Haft Tepe (also Haft Tape) is an archaeological site situated in the Khuzestan Province in south-western Iran, about 15 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Susa. At this site the possible remains of the Elamite city of Kabnak were discovered in 1908, and excavations are still carried out.
History The city of Kabnak is mentioned as an important political centre during the reign of the Elamite king Tepti-Ahar, the last king of the Kidinuid dynasty ruling in the 15th century BC. He may also have been buried in the city. Another ruler known from two seals found in a grave at Haft Tepe was Inshushinak-sarru-(rabu)-ilani.Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Behzad, "The Grave of a puhu-teppu from Haft Tappeh." Akkadica 132.2, pp. 151-161, 2011 After the death of Tepti-Ahar the center of power returned to the old capital Susa, although there is no clear evidence that Kabnak ever held real power at all. Due to the turmoil of this era it is possible the construction of Kabnak was necessary after Tepti-Ahar lost control over Susa, however this theory has not been completely confirmed by solid proof.Van De Mieroop, Marc, "A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000-323 BC", Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Some centuries later another city was built at the nearby site of Choqa Zanbil.
Excavations at Haft Tepe revealed a large funerary complex founded by Tepti-Ahar where the god Kirwashir (Kirmasir) was worshiped. It had two large mud-brick platforms, a workshop area and a probable palace. Beneath a large rectangular courtyard lay a subterranean funerary complex intended for the king and his family.Carter, Elizabeth, "Landscapes of Death in Susiana During the Last Half of the 2nd Millennium B.C.", Elam and Persia, edited by Javier Álvarez-Mon and Mark B. Garrison, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 45-58, 2011 The two tombs, including that of the king, featured an oval vaulted roof, built of baked brick with gypsum mortar. The tomb of Tepti-Ahar measured 10 meters in length, 3.25 meters in width, and 3.75 meters in height.Negahban, E.O., "Architecture of Haft Tepe", Akten des VII. Internationalen Kongresses für Iranische Kunst und Archeologie, Archaologische Mitteilungen aus Iran 6, pp. 9-28, 1979 Skeletal remains were found in the tomb, though it is not certain they belong to royalty.Clare Goff, et al., "Survey of Excavations in Iran, 1967-8", Iran, vol. 7, pp. 169–93, 1969 Farnaz Khatibi Jafari, "Human remains from Haft Tepe, Iran, 2012-2013", Bioarchaeology of the Near East, vol. 12, pp. 55-60, 2018, ISSN 1899-962X Another large structure found at the site was perhaps the foundations of a ziggurat, along with courtyards and suites of rooms. The funerary complex was decorated with bronze plates and wall paintings.Alvarez-Mon, Javier, "Aspects of elamite wall painting: new evidence from Kabnak (Haft Tappeh)", Iranica antiqua 40, pp. 149-64, 2005 Several examples of terracotta sarcophagi generally called "bathtub coffins" were found.Laflı, Ergün, and Maurizio Buora, "Terracotta sarcophagi from the eastern Mediterranean", Mediterranean Archaeology, vol. 34/35, pp. 83–116, 2021 Also found were several large stone stele one of which, written in contemporary Babylonian, detailed the funerary rites and duties including sacrifices to be made before the chariot of the god and of Tepti-Ahar.C. L. Goff, et al., "Survey of Excavations in Iran during 1965-66", Iran, vol. 5, pp. 133–49, 1967 Administrative texts belonging to the reign of Tepti-Ahar were also found at the site.P. Herrero, "Tablettes administratives de Haft Tépé", Cahiers de la Délégation archéologique francaise en Iran, vol. 6, pp. 93–116, 1976
Archaeology
The site is around 1.5 km by 800 meters made up of 14 mounds with the highest being 17 meters high. Ezat O. Negahban, Haft Tepe Roundels: An Example of Middle Elamite Art, American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 88, no. 1, pp. 3-10, 1984 Haft Tepe was first surveyed by the French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan in 1908. The site was excavated in the period from 1965 to 1979 by a team from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Tehran, led by the Iranian archaeologist Ezzat Negahban.Abbas Alizadeh, "Review of 'Negahbaran, Ezat O., Excavations at Haft Tepe, Iran'", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 54(4), pp. 293-296, 1995 Negahban, E., "Excavations at Haft Tepe", University Museum Monographs 70, Philadelphia: University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, 1991Negahbaran, Ezat O. 1994 The Artist's Workshop of Haft Tepe. Pp. 31–41 in Cinquante-deux reflexions sur le proche-orient ancien. Offertes en hommage à Léon De Meyer, ed. H. Gasche, M. Tan-ret, C. Janssen & A. Degraeve. Mesopotamian History and Environment, Occasional Publications II. Genth: University of Genth A legal document was found sealed with a cylinder seal, unusual at that time:
