The focus of Loeffler's and Friedl's fieldwork was a settlement of Luri people on the plateau of Sisakht. They were drawn to the village because of its reputation for progress, including the embrace of education. The plateau lies at an elevation of ca. 2000 m at the foot of the Kuh-e-Denar peak in the Zagros Mountains. The current village is said to have been settled in the late 19th century. Archaeological findings are believed to date back to the Sassanian period. The climate and land of Sisakht are conducive to agriculture, comprising primarily wheat and animal fodder (clover, alfalfa). It is rich in fruit trees, and is now one of the largest grape producing areas of the country. Once covered in waist-high pasture, it was settled for its support of a herding economy as much as for its agricultural possibilities. Intensive grazing by sheep and goats has eroded and desertified the landscape. Intensive sport hunting by tribal chiefs decimated the wildlife that once roamed abundantly and were an important source of food for the hunter-gathering culture of local people. The region is now a protected natural area and a popular tourist destination for city people.
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