Iranica Antiqua, vol. LI, 2016 doi: 10.2143/IA.51.0.3117828 KHAJE ASKAR: A 4TH MILLENNIUM BC CEMETERY IN BAM, SOUTHEASTERN IRAN BY Nader A. SOLEIMANI 1 , Mojgan SHAFIEE 1 , Nasir ESKANDARI 2 & Hekmatollah M. SALEHI 1 (University of Tehran 1 , University of Jiroft & Université de Lyon II 2 ) Abstract: Due to the exciting discovery of major Bronze Age urban centers in southeastern Iran, such as Shahr e Soukhte, Shahdad and Konar Sandal (Jiroft), most scholarly attention has been given to the 3 rd millennium BC. As a result, the cultures preceding the Bronze Age in particular the 4 th millennium BC have been often neglected. In early 2011, the Iranian Center of Heritage and Tourism Organ- ization (ICHTO) of Kerman Province conducted a rescue excavation at Khaje Askar near the city of Bam, in which several graves and complete funerary vessels were discovered (about 15 graves had been bulldozed previously). As a result of the excavations, a total of 9 graves and 53 funerary goods were uncovered; the burial goods included ceramics, stone and clay beads, stone vessels, clay objects, shells and a unique metal blade. In this article, we state the results of excavations at Khaje Askar cemetery and describe the burials and funerary goods and accord- ing to a comparative analysis based on the ceramics of other excavated settlement sites of southeastern Iran and Pakistan such as Tal- e Iblis, Mahtoutabad, Mehr- garh and Shahi Tump, we argue that Khaje Askar cemetery belongs to the Aliabad culture (Iblis IV) and dates to the 4 th millennium BC. Keywords: Southeastern Iran, Khaje Askar cemetery, burial patterns, Aliabad culture (Iblis IV) Introduction The village of Khaje Askar is located 5km west of Bam city in Kerman province and 300m south of the Kerman - Bam Road (fig. 1). In 2011, during construction activities in this region, a prehistoric cemetery was accidentally found. Khaje Askar cemetery is located on the east bank of Chelleh Khane River in the Bam plain. From the construction activities, 15 complete vessels and some bone fragments were found which proved the existence of a cemetery, so the construction activities were postponed and a rescue excavation was conducted by a team of archaeologists from