Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Kazem Mollazadeh

Associate Professor, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Art and architecture Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

Abstract

Abstract
The Median Kingdom was a significant and influential period in the political and cultural history of Iran. Despite this, unfortunately, there is limited historical and archaeological data available, and there are fundamental ambiguities regarding various aspects of its existence, including historical geography and archaeological. One of the major challenges is the type of structure and geographical extent of the Median Kingdom. Did the Medes establish a great kingdom and settle in the conquered regions, particularly in the former territory of Assyria, spreading their cultural traditions in the area and leaving behind legacies? Or was their presence temporary and merely political and military? This research, relying on historical and archaeological sources and examining unpublished documents from the Iraqi Ministry of Antiquities, explores the presence of the Medes in the central regions of Mesopotamia, using analytical-historical methods and descriptive-analytical methods to provide evidence and documents that demonstrate the presence of the Medes in the areas discussed. According to Babylonian sources, the Medes not only had a strong military presence in northeastern Iraq and northern Syria, but they also appeared in the central regions of Mesopotamia and posed security threats to Babylon, to the extent that Babylon prepared extensive defensive fortifications to protect its northern borders and its capital. Archaeological data indicates that the presence of the Medes in northern and central Mesopotamia was accompanied by settlements and artifacts, the remnants of which have been identified in the regions of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Rania, and Diyala. Among these, the mound of Gubba in the Diyala region is particularly significant due to its location in the southern areas near the borders of Babylon and its distinctive architecture and cultural materials. Despite the second-level designation of this site being attributed to the Achaemenid period, research data indicates that this settlement was established after the fall of Assyria, featuring different styles and materials, with modifications occurring during the Achaemenid period. The findings of this research, while confirming the attribution of this settlement and its cultural traditions to the Medes, demonstrate the presence and expansion of the Median Kingdom in the central regions of Mesopotamia.
Keywords: Medes Kingdom, Medean Archaeology, Tell Gubba, Medean Architecture, Tell al-Dim.
 
1. Introduction
The Median kingdom represents an important and influential period in the political and cultural history of Iran. Despite this, the historical and archaeological data are minimal, and there are fundamental ambiguities regarding various aspects of this kingdom. One significant challenge is the structure and political extent of the Medes, especially in the period following the fall of Assyria. A review of Babylonian texts, as well as data uncovered from the site of Gubba in the Hamrin region of Iraq, provides a new perspective on the geographical expansion and power of the Median kingdom and can create a suitable context for understanding the relations between the Medes and Babylonia in the mid-sixth century BCE, the role of the Medes in the fall of Babylon, and the presence of Median architectural traditions and cultural materials in the Mesopotamia. In light of this importance, the current research has been conducted. The research methodology incorporates historical-analytical data in the historical section and descriptive-analytical data in the archaeological section, with data collection tools being library resources and, to a limited extent, fieldwork.
 
2. Research Background  
There has not been significant research conducted regarding the expansion and presence of the Medes in northeastern and central Iraq. On the other hand, due to the lack of focus on this specific historical period, the relatively brief existence of the Median kingdom in these areas, and the political confrontation of the former regime of Iraq towards this historical period, which consciously disregards it, and attributes several specific Median Settlement remains to the Achaemenid period, the available data is limited. The Hamrin region was first investigated by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (Adams, 1965). In 1977, in connection with regional studies for the construction of the Diyala Dam, a Japanese archaeological team led by Hideo Fujii excavated the Tell Gubba site and published the results in 1981 (Fujiii, 1981). Unfortunately, the architectural data and the artifacts discovered from the second layer of the site have not been fully published. In Iran, Michael Roof was the first to mention the Median identity of this site (Roaf, 2008). Since then, despite a brief reference, no focused research on this topic has been conducted.
 
