Jiroft and the Halil Rud
Caption
Jiroft and the Halil Rud: a Bronze Age civilisation in southeastern Iran. Konar Sandal’s two mounds, 150+ seal impressions and carved chlorite vessels were uncovered by the excavations of Yousef Majidzadeh (d. 19 Oct 2026). In memory. #Iran #Archaeology #Jiroft
Short takes
In 2001 looting near Jiroft exposed graves and carved chlorite vessels. Then the dig began at Konar Sandal, where two mounds, 21 m and 13 m high, hold a walled citadel and niched mudbrick platforms. Yousef Majidzadeh led the excavations. Thank you for the work.
The Halil Rud runs about 400 km from the Zagros to the Jazmurian basin. Along it, Konar Sandal flourished c. 2500–2200 BCE, between Elam and the Indus. Which Bronze Age site should we map next: Jiroft, Shahr-e Sukhteh or Tepe Yahya?
Image description
Infographic titled Jiroft and the Halil Rud, in sand, terracotta and chlorite green. A map of southeastern Iran marks Konar Sandal near Jiroft with a red dot, the Halil Rud flowing southeast to the Jazmurian basin, and nearby Bronze Age sites: Kerman, Shahdad, Tepe Yahya, Shahr-e Sukhteh and Bampur. Dashed arrows point west to Elam and Mesopotamia, east to the Indus Valley and north-east to Central Asia. A tribute to archaeologist Yousef Majidzadeh, who died on 19 October 2026, sits beside a drawing of Konar Sandal’s two mounds, 21 m and 13 m high, a timeline, and a bottom strip of six finds: carved chlorite vessels, seal impressions, inscribed bricks, a vase, a statuette and a citadel.
