The Western Cemetery of Qareh Tepe, Segzabad: New Iron Age Evidence from Iran’s Central Plateau

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Independent Researcher,Tenekabon,Iran.

3 Independent Researcher,Ardabil,Iran.

4 Independent Researcher,Marivan,Iran.

10.22111/ijas.2026.51843.1349

Abstract

In 2018, the excavation of Trench 13 at the western cemetery of Qareh Tepe in Segzabad led to the discovery of 10 Iron Age graves located in the southwestern section of Tepe Ghabrestan. These graves featured mudbrick structures, oriented east-west, and contained burials placed on their sides. The grave goods found within included pottery vessels, metal objects, animal bone remains, and ornaments made of various materials. The burial practices and grave goods suggest that these graves were created within a relatively short time frame. To establish a chronological context for these findings, the artefacts from Trench 13 were compared to those from Trench 12, located at the eastern cemetery of Qareh Tepe. With five absolute dating samples from Trench 12 graves, a reliable chronological framework was available, enabling a more precise dating of the Trench 13 graves. The comparison indicates that the graves in Trench 13, which had the highest number and most incredible variety of similar artefacts, corresponded closely to those in Trench 12, dating from 1000–900 BCE.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 June 2026

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