Abstract Specialized nomadic pastoralism and its possible origins in the central Zagros mountains of Iran are discussed. An initial focus on the practicalities of archaeological investigation describes the social as well as economic aspects of productive specialization, many of which are not defined by specific depositional features and are thus not always clearly readable in the archaeological record. These difficulties, in addition to the highly variable character of pastoralism as a secondary activity within a mixed farming adaptation or a principal investment combined with other pursuits, make the question of origins a very complex one. Although an earlier appearance of specialized mountain nomadism is possible, a scenario based upon a number of archaeological indications is offered for its emergence concomitant to the growth of urbanism and centralized political organization in the Luristan region.