Qal e Nehbandān: New Evidence of Parthian Period in Eastern Iran

In this article, the Eastern Iran defines a region where situated between northeastern (equal Khorasan Razavi Province) and southeastern Iran (approximately equal Sistan & Baluchestan, Kerman and Hormozgan Provinces). The eastern Iran coincides with Southern Khorasan province. The archaeological research in Eastern Iran is very poor particularly in prehistory and historical periods. Unfortunately, any historical periods site such as Parthian Dynasty has been excavated and published therefore there are not material properties and characteristics of Parthian period in this region. In this article, Nehbandān castle is introduced as one of the most important evidence of the Parthian period in the Eastern Iran where located suburb of Nehbandān town according to new data. This area is mentioned in history texts as Neh. However others had previously insisted about the importance of the ancient Nehbandān town but they had proposed another ancient archaeological site in the region as ancient Neh. In this paper, based on archaeological excavations and restoration works were carried out which resulted in the recognition of diverse cultural material, Nehbandān castle is suggested as ancient Neh.