Painted Bricks of Baba Jan: Stylistic Variation in Iron Age Iranian Decorative Brickwork

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Archaeology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran.

2 National Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Four seasons of archaeological excavations at Baba Jan Tepe in Luristan resulted in the discovery of a large
mud-brick structure dating back to Iron Age II. Within this structure, particularly in a room known as the Painted
Chamber, a significant number of painted bricks featuring geometric motifs were unearthed. These bricks were
transferred to the storage of the National Museum of Iran following their discovery in the 1960s and 1970s, yet no
specific studies have been conducted on them until now. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, the present study
aims to describe and typologically classify the painted bricks from the Baba Jan Tepe, seeking to explore their
relationship with other styles and traditions of decorative brick production during the Iranian Iron Age, including
those from the Central Plateau and the Neo-Elamite and Mannaean glazed tiles. For this purpose, the required data
were collected through field and library studies. Field data were obtained through direct examination of the painted
bricks housed in the National Museum of Iran, supplemented by information drawn from archaeological reports.
The results indicate that the bricks from Baba Jan Tepe represent one of the four decorative brick-making traditions
in Iron Age Iran, characterised by a distinctly local and independent style. Furthermore, the Baba Jan Painted
Chamber was likely used as a temple, indicating that during the Iron Age in Iran, decorative bricks were primarily
used for embellishing religious spaces.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 15, Issue 2
2025
Pages 59-76

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