Tepe Yahya

Tepe Yahya, located in Kermān Province, Iran, is a prominent archaeological site showcasing a diverse span of cultural occupations from the 6th millennium BCE to the 4th century BCE. The site features an impressive circular mound with a height of 20 meters and a diameter of 187 meters. Notably, it marks the easternmost reach of the Proto-Elamite culture, evident by a large monumental building constructed in the late 4th millennium BCE. The site was a key production center for chlorite stone ware during the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE, with artifacts distributed widely across ancient Mesopotamia and beyond. The Iron Age brought new developments in the form of platforms from the Achaemenid period. Excavations reveal a rich history of local craftsmanship, including nearly a thousand steatite pieces and early writing practices with Proto-Elamite tablets.