Since 2003 excavations have been carried out by a team of German-Iranian archaeologists, including the University of Mainz, University of Kiel and the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, headed by Behzad Mofidi in ten seasons through 2013.B. Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Archäologische Untersuchungen in Haft Tape (Iran), Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan, vol. 35-36, pp. 225-239, 2003-04Behzad Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Vorbericht der archäologischen Ausgrabungen der Kampagnen 2005-2007 in Haft Tappeh (Iran), Verlag, 2010, Mofidi-Nasrabadi, B, Vorbericht der archäologischen Untersuchungen in den Kampagnen 2008, 2009 und 2010 in Haft Tappeh (Iran), Elamica, vol. 2, pp. 55-159, 2012Mofidi-Nasrabadi, B, Vorbericht der archäologischen Untersuchungen in den Kampagnen 2012-2013 in Haft Tappeh (Iran), Elamica, vol. 4, pp. 67-167, 2014
In the 2006 season a number of cuneiform administrative tablets were recovered and have now been published. They are primarily inventories.Prechel, D., Die Tontafeln aus Haft Tappeh 2005-2007, in: B. Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Vorbericht der archäologischen Ausgrabungen der Kampagnen 2005-2007 in Haft Tappeh (Iran), Münster, pp. 51-57, 2010 One tablet is sealed with the royal seal of Tepti-ahar, king of Susa, and has a year name of "the year in which the (local) king repulsed/expelled Kadašman-dkur.gal". Speculation on who this refers to has ranged from Kassite ruler Kadashman-Enlil II or Kadashman-Harbe I to even some local Kassite ruler not part of the Kassite dynasty.Roaf, Michael. "Kassite and Elamite Kings", Volume 1 Karduniaš. Babylonia under the Kassites 1, edited by Alexa Bartelmus and Katja Sternitzke, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 166-195, 2017Cole, S. W., & De Meyer, L., "Tepti-ahar, King of Susa, and Kadašman-dKUR.GAL", Akkadica, 112, pp. 44-45, 1999
When French archaeologists were working at Susa workmen turned in objects they had found. Some are not thought to have come from Haft Tepe including a brick reading:
Transport
A railway station is located near the site, alongside housing which in 2006 had a population of 190, in 32 families.
See also Cities of the ancient Near East
References
Further reading Amiet, Pierre, "Observations sur les sceaux de haft-tepe (Kabnak)", Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 135–43, 1996 Álvarez-Mon, Javier, and Yasmina Wicks, "Elamite war chariots and military equipment at ancient Kabnak (ca. 1400 BCE)", Journal of Cuneiform Studies 73.1, pp. 121–134, 2021 Beckman, G., "A stray tablet from Haft Tépé", IrAnt 26, pp. 81–83, 1991 Daneshmand, Parsa, "An Extispicy Text from Haft-Tappe", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 56, pp. 13–17, 2004 Glassner, J. J., "Les textes de Haft Tépé, la Susiane et l’Élam au II millénaire", pp. 109–126 in Mesopotamie et Elam, ed. L. De Meyer & H. Gasche. Mesopotamian History and Environment, Occasional Publications I. Genth: University of Genth, 1991 P. Herrero and J. J Glassner, "Haft-Tépé: Choix de textes I", Iranica Antiqua, vol. 25, pp. 1–45, 1990 P. Herrero and J. J Glassner, "Haft-Tépé: Choix de textes II", Iranica Antiqua, vol. 26, pp. 39–80, 1991 P. Herrero and J. J Glassner, "Haft-Tépé: Choix de textes III", Iranica Antiqua, vol. 28, pp. 97–135, 1993 P. Herrero and J. J Glassner, "Haft-Tépé: Choix de textes IV", Iranica Antiqua, vol. 31, pp. 51–82, 1996 Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Behzad, "Ergebnisse der C14-Datierung der Proben aus Haft Tappeh", Elamica 5, pp. 7–36, 2015 Mofidi-Nasrabadi, Behzad, "Some chronological aspects of the building structures at Haft Tappeh", Susa and Elam. Archaeological, Philological, Historical and Geographical Perspectives. Brill, pp. 161–172, 2013 Izzat Allāh Nigāhbān, "Excavations at Haft Tepe", Iran, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology, 1991, Oudbashi, Omid, and S. Mohammadamin Emami, "A Note on the Corrosion Morphology of Some Middle Elamite Copper Alloy Artefacts from Haft Tappeh, South-West Iran", Studies in Conservation, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 20–25, 2010 Rafiei-Alavi, Babak, Faranak Bahrololoumi, and Sabine Klein, "Three Women from Elam: A Revision of the Haft Tappeh Metal Plaque", Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research 387.1, pp. 171–180, 2022 Tamm, Alexandr, "Pie Crust rattles of the Ancient Near East with a focus on the find from Haft Tappeh (Iran)", Elamica 3, pp. 133–170, 2013 Mofidi Nasrabadi, B, "Chronological order of the Elamite pottery from Haft Tappeh", Elamica 6, pp. 97–118, 2016
External links "Haft Tepe" – Archeological Gazetteer of Iran Haft Tepe – Encyclopedia Iranica english/projects.html Archaeological Research at Haft Tappeh - University of Mainz