Introduction

The ancient site of Tepeh Golestan extends over 2ha with a height of c. 2m (Figure 1). The site is located in northern Iran (35° 31' 9/8" longitude, 51° 11' 36/9" latitude) at an elevation of 1067m above sea level (Figure 2). Tepeh Golestan, along with other sites of the Robat Karim township, was identified and recorded in a survey in 2001 by M. Bagheri (Bagheri 2001). A preliminary study of the surface finds suggests that they belong to the second and first millennia BC (Bagheri 2001: 59, 2002: 35). Pottery from the surface of Tepeh Golestan includes grey wares of Iron Age I and II, several engraved buff types and fragments of typical Yanic grey pottery with zigzagged motifs under the rim, which suggests the site was also occupied during the late fourth millennium and throughout the Bronze Age (Alibaigi 2006).

Figure 1.

Southern view of Tepeh Golestan.

Figure 2.

Distribution of Iron Age sites in Iran's central plateau.

The Tepeh Golestan potsherd

Figure 3.

Potsherd with cylinder seal from Tepeh Golestan.

During surface survey in the spring of 2006 a sherd carrying an unusual image was found at Tepeh Golestan (Figure 3). The fragment is 110mm long and 100mm wide, and comes from the shoulder of a grey-ware vessel made of fabric 11-13mm thick (Alibaigi & Khosravi, in press). The image is 100mm in length and 29mm in width at its widest point and was made by rolling a cylinder seal more than once. The main scene is 63mm in length, and is repeated in the remainder of the impression. On the basis of the length and width of the impression, the cylinder seal was probably 20mm in diameter and 29mm in width.

The main scene represents two men depicted with long hair or scarves, as if blown by the wind. Illustration of their genitalia shows that these men are naked. Between them is a large bull with curved horns and a long tail. The man on the right seems to be standing on, or riding on, a device which is fastened to the bull's horn with a rope.

Comparisons with other scenes

There are some parallels to help us identify the nature of this scene. A rock relief in Saimali Tash in the Forghana Valley in western Kirgizstan depicts farmers ploughing (Figure 4) (Reference BelenitskyBelenitsky 1968: 34, Figure 4, 35, Figure 7; Reference FrumkinFrumkin 1970: Figure II). The way that the man is standing on the plough illustrates a traditional method of ploughing which is still employed in western Iran, its purpose being to keep the plough digging deep. A stratified potsherd from Tepeh Ma'murin shows a similar scene (Figure 5) (Mehrkian 1995: 75).

Figure 4.

Rock relief in Saimali Tash in the Forghana Valley, western Kirgizstan showing farmers ploughing the land with animals (after Reference BelenitskyBelenitsky 1968: 35, Figure 7).

Figure 5.

Illustration from the potsherd with cylinder seal from Tepeh Ma'murin (after Sarkhosh Curtis & Simpson 1997: 143, Figure 7).

Conclusions

Similar parallels from elsewhere suggest a ploughing scene as the dominant theme on the Tepeh Golestan potsherd. The man on the right seems to be standing on a plough and holding a rope, the other end of which is fastened to the bull's horns. In his other hand he has a piece of wood or a lash by which he tries to make the animal move. Another man stands in front of the animal. With both of his hands he is encouraging the animal move, or seeking to guide it, using a ring or rope in the bull's nose. Directly beneath this man is a spiked object or animal. Given the nature of the scene, this might be intended as a threshing machine with a number of vanes, similar to more recent traditional tools.

Only five potsherds with seal impressions have so far been discovered in Iran's central plateau: from Ma'murin, Qoli Darvish, Golestan, Sagzabad and Sialk. With such few instances, assigning a date and interpretation at this stage is unlikely to be free of error. The potsherd from Qoli Darvish has been radiocarbon-dated to 1300-1400 BC and represents Iron Age I. In view of this date the potsherds found at Sagzabad, Ma'murin and Golestan are also considered to belong to the same period. Despite serious doubts about the potsherd from Sialk, which was discovered along with several impressed bricks, we believe that it belongs to the same group. The present impression is that all probably represent a coherent cultural tradition of the Iron Age in Iran's central plateau.