3. The presence of the Medes in central Iraq  
The presence of the Medes in Iraq is confirmed at least through historical sources and limited archaeological evidence.
3-1. Study of Babylonian Sources
Unfortunately, Babylonian sources provide very little information from the fall of Assyria to the rise of Cyrus the Achaemenid (Jursa, 2003: 169-171). It seems that after the fall of Assyria, contrary to the expectations of the king of Babylon, the Medes remained in significant parts of the territory taken from Assyria and later expanded their domain into the central regions of Mesopotamia to the detriment of Babylon (Weisshauser and Novotny, 2020: 152-153 and 187). Babylonian sources reference the presence of the Medes in central regions. The first reference pertains to the annals of Nabonidus, which mention the attack of the Gutians on the temple of the goddess Anunitu in Sippar-Anunitu and its plundering (Weiershäuser and Novotny, 2020: 64). The next reference relates to the construction of fortifications and defensive walls between the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, to counter the Medes (Novotny and Weiershäuser, 2024: 129 and 130). The account in Babylonian sources regarding the fall of the Median kingdom to Cyrus also indirectly suggests Babylon’s animosity towards the Medes (ibid: 147 and 152-153). Babylonian inscriptions on the fall and capture of Babylon also illustrate the significant role and presence of the Medes (Weiershäuser and Novotny, 2020: 26-27).
3-2. Study of Archaeological Data: Tell Gubba  
Tell Gubba is located in Diyala Province, Iraq, 5 kilometers upstream from the confluence of the Diyala and Narin rivers, and 12 kilometers west of the city of Saadiya (Fig. 1). The dimensions of the site are 80 × 85 meters, with a height reaching 8 meters (Fig. 3). Excavations at this site have revealed 7 layers of settlement, with the second layer being the focus of this research (Fuji, 1981: 141).  
The second settlement level of Tell Gubba has been formed by leveling the area and creating a platform-like foundation (ibid: 150-151). Excavations of Layer II uncovered a large, solid brick structure with a nearly square plan consisting of rectangular interior rooms and an enclosing wall, constructed with mud bricks measuring 47 × 25 × 10 centimeters and mud mortar (Fig. 4).  
The central building, measuring 16 meters in length and 15.5 meters in width, has surrounding walls approximately 2.5 meters thick. The structure features an entrance that provides access to a corridor and three elongated, narrow spaces. The floors of all rooms were covered with a thick layer of gravel, and the walls were coated with clay plaster. The ceiling condition of the rooms is unclear; however, arched ceilings are the most probable option (ibid: 151). Given the thickness of the walls and the internal layout, which primarily served functional purposes, there may be a second floor. The eastern and northern façades of the building, which have better preservation, were constructed with buttresses and recesses, featuring arrow slits about 20 centimeters wide (ibid). The angular buttresses of the building are interconnected and take on a tower-like appearance, distinguishing them from examples at Tepe Nush-I Jan and Ulug Depe, while showing closer affinities to those at Tell al-Dim Raniya and Achaemenid specimens.  
Surrounding the central building, at a distance of 5 meters, there is a wall 3 meters thick and measuring 32 × 32 meters overall, which has been constructed similarly to the central structure (ibid: 150-151). A 5-meter-wide corridor existed between the wall and the central building, comparable to the uncovered structure at Ulug Depe.  
In front of the entrance to the wall, a brick structure resembling a platform has been identified, which protrudes from the main building. In a subsequent period, a wall was erected in front of it for reinforcement, built with mud bricks measuring 33 × 33 × 10 centimeters. The orientation and varying mud brick sizes of the wall suggest a possible Achaemenid affiliation.
3-2-1. Pottery and Discovered Objects  
Unfortunately, the discovered cultural materials have not been fully published. This study aimed to extract and present the maximum available information by referring to excavation documents from archaeological centers in Iraq. Based on published sources and examined documents, a significant number of pottery (Figs. 5,7) different from Assyrian and Achaemenid types, twelve iron and bronze objects (Fig. 8), several figurines and clay seals (Fig. 9), two stone stamped seals, several stone tools and beads (Fig. 10), and several bone spatulas (Fig. 11) were obtained from the second level.
 
4. Conclusion  
Despite Babylonian attempts to ignore the Median kingdom, there is evidence of a powerful Median presence in Mesopotamia, as well as tensions and military conflicts with Babylon. The inability of the Babylonians to expel the Medes from the region is indirectly reflected in Babylonian inscriptions, and the construction of strong and extensive defensive installations by the Babylonians serves as further evidence of this claim. In such circumstances, it is natural that the Medes would also have established settlements there. Tell Gubba, with its unique location, could be one of these settlements. The architectural features of the second level of the site link it to the Median architecture of the Iranian plateau. Contrary to the dating proposed by Fujii, evidence suggests that only part of the annexes, including the surrounding wall of the terrace, which was constructed using standardized Achaemenid mud bricks, pertains to the Achaemenid period, while the original settlement likely belongs to the final decades of the Median kingdom (580 to 550 BC). Unfortunately, no significant cultural artifacts have been recovered from the original settlement, and what has been found appears to relate to a secondary occupation that developed after the central building was abandoned and perhaps after a fire. The cultural materials recovered, along with the architectural similarities, confirm the Median nature of the settlement. Additional supportive evidence obtained from Tell al-Dim in Raniya (Hassan al-Takrity, 1960), as well as the tomb of Qizqapan in the Sulaymaniyah region, indicates that the Medes had a long-term presence in the area and had partially replaced Assyrian architectural and cultural traditions with their own.

Keywords

• Medes Kingdom
• Medean Archaeology
• Tell Gubba
• Medean Architecture
• Tell al-Dim

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