Identification of the sedimentary palaeo-environments in order to reconstruct the geographic history of Lower Khuzestan, SW-Iran

The southern part of the Mesopotamian plain was of immense importance toward the development of our modern civilisation. Since long archaeologists and historians have conducted research on ancient writings and archaeological findings in this lowland area. Unfortunately little work has been done on the evolution of the palaeo-environment along the Iranian side. Shifting rivers, changing coastlines as well as climate fluctuations are, among others, important factors which have had and have an impact on the production of the natural sustenance and thus ancient, historical and modern settlements. This study focuses on the palaeo-environmental reconstruction of Lower-Khuzestan in southwest Iran throughout the Holocene. The study of the sedimentary and mineralogical properties of the sediments up to 12m beneath the surface, in combination with radiocarbon dating make the reconstruction of the geographic history of Lower Khuzestan during the Holocene possible