Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform
Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE) or regional equivalent·Old Kingdom·🇮🇷 Isfahan, Sialk, Iran
About
About Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform
Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform in Isfahan, Sialk, Iran is a Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE) or regional equivalent pyramid attributed to Old Kingdom. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal base 95 × 95 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 33.9690N 51.4230E controls access to Isfahan resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey pyramid for Isfahan, Sialk, illustrating Old Kingdom construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction logistics and labour organisation
- 02Astronomical orientation method
Theories
- 01Royal tomb with cult temple axis
- 02Experimental step before true pyramid
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. 2600–2500 BCE
- Period
- Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE) or regional equivalent
- Culture
- Old Kingdom
- Purpose
- Royal tomb and ceremonial platform embodying cosmology
- Rediscovered
- 1991 survey
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2600–2500 BCE
Initial construction of Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform main structure
c. 1931
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically
1991–2006
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
33.9690° N · 51.4230° E · 297 m · 3 mapped features
Tepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform — Main Structure
structurePrincipal pyramid — Base 95 × 95 m with diagnostic masonry/panel
33.9698° N · 51.4239° ETepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform — Ancillary Complex
complexAncillary settlement debris and ceramics surrounding main feature
33.9680° N · 51.4223° ETepe Sialk Ziggurat South Mound Platform — Peripheral Feature
outlierPeripheral feature with outlier deposit and burial
33.9705° N · 51.4242° E