Shekh Selo an Uratian Tomb

During the three centuries of its peak power (9th to 6th centuries BC), the borders of Urartu included parts of the modern countries of Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan and Iraq. The Urartians have a highly religious government structure, and religion has been the main factor in uniting the tribes, which can be examined in religious structures. Until now, different types of burials have been reported in the land of Urartu, which are mostly classified based on the type and method of construction, architecture and materials used and size, and based on this, the social position of the deceased has also been suggested. The accidental discovery of Sheikh Selo's tomb in northwest Iran and near the border of Turkey shows new evidence in Urartian burials, at least in Iran. The tomb is dug on the mountainside and significant objects and artifacts are placed in it along with the deceased, then its entrance is blocked and hidden from view with stone rubble and materials similar to the texture of the mountain. A collection of metal consist, metal ornaments and pottery pieces were obtained from the tomb of Sheikh Selo, which stylistically covers a wide range of the Iron Age, however, the metal and pottery data that are mostly associated with come from Urartian sites are very similar and can be compared with the contemporaneous Urartu enclosures in the 7th century B.C. The structure of the tomb and the type of objects show that the deceased was related to the government and is probably one of the local elites of Urartu.