5 November 2024 The Future is the Product of the Past

7500-year-old cursed city of Iran

Sialk Hills, located in the southwestern part of Kashan city in Iran, was known among the locals as a ‘cursed city’ where people were afraid to approach. Before a severe flood led to the discovery of Sialk Hills, no one dared to approach this terrifying location.

Thanks to the flood of 1930, the story of the Sialk Hills, dating back 7500 years to the Achaemenid Period, was also revealed. “Teppe Sialk” (In Persian, Tappe means “hill” or “mound”)

In reality, this structure is a ziggurat, a rectangular stepped tower that occasionally has a temple on top and is made primarily of clay; it is possible that calling it “hills” would not be accurate.

It is claimed to be the world’s oldest ziggurat, dating to the 3rd millennium BC, tucked away in the suburbs of the city of Kashan, in central Iran, close to Fin Garden.

After flood, a colossal number of ancient artifacts and tools like potteries were found at the surface.

“Teppe Sialk” (In Persian, Tappe means “hill” or “mound”)

After a while, a group of European archaeologists led by Dr. Ghrishman of the Louvre Museum traveled to Iran for the first time to excavate this site. All of the excavations took time, and their findings were eventually published in two books. Unfortunately, despite all of that team’s hard work and the amazing results of their findings, the government ignored the significance of this site until 2001.

The artifacts unearthed here eventually found their way to museums like The Louvre, The British Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and private collectors, much like the tens of thousands of other Iranian historical sites.

Fortunately, in 2001, Dr. Malek Shahmirzadi began new excavations on this site; they took some serious measures to ensure the site and its artifacts’ survival.

Economic tablet with numeric signs. The proto-Elamite script in clay, Susa, Uruk period (3200 BC to 2700 BC). Department of Oriental Antiquities, Louvre.

Dr. Ghrishman estimated this civilization dated more than 10,000 years old. He proposes that it has six distinguishing levels in two northern and southern parts.

What remains of this ziggurat is not in a favorable condition like many other ancient ruins in Iran. At the site, there are actually two structures (necropolis) at Sialk situated several hundred feet from each other.

The three platforms of the larger ziggurat however still remain in place. Not much remains of the smaller structure.

The Elamite civilization built four ziggurats, including Sialk. The other three are:

Choqa Zanbil (1250 BC),

Susa Ziggurat (1800 BC), and

Haft Teppeh (1375 BC), all in Khuzestan.

Bridge-spouted jar from Tepe Sialk, circa 800-600 B.C.; buff ware, creamslip, reddish-orange painted decoration. Height: 20 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Bridge-spouted jar from Tepe Sialk, circa 800-600 B.C.; buff ware, creamslip, reddish-orange painted decoration. Height: 20 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The Ziggurat at Ur was rebuilt by Saddam Hussein with bricks stamped with his name. Sialk is the 32nd and most recent ziggurat to be discovered.

The Sialk ziggurat has three platforms, and despite being built in 2900 BC, it predates Urnamu’s Ziggurat at Ur, which was built in 2100 BC. The earliest archeological remains of the north mound, however, date back to the middle of the sixth millennium BC, or approximately 7500 years ago. A study conducted in collaboration with Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization, The Louvre, and the Institute Francais de Recherche en Iran confirms the oldest settlements in Sialk date back to 5500 BC.

It is said that the reason for building this ziggurat was to store a colossal amount of water running nearby. The “Solomon’s Spring” called “Cheshme-ye Soleyman” is the source of bringing water from nearby mountains to the area.

Cover Photo: Apochi

Related Articles

Aramaic four inscriptions found for the first time in eastern Turkey

17 September 2022

17 September 2022

Four inscriptions written in Aramaic were discovered in the ancient city with a grid plan, located on an area of...

Brick tombs dating from the Jin Dynasty have been unearthed in Shanxi Province

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

Archaeologists discovered two brick tombs at an old cemetery with 14 crypts in north China‘s Shanxi Province. The findings offer...

The Big Universe Coming Out from the Dust “in Esna Temple”

7 February 2021

7 February 2021

While the Esna Temple has been waiting to renew and breathe again for a long time, it has recently experienced...

HS2 archaeologists discover Romanization of Iron Age village in Britain

12 January 2022

12 January 2022

Archaeologists have uncovered a vast Roman trading town on Britain’s HS2 high-speed rail route. Evidence found during a dig of...

Mysterious and Life-size camel carvings have been found in Saudi Arabian desert

4 October 2023

4 October 2023

Archaeologists have found life-size camel carvings on a rock near the southern border of Saudi Arabia’s Nafud desert. The Neolithic...

Unique Gold Ring and Crystal Amulet among 30,000 Medieval Treasures Uncovered in Sweden

7 March 2024

7 March 2024

In the Swedish medieval city of Kalmar, archaeologists from the State Historical Museums unearthed the remains of over 30,000 objects...

Hellenic and Roman statue heads unearthed in Knidos

9 December 2021

9 December 2021

Hellenic and Roman sculpture heads were unearthed in the ancient Carian settlement Knidos, located in the Datça district of Muğla...

‘World’s oldest dated rune stone’ found in Norway

18 January 2023

18 January 2023

The oldest known Rune stone in Norway has been discovered by Norwegian archaeologists working at the Museum of Cultural History...

Largest-Known Flower Preserved in Amber Is Nearly 40 Million Years Old

20 January 2023

20 January 2023

The largest-known fossilized flower encased in amber, dating back nearly 40 million years, was again discovered in the Baltic region...

Archaeologists discover a 4,000-year-old stone board game in Oman

10 January 2022

10 January 2022

The joint Polish-Omani archaeology team has discovered a 4,000-year-old stone board game whilst excavating a Bronze Age and Iron Age...

The statue head of Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health, found stuck between two rocks in Laodikeia

21 May 2024

21 May 2024

A 2100-year-old statue head of the Hygieia (Health) Goddess was found during the excavations in the ancient city of Laodikeia...

Artifacts used for ancient magic rituals discovered on Darb al-Hajj route from Cairo to Mecca

11 September 2023

11 September 2023

The artifacts, found in the 1990s on the ancient Darb al-Hajj route from Cairo to Mecca, may have been in...

The easternmost Roman aqueduct in Armenia was discovered

19 November 2021

19 November 2021

Archaeologists from the University of Münster and the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia have discovered remains...

Remarkable Roman mosaic discovered near London Bridge in Southwark

22 February 2022

22 February 2022

A team of archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology have announced the discovery well-preserved Roman mosaic that may have...

City swallowed by sea now center of boat tours

10 September 2023

10 September 2023

The Kekova region, or Sunken City, which has remained under the sea after two major earthquakes in the sixth century...