Tepe Hissar

Tappeh Hesar

Iran · Semnan

SettlementUnknown
Approximate period4,590 BCE — 1,705 BCEPrehistoric settlement phases See on the map ↓

In brief

Erich Schmidt conducted the first excavations at the mound southeast of Damghan. The prehistoric settlement, dated to approximately 4590-1705 BCE, is known for its graves and metal finds.

What was found?

  • 1Rich grave finds

    Weapons, tools, vessels, and ornaments were found together in some graves. They show marked differences between grave assemblages.

  • 2Stone and copper seals

    The grave finds include stone and copper seals. These small objects provide information about the use of signs and personal belongings of the period.

  • 3Metal weapons and tools

    Daggers, knife blades, arrowheads, and other metal objects have been found. According to researchers, the craftsmanship of the products and metalworking debris support the presence of specialist craftspeople.

  • 4Small animal figurines

    Terracotta and stone animal figurines have been recovered. The horned terracotta example at Penn Müzesi belongs to the Hissar II phase.

  • 5Burnished gray pottery

    Gray pottery becomes widespread during the Hissar IIB and III phases. Research shows that it was produced from the same local clays as earlier vessels under different firing conditions.

What does it point to?

Tepe Hisar indicates the presence of advanced pottery and metal production in a settlement that subsisted on agriculture. According to researchers, standardized products provide important data for investigating specialization, while differences in grave assemblages provide important data for investigating social distinctions.

What did it teach us?

  1. Showed that changes in pottery color could result from firing the same local clay differently.
  2. Metalworking debris and products documented specialized production.
  3. Comparison of the graves revealed the diversity of burial practices and objects deposited in graves.

Images

Figurine aus Iran, Tappe Hesar, Schicht III, Alabaster, 2300-1900 v.C. (2)
NearEMPTiness · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Tapehesar
Mahdikf17 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Prehistoric communities of northeastern Iran
First modern dig
1931
Coordinates
36.1545°, 54.3831°

Sources

  1. collections.penn.museum
  2. iranicaonline.org
  3. pages.vassar.edu
  4. Encyclopaedia Iranica — Robert H. Dyson, Tepe Hisar
  5. Penn Müzesi — hayvan figürini eser kaydı

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