Preliminary Report on the Iranian-Italian Joint Expedition into Khuzestan: Kal-e Chendar; Shami (2013-2016)

This report presents the preliminary results of the excavation conducted between 2013 and 2016 by the Iranian-Italian Joint Expedition in Khuzestan at Kal-e Chendar, in the Shami Valley (ancient Elymais). The site is well known for the outstanding antiquities discovered accidentally in 1936 followed by the excavation carried out briefly by the famous explorer Aurel Stein. But it remained neglected for decades despite its importance. It is presumably one of the most important sanctuaries of Iran at least in the Hellenistic and Parthian periods.Further to a survey conducted in 2012, the Iranian-Italian expedition started regular excavation and brought into light the remains of buildings of various type, size and technique, almost certainly made for religious purposes on monumental terraces, similar to those already found in the sanctuaries of Majid-e Sulayman and Bard-e Nechandeh, which are located in the same area. Family tombs of a wide cemetery were also recognized, hypothesise that at Kal-e Chendar the religious and funerary functions were, in some way, interrelated.