Tepe Qabrestan
تپه قبرستان · Tepe Ghabristan · Tappeh Qabrestan · Qabristan
Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age (c.5000–2900 BCE)·Qazvin plain Chalcolithic (Zagheh–Qabrestan)·🇮🇷 Qazvin Province, Qazvin plain, Iran
About
About Tepe Qabrestan
Qazvin plain tell 4 ha, 12 m high, Chalcolithic–Early Bronze (c.5000–2900 BCE) with Late Chalcolithic Zagheh ware → Early Bronze burnished, burials and proto-Bevelled rim. Excavated 1970– by Y. Majidzadeh and H. Fazeli shows Qabrestan earliest cemetery with C13 dates c.4000 BCE, grey ware, early Transcaucasian influence. Adjacent to Tepe Zagheh (6th mill.) and Sagzabad; key for north-central plateau urbanism before Sialk.
Why it mattersQazvin plain type sequence linking Sagzabad to Sialk.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Sagzabad–Qabrestan ceramic continuity?
Theories
- 01Plateau cemetery centralisation
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.5000 BCE Late Chalcolithic
- Period
- Chalcolithic–Early Bronze Age (c.5000–2900 BCE)
- Culture
- Qazvin plain Chalcolithic (Zagheh–Qabrestan)
- Builders
- Qazvin plateau villagers
- Purpose
- Plain-centre tell with cemetery controlling Qazvin riverine
- Abandoned
- c.2900 BCE EB end
- Rediscovered
- 1970 Majidzadeh survey
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.5000 BCE
Late Chalcolithic village founded
c.4000 BCE
Qabrestan cemetery established
c.2900 BCE
Abandoned at Early Bronze transition
On the ground
Structures & features
35.5900° N · 50.3600° E · 1280 m · 3 mapped features
Tepe Qabrestan — Cemetery
cemeteryLate Chalcolithic cist cemetery, south mound
35.5905° N · 50.3600° ETepe Qabrestan — Zagheh ware level
settlementChalcolithic painted quarter, lower mound
35.5900° N · 50.3605° ETepe Qabrestan — EB burnished horizon
houseEarly Bronze grey ware houses, upper
35.5895° N · 50.3595° E