The Silk Hills
The Silk Hills are located in the southwest of Kashan, near the road from Kashan to Fin. In fact, they consist of two main hills, which are 600 meters apart. Archaeological excavations on these hills have been conducted under the supervision of the French archaeologist Roman Ghirshman, who traces the historical significance of the hills back to the 5th millennium BCE based on the comparison of objects found with those from Shush, Mousian, Gyan, and Damghan Hills. If we trace the gradual evolution of human civilization, this place stands as one of the oldest spots in Iran where civilization took shape.
The excavations were carried out in three phases, with the first phase in 1933, the second in 1934, and the third in 1937 AD. The result of these excavations was the identification of 17 cultural periods in the hills, with the oldest dating back to the 5th millennium BCE, demonstrating human settlement until the end of the 3rd millennium BCE. After a hiatus of nearly a thousand years, life resumed in this area. If we designate one of the hills as the central hill and the other as the peripheral cemetery, namely A and B, these two cemeteries are definitely related to the newly arrived peoples to the Central Iranian Plateau, namely the Aryans. Cemetery B is associated with the Med culture and more than a hundred graves have been identified there.
The central desert of Iran was once a large lake, and after the water retreated, small fertile plains emerged around it, and the people of this area chose this new plain for their residence, where the oldest findings belong to this period. They built their first mud-brick houses, covered with clay, and their first residents were hunters. Then they turned to agriculture, as evidenced by the discovery of stone tools resembling axes for plowing. They also domesticated quadrupeds such as cows, goats, and sheep. Meanwhile, hunting of animals continued. In the next period, the first mudbrick houses appeared, and shortly thereafter, the pottery wheel and pottery met other needs of the people of this land. Gradually, the people of this land established connections with other areas, and these exchanges and interactions increased. However, it is not clear why suddenly the northern settlement was abandoned, and people began to settle in the southern part.
A layer of ash on the excavated layers indicates a fire that destroyed the previous settlement. This event may have occurred as a result of invasion and foreign incursions. In summary, in the last stage of the Silk civilization, we can see the settlement of a people who, hundreds of years later, laid the foundation for a glorious period in the history of Iran and humanity. That is the Aryans who settled in the central parts of Iran after entering the Iranian Plateau and imposed their civilization on the indigenous people. The Silk ceramics, which are now the most precious jewels of Iranian and world museums, are considered the best and most beautiful examples of pottery.
Concurrently with pottery, the metalworking industry also rapidly advanced, and copper tools replaced stone tools. Gradually, decorative objects such as large copper pins, agate beads, turquoise, lapis lazuli stones, jade, and shell medals were added. The invention of stamping and its rapid spread marked a major step forward in civilization, and the inclination to adhere to the principle of individual ownership began. Local markets flourished, and cultural and trade exchanges with distant places began. With the abundance of patterns and motifs on the pottery of Cemetery B, as well as iron swords, musical instruments, and horse ornaments, all testify to the invasion of the Silk.
These invaders were the Medes, who forcibly entered the Silk region and overturned previous customs and habits. The Medes lived in this area for nearly two centuries and brought an end to the last phase of life in Silk. It is worth mentioning that recent excavations have proposed a hypothesis about the existence of a ziggurat in Silk, especially the central hill, which is still under investigation and has not yet been conclusively proven.
