Population Mobility of Mersin Chal Residents During the Second Half of the First Millennium BC

Articles in Press

Authors

1 Postdoctoral Researcher in Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University

2 Professor of Archeology Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Archeology at the Institute of Archeology, Cultural Heritage and Tourism of the country

10.22084/nb.2025.29148.2666

Abstract

The Mersin Chal Cemetery is located on the southern banks of the Esperu River, southwest of Telajim village in Mehdishahr city, within the Semnan Province. It is situated on the southern slopes of the Eastern Alborz Mountains, between the desert regions and the central Iranian plateau to one side and northern and northeastern Iran on the other. This cemetery is located in a region rich in environmental resources. It lies along the ancient East-West communication routes, known as the Great Khorasan Road. The absolue chronology analysis reveals that this cemetery dates back to the Achaemenid, Seleucid, and Parthian periods. This cemetery is highly significant as it represents the first Achaemenid site excavated in the Semnan region. It highlights the Achaemenid Empire's dynamic on a regional scale. Its importance is further emphasized by its proximity to the area of the Qumis civilization. In this regard, one of the aims of the third season of archaeological excavations at the Mersin Chal cemetery was to identify and investigate burial practices and conduct studies in biological anthropology. This study aimed to estimate age, determine sex, and identify indigenous and non-indigenous individuals buried in this cemetery through bioarchaeological research. To achieve these objectives, the following questions were raised: 1-What methods were used to estimate the age and determine the sex of individuals buried in this cemetery? -How can one distinguish between indigenous and non-indigenous people? In response to the questions raised, the study utilized the analytical-laboratory approach of 87Sr/86Sr stable isotope analysis on tooth enamel samples taken from human remains found in 12 of the 49 excavated graves at the Mersin Chal cemetery, alongside SPSS statistical techniques. Analysis of stable strontium isotope ratios in the adult human skeletons, both male and female, from the Mersin Chal cemetery suggests that this site was most likely used by an indigenous community during the latter half of the first millennium BC.

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Archaeological Research of Iran

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 25 August 2025

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