A Study on the Parthian Pithos Cemeteries in the Western Bank of the Little Zab River in Sardasht, North-West Iran.

Sardasht is a mountainous region consisting of wide valleys in northern Zagros Mountains. In the field studies carried out on the western bank of the Little Zab River, there were found five Pithos cemeteries, as well as archeological sites belonging to different cultures. Unfortunately, all the cemeteries have been disturbed by illegal excavations and many Pithos cemeteries have been destroyed. This paper introduces archaeological evidences on the newly-found Parthian cemeteries in Sardasht, whose characteristics would be comparable with the other known Parthian Pithos cemeteries such as Mingecevir, Germi, Kangavar, Taq-e Bostan, Marivan, Acropolis and Royal City of Susa. Meanwhile, a comparative study on the form of the pithos and the other findings indicates a close resemblance between pithos cemeteries of Sardasht with Germi and Taq-e Bostan cemeteries. Considering the comparisons made between the two cemeteries and the Pithos cemeteries in Sardasht, one may claim that Sardasht cemeteries could be dated back to the first and the second centuries BC.