Shahr-e Sukhteh
Shahr-e Sukhteh (Persian: شهر سوخته, meaning "Burnt City"), c. 3550–2300 BC, also spelled as Shahr-e Sūkhté and Shahr-i Sōkhta, is an archaeological site of a sizable Bronze Age urban settlement, associated with the Helmand culture. It is located in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, the southeastern part of Iran, on the bank of the Helmand River, near the Zahedan-Zabol road. It was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2014.
شهر سوخته | |
Location in Iran Shahr-e Sukhteh (West and Central Asia) | |
| Location | Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran |
|---|---|
| Region | Sistan |
| Coordinates | 30°35′43″N 61°19′35″E |
| History | |
| Founded | 3550 BC |
| Abandoned | 2300 BC |
| Periods | Late Chalcolithic, Bronze Age |
| Cultures | Helmand culture |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
| Public access | yes (08:00–19:00) |
| Official name | Shahr-i Sokhta |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv |
| Designated | 2014 (38th session) |
| Reference no. | 1456 |
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
The reasons for the unexpected rise and fall of the city are still wrapped in mystery. Artifacts recovered from the city demonstrate a peculiar incongruity with nearby civilizations of the time and it has been speculated that Shahr-e Sukhteh might ultimately provide concrete evidence of a civilization east of prehistoric Persia that was independent of ancient Mesopotamia.