3,000-Year-Old Elamite Jar Burial Unearthed Near Persepolis

Archaeologists in southern Iran have uncovered a 3,000-year-old Elamite jar burial just two kilometers from Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The discovery at Tol-e Roubahi Kenareh, along with dense deposits of kiln waste, is reshaping understanding of prehistoric settlement in the Marvdasht plain.

Expanding the Settlement Map

The finds were announced by the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) during a project to define the site’s boundaries and establish a protective buffer zone. Excavation director Fazlollah Habibi, an archaeologist with the Persepolis World Heritage Base, said Tol-e Roubahi belongs to the Banesh period (ca. 3200–2800 BC), an early Elamite cultural phase.

Previous surveys suggested the mound measured roughly 100 by 100 meters. “Our results show the site stretches at least 200 meters east-west and 100 meters north-south, making it far larger and more significant than once thought,” Habibi explained.

Excavation and Preservation

So far, archaeologists have dug 13 test trenches measuring one by one meter. These revealed the jar burial and layers of kiln waste, pointing to both funerary traditions and craft activity. The project also employs drone imaging, DGPS surveying, and laboratory analysis to map the site and evaluate environmental threats.

Habibi noted that the results will guide emergency conservation and long-term preservation planning, funded by the Persepolis World Heritage Base. The work also contributes to broader research on settlement patterns in the Marvdasht plain during the third millennium BC.

From Elam to Achaemenids

Tol-e Roubahi lies near Tol-e Bakun, another prehistoric mound, placing it within a network of sites linked to the rise of Elamite culture in southwestern Iran. The Elamites played a central role in shaping the political and cultural foundations later inherited by the Achaemenid Empire.

Centuries after the Elamite period, Darius the Great (r. 522–486 BC) founded Persepolis around 518 BC as a monumental center of ceremony and power. The vast terrace and palaces—including the Apadana and the Hundred-Column Hall—were destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, yet remain among the world’s most celebrated ruins.

A Window Into Ancient Iran

The identification of an early Elamite burial and kiln waste at Tol-e Roubahi strengthens the site’s importance as a key node in the prehistoric landscape of Fars. Archaeologists expect further work to shed light on third-millennium BC funerary customs, settlement expansion, and early industries, offering rare insights into the deep history of the Marvdasht plain.