TEHRAN – Archaeologists working at the historic Chaser Elit site in northern Iran have uncovered a cemetery dating back to the Iron Age and Parthian period, along with a range of artifacts that researchers say could provide new insight into the lifestyles, rituals and social structures of ancient communities in the Mazandaran region.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the discoveries were announced by excavation team leader Hossein Nemati during a specialized meeting on recent findings from the Chaser Elit archaeological site near Marzanabad in Chalus county.
Nemati said the site is considered one of the major ancient settlement centers in western Mazandaran. The site was added to Iran’s national heritage list in 2019 and contains evidence of continuous human habitation from the Iron Age, Parthian and Sasanian eras through the Islamic and Safavid periods.
He said the geographical and climatic characteristics of the mountainous region support theories of seasonal habitation, nomadic movement and temporary settlement patterns, making the site particularly significant for anthropological and cultural archaeology studies.
The first season of excavations focused on determining the boundaries and protected zone of the site, Nemati said. The second phase, carried out in the Iranian year 1403 with the participation of five senior archaeology experts and five archaeology students from Chalus University, involved exploratory trenching across different sections of the historical mound.
The excavations uncovered remains of residential architecture built with local materials such as wood, rough stone and river stones, indicating what Nemati described as the inhabitants’ adaptation to the surrounding natural environment.
The most significant discovery of the second excavation season was the Iron Age and Parthian-era cemetery, where archaeologists found a collection of weapons including spearheads, swords, daggers and javelins.
Nemati said the findings could offer valuable information about military structures, burial customs and social relations among communities living in the region during ancient times.
Researchers also uncovered a variety of historical jewelry items, including bracelets, necklaces, decorative clothing beads, earrings, hairpins and rings made from bronze, iron and silver.
Nemati said the artifacts hold particular importance for studies of culture, art and ancient metalworking technologies.
Among the more distinctive finds was a finely crafted jet seal engraved with the image of a mountain goat, as well as spinning tools and a rare Parthian-era rhyton decorated with a horse motif.
The excavation leader said these objects likely had ceremonial or ritual functions and may help researchers better understand the symbolic systems and cultural beliefs of ancient societies in northern Iran.
Several intact historical vessels were also recovered from the site, which Nemati said would provide valuable material for comparative archaeological studies in northern Iran.
He said one of the long-term goals of the project is to transform the Chaser Elit site into a site museum or regional museum. Nemati added that completion of boundary designation procedures and additional financial support from local authorities and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage would allow for broader excavations and greater public introduction of the site, particularly for local communities in western Mazandaran and Marzanabad.
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