A Study of the Appearance of Pottery Goblets in the Early Iron Age at Tepe Guran, Hulailan Valley

We witness the appearance of a new pottery tradition in Tepe Guran in Hulailan valley, at the beginning of Iron Age. There are several striking pottery types in the potteries of this phase of Tepe Guran, that, the most striking type is goblets. These goblets are rarely reported from the regions of around the Hulailan valley; nevertheless, Tepe Guran goblets have much close similarities with Mesopotamian Kassite goblets and Elamite goblets at Susiana plain. Important studies have been done about the appearance conditions and source of this goblet type in Hulailan valley, but their appearance conditions is still unknown. In this article, we attempt to find out the relationship between the goblets of Tepe Guran with their original distribution territories at Mesopotamian or Susiana plain through analyzing the results of archaeological studies that have been done at regions around the Hulailan valley and tracing the distribution position of this goblet type. Examination of archaeological findings indicates that so far this goblet type has not been found in the regions between Hulailan valley in the north and Susiana plain in south, including regions of Dehloran and Abdanan and Saimareh and Romeshghan valleys. Apparently, regions of Dehloran and Abdanan became abandoned at this time; nevertheless, results of studies at Mahidasht indicate presence of this goblet type at north of Hulailan valley. In fact, presence of this goblet type at Mahidasht, joined Hulailan valley to Mesopotamia through Khorasan Road and it seems that Tepe Guran goblets have Kassite origin.