Haft Tepe

32.08027777777848.328055555556Koordinaten: 32 ° 4 ' 49 "N, 48 ° 19' 41" E

Detention or imprisonment Tepe Tape, Persian هفت تپه ( dt: " Seven Hills " ), the name of a collection of ruins hills in Khuzestan province of Iran, about ten kilometers southeast of Susa is located. As could be seen from clay tablets, it is in the Elamite site has only been partially excavated by the ancient Kabnak. Most of the buildings were probably built in the 14th century BC by King Tepti - Ahar. Before the time Tepti - Ahars the place seems to have been uninhabited. An exception is a settlement of the 5th millennium on one of the hills, but there was only a short time. After the end of mittelelamischen time detention was Tepe resettled only in the Parthian or Sassanid period.

History of Research

The ruins was first described by Jacques de Morgan in 1908. Excavations were there from 1965 to 1978 under the direction of Ezat O. Negahban, in particular the three main and outstanding on the highest hills were investigated. 2002 preliminary geophysical measurements carried out which provided a general overview of the building structures in custody Tappeh, and since 2003 Now digs a German - Iranian team led by B. Mofidi Nasrabadi of the University of Mainz. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Excavations

In the studies in custody Tepe in the central hill, a 14.5 -meter core was found from adobes, its original height was at least 30 meters and which is suspected to be a ziggurat. The votive offerings indicate a female, responsible for fertility deity. To the ziggurat lying around various open courtyards and halls where supplies were stored and managed. A workshop with a special kiln for burning large amounts of ceramic and for melting metals belong to the plant.

Under the nearest hill, which is far less excavated, are probably the remains of a second ziggurat. Their residual height is 17 meters. Accordingly, there had been a large sanctuary with two close ziggurats in the old Kabnak.

Northwest of the two ziggurats a temple complex was excavated, which is surrounded by unburnt Lehmziegelmassen and was accessible only from the south. From a paved courtyard can be accessed via a transversely mounted room two halls, behind each of which an arch is made ​​of baked bricks. The western arch is considered a grave chamber of Tepti - Ahar. It has 3.25 meters wide, 10.25 meters long and 3.75 meters in height and contained at least 14 heavily decayed skeletons. The second grave system has an equally large vaulted grave. In it were 23 skeletons. In both cases, are the unusual arrangement of the skeletons mystery.

Finds

During the excavations in the territory of the middle hill you have hundreds of votive offerings, prepared by compression molding clay figurines found. Above all, there were naked women that can hold her breasts with both hands. The grounds were richly decorated. There were figures provided with bronze plates and remains of wall paintings. From the Halls to the ziggurat testify broken pottery and numerous seal impressions that come from closures for containers and boxes of storage supplies from donations at the sanctuary. In addition, thousands of clay tablets were discovered. The lyrics are mainly written in Akkadian. The analysis found so far written records in the form of clay tablets and cylinder seals is not yet complete. These are letters, administrative texts, but also school texts, which indicate that the scribe trained in detention Tepe.

Numerous finds are on display in a small museum on the edge of 1500 by 800 meters wide archaeological site, including various clay container for burials that were found outside the grave chambers. Two ornate heads and a mask made ​​of painted, unfired clay with distinctive almond-shaped eyes were found in the workshop of the sanctuary. You are now exhibited in the Museum of Susa.