Mojtaba Safari, Executive Council UNESCO Chair on Coastal Geo-Hazard Analysis
Assistant professor, Department of Archeology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
m.safari@umz.ac.ir
Din Keti Tepe is one of the prominent archaeological sites in the southern Caspian Sea region, dating back approximately three thousand years. According to the current geopolitical divisions, it is located between Babolsar and Babol counties, within Amir Kola city in Mazandaran province.
Location of Din Keti Tepe in northern Iran and south of the Caspian Sea
The site’s northern agricultural and industrial land belongs to Babolsar County, while the southern sections are under the jurisdiction of Babol County residents. The site was officially registered as a national heritage site under number 1403 on May 16, 1977.
The current condition of Din Keti Tepe is concerning, as a significant portion of its upper surface has been leveled in recent years for horticultural activities. Surrounding the site are agricultural lands, as well as poultry and livestock farms. In addition to the threats posed by farmers and landowners, the site has become a target for illegal excavations by artifact looters, leading to extensive destruction through deep pits dug across the area. Presently, the surface of Din Keti Tepe is scattered with pottery shards and skeletal remains resulting from these illicit excavations, causing significant disturbances that demand urgent protection and intervention. One key reason for the encroachment of farmers into the site is the absence of officially defined boundaries. The first step in addressing this issue is conducting an excavation for sounding to determine the site’s extent. However, construction activities have already taken place in the northern, northeastern, and southern parts of the site.
Aerial view of Din Keti Tepe
Surface surveys have revealed artifacts from the Iron Age and historical periods. With funding from Mazandaran University, an excavation for sounding to determine was conducted in Din Keti Tepe for educational purposes, in collaboration with the Mazandaran Cultural Heritage Organization and with permission from the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (permit number 40336743). The excavation took place from January 6 to February 4, 2025. Initially, a comprehensive survey and damage assessment of the site and its surroundings were conducted. Subsequently, 45 test trenches were excavated. The findings, including ceramic fragments from the test trenches, indicate human settlement at the site from the first millennium BCE through the Achaemenid and Parthian periods up to the early Islamic period.
Members of the Din Keti Tepe excavation team (including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in archaeology)
Before excavation, given the site’s location amidst agricultural lands, meetings were held with influential local figures and surrounding landowners to explain the research objectives. This initiative received a positive response, and most landowners cooperated with the excavation team. The next step involved assessing site damage and categorizing them into reversible and irreversible impacts. Major damages included:
Removal of parts of the mound, especially in the southern and western sections, where evidence suggests the site was originally more extensive but had been leveled for agricultural expansion.
Illegal excavations aimed at looting artifacts. Road construction around the site, particularly in the southern and eastern sections, encroaches on the archaeological site. Farming and horticultural activities have disturbed the site’s upper cultural and archaeological layers.
Following the damage assessment, an Excavation for Sounding to Determine was carried out by excavating 45 test trenches, each measuring 1×1 meter, with some sections containing two or three trenches to precisely determine the site’s extent. The excavations revealed that groundwater levels around the site are extremely high, with portions of archaeological layers submerged in mud. This high-water table complicates deeper excavation and the site’s chronological study. Based on the test trenches, the site’s current extent is approximately 3.5 hectares, but evidence suggests that it was originally larger, with about 1 to 1.5 hectares lost, particularly in the southern section, due to agricultural expansion. The research findings will be compiled into a report, approved by relevant committees, and submitted to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts for dissemination to local authorities.
The position of the boreholes relative to the Tepe and some of the test boreholes
As part of the ongoing research program, a topographic map and contour lines were also prepared to document the excavation locations and define the site’s core and buffer zones. This mapping revealed that the designated core area of the site extends beyond its visibly recognizable boundaries. The proposed buffer zone, intended as a protective layer around the site encompasses approximately 4 hectares.
