Tal-i Iblis is a well-known and significant archaeological site in southeastern Iran, preserving a long sequence of Chalcolithic cultural traditions from the beginning of the fifth to the end of the fourth millennium BCE. Archaeological excavations at the site demonstrated its importance for early copper production and complex metallurgy. Renewed archaeological investigations in 2021 identified and excavated a settlement associated with the Proto-Elamite horizon, yielding a rich and diverse assemblage of cultural materials.

This study examines the Proto-Elamite pottery from the 2021 excavations at Tal-i Iblis using a descriptive-analytical approach, focusing on vessel typology, morphology, manufacturing technology, and decorative practices. The assemblage includes beveled-rim bowls, low-sided trays (commonly known as Banesh trays), spouted vessels, nose-lugged vessels, storage jars, and several groups of painted, incised, and applied-decorated pottery. These forms display close typological and technological affinities with Proto-Elamite assemblages from Tepe Yahya IVC and Mahtoutabad III, as well as with contemporary sites elsewhere on the Iranian Plateau. At the same time, locally distinctive ceramic traditions occur alongside diagnostic Proto-Elamite forms.

The results demonstrate that the ceramic assemblage of Tal-i Iblis reflects both the continuity of regional ceramic traditions and participation in broader networks of interaction extending beyond southeastern Iran. The coexistence of diagnostic Proto-Elamite forms with locally distinctive pottery indicates that Proto-Elamite ceramic traditions were not fully homogeneous, but incorporated regional variation within a broader interaction sphere. Similarities in vessel forms, fabrics, manufacturing practices, and decorative traditions point to shared technological and cultural traditions across southeastern Iran, while the distribution of comparable ceramic assemblages beyond the region indicates wider networks of exchange and interaction. Taken together, the evidence suggests that Tal-i Iblis participated in a broad and heterogeneous Proto-Elamite interaction sphere while maintaining distinctive local ceramic traditions.