Kalgah Zarinکلگه زرین
Location: Kalgah Zarin is an archaeological site in the southern part of Masjid Soleyman, southwestern Iran, in the Khuzestan Province.
31°55’12.2″N 49°18’03.3″E
Map
Historical Period
Seleucid, Parthian
History and description
Tepe Kalgah Zarin is a mound, 250 x 150 m, in the southern outskirts of the present-day town of Masjid Soleyman. A large part of the mound has been destroyed because of the urban development of Masjid Soleyman. The original site was much larger than the present-day mound. Limited archaeological excavations revealed remains of terraces in rubble masonry covered with gypsum plaster and a number of bas-reliefs.
Archaeological Exploration
Kalgah Zarin, previously known as Mound 26 in the nomenclature of the Iranian Oil Company, was first visited by Roman Ghirshman in 1974. In 1978, Ali Akbar Sarfaraz carried out limited soundings at the site on behalf of the Iranian Centre for Archaeological Research. In 1983, at the behest of the Iranian Centre for Archaeological Research and local charitable inhabitants of the town, Mohammad Mehryar and Ahmad Kabiri visited Kalgah Zarin with the aim of reassessing its state of preservation.
Finds
Potsherds of the Parthian period; bas-reliefs, figurines.
Bibliography
Mehryar, M. and A. Kabiri Hendi, “Tepe Kalgah Zarin: report of a visit,” Bāstānpazhūhi, vol. 4, Nos. 8-9, 1390/2011, pp. 51-53. In Persian
Sarfaraz, A., “Is Masjid Soleyman a Mithraic Sanctuary?,” Banāhā-ye Tārikhi-ye Iran, No. 1, 1357/1978, pp. 41-47. In Persian
