Chia Sabz
چیا سبز · Chia Sabz (Seimareh) · Chia Sabz Cemetery
Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age (c.4000–2700 BCE)·Seimareh valley Chalcolithic → Transcaucasian Early Bronze·🇮🇷 Ilam Province, Seimareh valley, Iran
About
About Chia Sabz
Seimareh valley Chalcolithic–EB cemetery mound (5th–3rd mill. BCE) with 15 ha Pyan mound and 140 Early Bronze cist/plano-convex graves (Giyan-TransCaucasian), bronze daggers, beads. Excavated 2001– by Y. Moradi shows late Chalcolithic village (c.4000 BCE) → EB cemetery (c.3000 BCE) burial alignment east-west, shared with Kul Tarikeh. Seimareh dam rescue; vital for Ilam EB social ranking and Transcaucasian metal network.
Why it mattersSeimareh EB cemetery and Transcaucasian metal route.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why 140 graves only EB?
Theories
- 01EB elite cemetery model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.4000 BCE village
- Period
- Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age (c.4000–2700 BCE)
- Culture
- Seimareh valley Chalcolithic → Transcaucasian Early Bronze
- Builders
- Seimareh valley villagers
- Purpose
- Valley hamlet then EB cemetery for 140 elite
- Abandoned
- c.2700 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 2001 Moradi Seimareh dam rescue
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.4000 BCE
Chalcolithic village founded
c.3200 BCE
Transition to EB cemetery
c.2700 BCE
Last grave
On the ground
Structures & features
33.1500° N · 47.4500° E · 720 m · 3 mapped features
Chia Sabz — EB cist cemetery
cemetery140 cist graves, central plain
33.1505° N · 47.4500° EChia Sabz — Chalcolithic village
settlementVillage houses under cemetery
33.1500° N · 47.4505° EChia Sabz — Bronze dagger hoard area
hoardHoard pit with 12 bronze daggers south
33.1495° N · 47.4495° E
Gallery