Behabad’s Kafaran Cemetery Reveals Seleucid-Parthian Past

Date: 04 October 2025 - 22:15

News ID: ۱۴۴۲۴۶

TEHRAN -- A recent visit by senior officials of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) to the Behabad region, Yazd Province, has highlighted the archaeological potential of the area.
The inspection focused on the historical cemeteries of the region, particularly the site known as the “Kafaran Cemetery.”
As a result of initial surveys conducted during June and August 2025, approximately 100 hectares of funerary landscape have been identified, with preliminary typological and chronological assessments suggesting occupation phases dating to the Seleucid and Parthian periods.
These findings represent one of the earliest and most extensive cemetery complexes identified in central Iran and underscore the need for systematic archaeological documentation and conservation efforts.
The Behabad region, located in central Iran, remains underrepresented in archaeological literature despite its strategic location and cultural-historical potential.
In an effort to address this gap, the Archaeological Research Center of RICHT, led by Dr. Masoumeh Mosalla, initiated a focused assessment of the region’s archaeological resources.
As part of this initiative, senior RICHT personnel conducted an on-site evaluation of multiple burial landscapes, including the historically significant Kafaran Cemetery.
Preliminary surveys were carried out across an estimated 100 ha area within the Behabad vicinity under the direction of Dr. Muhammad Hussein Azizi.
The team employed standard non-invasive pedestrian survey techniques combined with satellite imagery analysis and GPS-based mapping to delineate burial features. Support for the fieldwork was provided by the Behabad Municipality, with official excavation permits issued by RICHT.
Survey results confirmed the presence of an extensive cemetery complex featuring a variety of burial types, including stone-lined graves and mound burials.
Pottery fragments and burial goods recovered from surface contexts support a tentative chronological attribution to the Seleucid (ca. 312–63 BCE) and Parthian (ca. 247 BCE–224 CE) periods.
The density and distribution of burial features suggest a long-term, possibly multi-phase use of the site, consistent with broader patterns of settlement and mortuary practice in the Iranian Plateau.
The Kafaran Cemetery represents a significant archaeological asset, both in terms of its preservation and its chronological range. Its identification contributes to an expanding body of evidence for funerary practices in central Iran during the Hellenistic and early Iranian imperial periods.
The scale of the cemetery and the preliminary material culture findings point to the existence of a previously undocumented regional population center.
Based on these findings and ongoing community engagement, RICHT has prioritized the development of an archaeological atlas for the Behabad region.
This will serve as a foundation for future excavations, conservation planning, and potential integration into cultural tourism frameworks. Systematic excavation, radiocarbon dating, and detailed stratigraphic analyses are planned for subsequent phases.
The discovery and preliminary assessment of the Kafaran Cemetery in Behabad underscores the archaeological significance of this understudied region.
The integration of local support, institutional backing, and scientific methodology offers a model for heritage exploration in remote areas of Iran.
Continued research is expected to yield critical insights into regional mortuary practices, socio-political structures, and settlement dynamics from the Seleucid through the Parthian periods.