Tepe Siyalk

Tepe Siyalk, an archaeological site in Iran, was continuously occupied from the mid-5th to the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. It was later reoccupied from around 1000 BCE to 400 CE. Excavations suggest Tepe Siyalk was a hub for producing and distributing steatite, a material used for vessels and seals.1

Evidence indicates that Tepe Siyalk was part of a wider pattern of village farming that spread across the Iranian plateau by approximately 6000 BCE. While distinct from contemporary civilizations in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, Tepe Siyalk shows cultural connections with neighboring regions. Trade likely facilitated these contacts, with Elam possibly acting as an intermediary. The presence of proto-Elamite tablets at Tepe Siyalk suggests trade links between Mesopotamia and the east, possibly involving items like steatite and copper.23