Classification, Typology and Chronology of Iron Age Pottery at the Site of Meydan in Hamadan

Considering the lack of finds dating to the Median and Achaemenid periods at Hamadan, it is very important to discover evidence from this period in this city. In 2017, during a construction operation in Imam Khomeini Square in Hamadan near the site of Hegmataneh/Ecbatana, some historical-era were identified and an emergency excavation led by Mohammad Shabani began. Excavation in this area uncovered three levels: late Islamic, post-Achaemenid and Medo-Achaemenid. Level III, the lowest layer, according to the excavated ceramics, represents the establishment of Iron Age III, or the Median period, which has continued in the Achaemenid period. The pottery of this period, which is classified into Fine, Common/Medium, and Coarse types, appears in the form of subspecies of Buffware, Brownish-Buffware, Grayware, and Cooking ware utensils. The most common vessel forms are bowls and jars. Among the Common types, there are bowls with horizontal handles attached to the edge, as well as bowls with S-shaped edges and jars with clover-shaped spouts. The pottery of this period is remarkably similar to the pottery tradition of Median sites, especially sites such as Godin II, Nush-e Jan, Babajan I-II, and Yelfan Tepe. In some cases, vessels such as bowls with angled and boat-shaped bodies, small simple cups, and jars with triangular rims are also comparable to Achaemenid sites such as Pasargadae and Persepolis, and even Hasanlu III. Based on the comparison of pottery data of this period with sites such as Godin II, Babajan I, and II, the settlement of the third level of Meydan probably began between 7th and 6th centuries BCE and continued until the end of the Achaemenid period. The findings of this period are very important due to the great ambiguities and challenges related to the Median and Achaemenid settlement of Hamadan and also the lack of identification of layers and cultural materials dating to this period, even after a century of archaeological excavations in this city.