Excavations Near Persepolis Reveal Early Craft, Burial Practices

Date: 24 September 2025 - 21:46

News ID: ۱۴۳۹۰۱

TEHRAN -- In a significant breakthrough just under two kilometers south of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Persepolis, archaeologists working on the Tall Rubahi Kenareh project have uncovered important evidence of early Elamite-period funerary practices and a densely stratified cultural layer associated with kiln activity.
The ongoing Determination of the Extent and Proposal of Protective Buffer Zones for Tall Rubahi Kenareh project, authorized by the Iranian Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism and conducted in collaboration with the Persepolis World Heritage Base, aims to precisely delineate the boundaries of this culturally rich site in Marvdasht County, Fars Province.
Dr. Fazlollah Habibi, lead archaeologist of the Tall Rubahi Konareh excavation and expert at the Persepolis Heritage Base, explains that the site is a key early cultural settlement dating to the Banish phase—commonly recognized as the beginning of the Elamite civilization.
Strategically located less than two kilometers south of Persepolis and approximately 1.5 kilometers northwest of the renowned Tall Bakun, Tall Rubahi Kenareh occupies a vital position in the cultural landscape of the Marvdasht Plain.
The project’s primary goals include mapping the archaeological extent of Tall Rubahi, establishing an appropriate protective buffer zone to mitigate environmental and human threats, and documenting the site’s stratigraphy and material culture.
The multidisciplinary approach combines traditional excavation methods with cutting-edge technology such as drone aerial photography and high-precision DGPS mapping. Additionally, laboratory analyses of surface finds are being employed to better understand site formation processes and cultural phases.
Funded by the Persepolis World Heritage Base, the project’s findings are expected to contribute crucial data for emergency conservation efforts and long-term site management plans. Furthermore, the research promises to deepen understanding of human settlement dynamics on the Marvdasht Plain during the third millennium BCE.
To date, thirteen 1x1 meter test trenches have been excavated at Tall Rubahi Kenareh, revealing noteworthy results. Among the most striking discoveries is a jar burial dating to the Banish period, alongside evidence of a densely packed cultural layer associated with kiln activity—suggesting specialized craft production or domestic industry.
Importantly, new data challenge earlier assumptions about the site’s size and layout. Previously thought to be a roughly square settlement measuring no more than 100 by 100 meters, current excavations indicate that Tall Rubahi extends longitudinally along an east-west axis, measuring at least 200 meters in length and 100 meters in width. This significantly expands the known scale and underscores the site’s importance as a major Early Elamite center.