Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace
Chalcolithic-Early Bronze (4000-2800 BCE)·Proto-Elamite·🇮🇷 Isfahan, Kashan, Iran
About
About Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace
Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace in Isfahan, Kashan, Iran is a Chalcolithic-Early Bronze (4000-2800 BCE) tell attributed to Proto-Elamite. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal chamber 4 × 3 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 33.9703N 51.3961E controls access to Isfahan, Kashan resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey tell for Isfahan, Kashan, illustrating Proto-Elamite construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology and phasing of construction episodes
- 02Function in regional settlement hierarchy
Theories
- 01Ancestral burial reuse over centuries
- 02Astronomical alignment hypothesis
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. 3500 BCE
- Period
- Chalcolithic-Early Bronze (4000-2800 BCE)
- Culture
- Proto-Elamite
- Purpose
- Multi-period settlement mound with stratified occupation
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 3500 BCE
Initial construction of Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace main structure
c. 1187 CE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace
1972–2018
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
33.9703° N · 51.3961° E · 969 m · 3 mapped features
Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace — Main Tell Feature
enclosurePrimary enclosure at Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace — platform mound with stratified deposits
33.9709° N · 51.3981° ETepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace — Secondary Enclosure
rock artAncillary rock art at Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits
33.9718° N · 51.3945° ETepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace — Outlier Rock Art Panel
hydraulicOutlier hydraulic panel linked to Tepe Sialk Necropolis B Extension South — Western Terrace ceremonial landscape
33.9707° N · 51.3975° E