Teppe Hasanlu Archaeological Site

Teppe Hasanlu is a large archaeological mound (tell) in northwestern Iran’s West Azerbaijan province, known for rich Bronze and Iron Age deposits and remarkable archaeological finds. The site is a key reference for Iron Age archaeology in the region.

Visitors see the exposed upper mound (the citadel) and the broader tell where archaeologists uncovered multiple occupation layers spanning millennia. Important discoveries from the site include a gold ceremonial bowl and human burials recovered from a major destruction layer dated to around 800 BCE.

The site was occupied from the Bronze Age into the Iron Age and experienced at least one major violent destruction in the early first millennium BCE. Systematic excavations were carried out by an American-led team under Robert H. Dyson between 1956 and 1974, which documented the stratified sequence and recovered the site’s best-known artifacts.

Hasanlu sits on a tell in the Solduz plain of West Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran, within the broader Lake Urmia region and the Zagros foothills.

• Major excavations: Excavations directed by Robert H. Dyson ran from 1956 to 1974 and produced many of the site’s principal finds.
• Notable finds: A dramatic destruction layer dated to about 800 BCE contained high-status objects including a celebrated gold bowl and the so-called “Hasanlu Lovers” human remains.

What to See#

• Citadel (upper mound): The upper mound or citadel represents the principal fortified area with concentrated domestic and elite remains, including the well-known destruction layer.
• Lower town: The lower town contains domestic and industrial remains that show longer-term habitation and expansion around the citadel.