Northwest Iran in the Achaemenid Period, in the Light of Archaeological Findings of Ghonagh Ghiran Castle

Northwest Iran played an important role in cultural, economic, and political exchanges with the surrounding lands in the first millennium BC. Given the importance of the area, there are many uncertainties in understanding the cultural features and interactions of the region, particularly during the Achaemenid and Parthian periods. It may contribute greatly to clarifying ambiguities through more archaeological introduction and analysis of old and new cultural findings. Ghonagh Ghiran castle is one of the rare Achaemenid sites in the Ardebil province. This castle is the largest site container painted triangle ware belonging to the Achaemenid period in the Ardabil Plain, which was not surveyed and excavated yet. This site was been surveyed with systematic sampling methods and then documentation and analysis of cultural materials. It was our aim that studies 25 percent of the cultural data of all operations of the castle surface. For as much as our main aim was to identify characteristics of painted triangle ware in this project, then potteries classification and samples selection, we studied, evaluated, and compared them with potteries of other sites both inside and outside of Iran. It has found species of Ardebil styles pottery and shards with green glaze belonged to the Seljuk period too, which it is indicate settlement continuity in this site. According to the considerable characteristics of defensive architecture, and environmental and topographic conditions of Ghonagh Ghiran Castle, undoubtedly, it has had a political and important status in the region.