HAFT
TEPE
Haft
Tepe, Iran
Royal
Tomb at Haft Tepe
Alternative
name : Kabnak
Location : Khuzestan Province, Iran
Coordinates : 32°04'44 N 48°19'35 E
Type : Settlement
History
Cultures : Elamite
Site notes
Condition : In ruins
History
:
The city of Kabnak is mentioned as an important political centre
during the reign of the Elamite king Tepti-Ahar, the last king of
the Kidinuid dynasty ruling in the 15th century BC. He may also
have been buried in the city. After his death the centre of power
returned to the old capital Susa, although there is no clear evidence
that Kabnak ever held real power at all. Due to the turmoil
of this era it is possible the construction of Kabnak was necessary
after Tepti-Ahar lost control over Susa, however this theory has
not been completely confirmed by solid proof. Some centuries later
another city was built at the nearby site of Choqa Zanbil.
Excavations
at Haft Tepe revealed a large temple founded by Tepti-Ahar where
the god Kirwashir was worshiped. Beneath the temple lay a subterranean
funerary complex intended for the king and his family. Skeletal
remains were found in the tomb, though it is not certain they belong
to royalty. Another large structure found at the site was perhaps
the foundations of a ziggurat, along with courtyards and suites
of rooms. The temple complex was decorated with bronze plates and
wall paintings. Administrative texts belonging to the reigns of
Tepti-Ahar and Inshushinak-zunkir-nappipir were also found at the
site. Recently some clay statuettes of fertility goddesses have
been unearthed at the site.
Archaeology
:
The site is around 1.5 km by 800 meters made up of 14 mounds with
the highest being 17 meters high. Haft Tepe was first surveyed by
the French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan in 1908. The site was
excavated in the period from 1965 to 1979 by a team from the University
of Tehran, led by the Iranian archaeologist Ezzat Negahban. Since
2003 excavations have been carried out by a team of German-Iranian
archaeologists, including the University of Mainz, University of
Kiel and the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, headed by Behzad
Mofidi in ten seasons through 2013.
In
the 2006 season a number of cuneiform administrative tablets were
recovered and have now been published. They are primarily inventories.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Haft_Tepe
