New archaeological discovery unveils historical importance of Garan Hill
Iranian archaeologists have unearthed a significant discovery in the Dehloran plain of Ilam Province: a brick inscription in the Akkadian Script, along with inscribed bricks believed to be part of the water supply system of the ancient Elam civilization. This finding underscores the political and economic significance of the Garan Hill, which is located in the western region of the Elamite settlement area.
According to Mohsen Zeinivand, a seasoned archaeologist with experience in this area, Garan Hill is situated in the Dehloran plain, a part of Ilam Province in the southwest of the Iranian plateau. Positioned three kilometers east of the Doiraj River and 2,800 meters northwest of the Musian Hill, the Garan Hill spans 17 hectares. It comprises a prominent conical elevation in the southern region and several irregular mounds scattered across the east, north, and west, ISNA wrote.
Further elaborating on the site, Zeinivand noted that the main hill stands at a height of 20 meters, while the surrounding mounds range from three to six meters in height. The entire expanse of the main hill is enveloped by a low, uniform plateau approximately 20 meters wide, which separates it from the surrounding mounds. This formation suggests the possibility of a protective moat encircling the hill, providing additional fortification.
He mentioned that Garan Hill, the largest human settlement from the second millennium BCE until the end of the Achaemenid period, holds significant archaeological importance. During a survey of the main hillside, several broken bricks, some with inscriptions, were unearthed. Unfortunately, due to soaking and weathering, the inscriptions on these bricks were illegible, but in one instance, a few incomplete words in the Akkadian language were readable.
The archaeologist further explained that another remarkable find was a simple yet intriguing piece of brick, featuring grooves on its surface. This discovery is reminiscent of similar artifacts abundant in Mesopotamia, depicting geographical maps, urban planning, temple and palace layouts, irrigation systems, and agricultural lands from the third millennium BCE up to the first millennium BCE.
Zinivand states that the patterned lines on the brick represent four distinct shapes: a river, a mountain, a dam, and irrigation channels. The situation in the northeast of the Dehloran plain, where the Doiraj River flows from the Siahkuh and enters the plain, resulted in water supply issues due to climate change over the past millennia, leading to the deepening of its bed. Consequently, a dam was constructed to raise the water level of the river and facilitate the flow of water into the channels during the ancient Elamite period.
The archaeologist has also discovered evidence of dams built using reeds or tree branches a hundred years ago on the Euphrates River north of Dezful, which is likely to be depicted on the brick map of Garan as well.
It is believed that the irrigation channels branching off from the Doiraj River and supplying the settlements of Garan and Musian are part of an ancient Elamite civil engineering project, the plan of which was depicted on the brick before its implementation.
This area has attracted attention due to its significance as the main route from Shush to Mesopotamia and its abundant water and natural resources suitable for agriculture. Therefore, the discovery of material evidence related to these components is not surprising.