Name
Ganj Tepe, Khorvin گنج تپه، خوروین
Map
Iron Age
History and decsription
The village of Khorvin is located in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains some 80 km to the west/northwest of Tehran. The archaeological site, located 2 km to the west of the village, is formed by a group of four hills, the most elevated of which (with a height of about 35 m high) is in the north and is called Ganj Tepe (Treasure Hill). Ganj Tepe (fig. 1) is a natural hill and owes its name to fortuitous discoveries and clandestine diggings which are said to have yielded a number of gold and silver objects (Vanden Berghe, Khūrvīn, p. 2).
Fig. 1. View of Ganj Tepe, Khorvin, from the north (photo: A. Mousavi)
Archaeological Exploration
The site of Khorvin had been known to local people and antiquities dealers before the systematic excavations began. In 1949, Ali Hakemi and Mahmoud Rad carried out excavations on the southern slope of Ganj Tepe which revealed six graves. According to their report, the graves yielded grey ceramic vessels, bronze tools and weapons. These objects have never been published, but they are housed in the Iran Bastan Museum (Hakemi, “Kāvoshhā-ye ejmāli, pp. 6-7). In 1954, Louis Vanden Bergh carried out soundings (named SI, SII, and SIII) on the eastern and southern slopes of Ganj Tepe. The soundings revealed 14 tombs, three in SI, three in SII, and eight in SIII (on the southern slope). The graves were reached at depth that varied from 0.7 m to 1.60 m The graves varied in size from 1.60 m to 2.30 m. in length by 0.50 m to 1.40 m in width (Vanden Bergh, “Gūrestān-e Bāstāni-ye Khorvin”; La necropole de Khūrvīn, p. 3).
Finds
There are two groups of finds, one attributed to Ganj Tepe, the other discovered in controlled excavations. The excavated finds consist of grey ware pottery of various shapes, tools and weapons in bronze, and skeletal remains.
Bibliography
Hakemi, A., “Kāvoshhā-ye ejmāli dar tappehā-ye Khorvin va Ajin-Dojin,” Gozāreshhā-ye Bāstānshenāsi, vol. 1, 1329/1950, pp. 1-100.
Mousavi, A., “La région de Téhéran à l’aube de l’âge du Fer: reflexions et commentaires sur les nécropoles du IIe millénaire av. J.C.,” Iranica Antiqua, vol. 36, 2001, pp. 177-178 (for Ganj Tepe).
Vanden Berghe, L., “Gūrestān-e Bāstāni-ye Khorvin,” Gozāreshhā-ye Bāstānshenāsi, vol. 4, 1336/1957, pp. 308-331.
Vanden Berghe, L., La necropole de Khūrvīn, Leiden, 1964.
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