Archaeologists have unearthed the richest tomb to date at the Tepe Chalow site in eastern Iran, yielding new understanding of an enigmatic ancient cultural network now referred to as the Greater Khorasan Civilization (GKC).

The grave, Grave 12, contained the remains of an under-18-year-old female and was filled with a collection of 34 grave goods, including gold jewelry, ivory pins, bronze tools, and delicately carved stone items made of chlorite, lapis lazuli, and limestone.

This remarkable discovery adds to a growing body of evidence about the GKC, a Bronze Age culture that flourished in the late third and early second millennia BCE. Stretching from northeastern Iran into regions of modern-day Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan, the GKC has emerged as a major cultural horizon with commercial and cultural interactions with other major civilizations of the time, including those from Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Persian Gulf.

Tepe Chalow, located on the Jajarm plain, is currently the westernmost excavated site associated with the GKC. Even though there is no architecture preserved due to agriculture and erosion, several graves have been excavated near the surface. The pit graves, with the deceased in a crouched position facing southeast and accompanied by pottery as well as personal belongings, reflect the burial traditions seen at the site.

Grave goods include ceramics, stone tools, gold and bronze items, and vessels with snake and scorpion motifs. Credit: Ali A. Vahdati. Used with permission.

Grave 12 stands out in terms of richness as well as the arrangement of its contents. Among the items included were twelve ceramic items, seven stone objects—a stamp seal and beads—and thirteen metal items made of gold and copper or bronze. Among the distinct objects are a bronze pin intricately carved in the shape of a hand holding a rosette, as well as ceremonial vessels with motifs of snakes and scorpions. A large ceramic vessel placed near the foot of the deceased held a small bronze jar, adding to the symbolic richness of the grave.

The wealth of the burial, especially considering the age of the individual, may be a sign of inherited rank. Interestingly, the cemetery’s female burials are more lavishly supplied than the burials of males, suggesting that women may have held prominent social positions in GKC society.

Crouched pit graves facing southeast, with pottery and personal items. Credit: Ali A. Vahdati. Used with permission.

The location of Tepe Chalow near ancient trade routes also helped bring it prosperity. These early routes later became part of what is now known as the Silk Roads, connecting Central Asia to wider commercial and cultural exchanges.

Current interdisciplinary research on the site aims to further elucidate the life and origin of individuals associated with the GKC. Researchers are conducting DNA and isotopic analysis to study diet and origin, along with technological analyses of the grave contents to examine craftsmanship and trade networks. Though subject to erosion, Tepe Chalow continues to offer insights into one of the formerly flourishing civilizations that played a significant role in Bronze Age Eurasia.