Shah Tepe, Archaeological mound in Gorgan plain, Iran.
Shah Tepe is an archaeological mound in the Gorgan plain containing remains from several ancient periods of habitation and burial. The oval-shaped earthwork reveals layers of settlement stacked on top of each other over time.
The mound was occupied over more than a thousand years, from prehistoric times through the early Islamic period. Each era left its mark in successive layers of graves and dwellings.
The site functioned as a burial ground where communities left pottery and ornaments alongside their dead, reflecting beliefs about the afterlife. These careful placements suggest how much these rituals mattered to the people who lived here.
The site is accessible mainly as an archaeological dig location where excavation work has been thoroughly documented for museum collections. What remains visible is primarily the earthen mound itself, with artifacts removed for safekeeping.
One burial held five individuals together with remains of sheep and goats, pointing to special burial traditions. Such group graves are uncommon and reveal how burial customs could be quite elaborate for certain people.
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