Tureng Teppe

Tureng Teppe

Gorgan

Tureng Teppe

16
Few Clouds

Tureng Teppe is located in the northwest of Tureng village, 20km far from Gorgan, the capital of Golestan province, and 60 km from the coast of the Caspian Sea. This ancient hill which is dated by archaeologists to 5000 to 6000 years ago, through comparison to Hesar Teppe and Sialk Teppe civilizations, has been included in the list of National Heritages of Iran.

The first excavations in Tureng Teppe have been carried out by the archeologist named Clement Augustus de Bode in 1257 AD, that is, the Qajar era and during the reign of Muhammad Shah. During these archaeological expeditions, tools and objects such as cups, tools, containers and weapons of gold, silver, bronze and bronze were found. It was also clarified that the agriculture, irrigation system and pottery making were common in Turang Tepe during ancient times. 

In 1268 AH, Jean-Jacques de Morgan also unearthed copper and bronze daggers as well as small stone statues and other historical traces from this hill. After de Morgan, in 1310 AH, American archaeologists led by Frederick R. Wulsin identified three historical layers for Tureng Tepe.  

A cemetery of six meters depth was found in the first layer recognized with red and gray pottery and bronze vessels related to the Iron Age. The second layer, at a depth of eight meters, and the third layer, includes pottery vessels and clay statues. Finally, the French Jean Deshayes excavations, during the 40s and 50s, defined nine periods of cultural life in Tureng Teppe.

Turang Tepe is located in an area of ​​30 hectares with a height of 30 meters. On this ancient hill, there is a brick structure in 13 meters length and eight meters width. This brick structure includes two floors but today only one remains.

There was once a Sassanid fortress over this clay structure, which is an ancient temple (Chahar Taqi or Four vaults). Some believe that it might be a part of the ancient wall of Hyrcania (Gorgan); This is the ancient wall of Iran which protected Sassanid empire against deserters such as Chionitae, Hephthalites and Kidarites.

Signs of the Achaemenid and Parthian empires have also been found in this region. Among them, we can mention a seal with the name Khosroshad Pirouz, which may have belonged to the lost city of Roshan Pirouz. Also, the traces of the Ilkhanid period have also been found in this ancient hill.


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