urmia plain, hence; the Bari castle was of the Mannaean Empire.