Shahr-Tepeh and Toghei – Two Early Parthian Cities in Northeastern Iran (original) (raw)

One of the most important yet ambiguous geographical areas related to Parthian history is northeastern Iran, a cultural region that could roughly be labelled as “The Great Khorasan Region.” By looking at the early political history of the Parthian period, the role of this region in the formation and development of the Parthian Dynasty is perceptible to the extent that northeastern Iran could be considered a major ground for the most of the events related to the Parthian period. Prior to the gradual expansion of the Parthian Kingdom during the reign of Mehrdad I (Mithradates I; c. 171-133/132 BC), the extent of Parthian dominion could be considered local, extending more or less over Iran’s two provinces of Parthia and Hyrcania, which constituted the core of the Arsakid state at the time. One of the areas in northeastern Iran considered an important center during the early Parthian period was Dargaz. Modern-day Dargaz County is located in the northeast of the province of Khorasan-i Razavi, close to the border with Turkmenistan; its proximity to Turkmenistan’s ancient Parthian settlements, including the complex of New Nisa and Old Nisa,2 implies the importance of the Dargaz area in the Parthian period, especially during the early decades of the formation and expansion of the Parthian Kingdom. An archaeological survey of Hasan Nami has recorded 85 Parthian sites in the region, of which Shahr-Tepeh and Toghei have been asserted as two urban centers (Fig. 1). It is attempted here to evaluate the importance of the two mentioned sites in northeastern Iran during the early Parthian age using the results of archaeological investigations. The dimensions of these sites, the richness of surface remnants and the cultural material yielded by excavations, and finally the proximity to the historical center of Nisa all imply that Shahr-Tepeh and Toghei were likely important urban centers during the early Parthian period in northeastern Iran.