Archaeologists uncover ancient iron production site south of Lake Urmia

TEHRAN – For the first time, archaeologists have discovered a historic iron production site in the Vesta Sheikh area south of Lake Urmia, northwest Iran.

The significant finding was documented through scientific excavations in the region and offers new insights into ancient metallurgy in northwestern Iran, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

According to Salah Salimi, the lead archaeologist, the Vesta-Sheikh site is located in the southern part of West Azarbaijan province, near the village road connecting Kani-Sepi to Kani-Rash, approximately one kilometer from the main Mahabad-Sardasht road.

Situated on a gentle slope in a small valley, the site spans about half a hectare, scattered with remnants of iron production, including slag, iron ore, and fragments of materials used in smelting furnaces.

Salimi explained that Vesta-Sheikh appears to have functioned as a small-scale, seasonal industrial site rather than a permanent settlement due to the region’s mountainous terrain.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the archaeologists said that industrial activities in this area were localized and tied to specific periods, with limited layers of habitation evidence.

The Vesta-Sheikh, along with 17 others sites, was first identified in 2019 during a broader archaeological survey of iron smelting sites in the Kani-Rash and Sardasht regions. Preliminary thermoluminescence dating places some of these sites in the Parthian and Seljuk eras.

As mentioned by the archaeologist, the current excavation is aimed to address key questions about the origins and development of iron metallurgy in the region and to enhance understanding of the iron production cycle in the Lake Urmia basin. Despite weather-related challenges limiting the scope of excavation, the findings were substantial, including diverse slag samples, raw iron ore, fragments, and furnace remnants.

Preliminary analyses suggest that iron production at Vesta-Sheikh followed the sponge iron method. Future phases of the project will focus on laboratory analyses and precise dating to deepen the understanding of this ancient industrial site, Salimi explained.

Lake Urmia covers an area that varies from 5,200 to 6,000 square km. Like the Dead Sea, it is remarkable for the extreme salinity of its waters. Since 1967 it has enjoyed the status of a wetland protected region, and efforts have been made by the Iranian government to increase its wildlife.

AM