event · evt_srsc1_marlik_elite_cemetery_use
Elite cemetery use at Marlik
Rich tombs with metal vessels, weapons, ornaments, and other goods document high-status burial in the south Caspian highlands.
What is the evidence?
observation
Rich tombs with metal vessels, weapons, ornaments, and other goods document high-status burial in the south Caspian highlands.The cemetery and rich assemblage are secure; absolute chronology and political context are disputed.
Inspect the sources →Review and provenance
Specialist reviewer: not recorded. Review date: not recorded.
Dataset workflow: proposed. This is separate from specialist review.
Confidence describes the stated assessment; it does not certify expert approval. How review works.
Chronology
Dating intervals may describe uncertainty or phases; their width alone does not establish event duration.
1400 BCE–900 BCE
Precision: range
Chronology model: release preferred synthesis
moderatePreferred display range synthesized from the cited source roles. It preserves a range and does not imply every component occurred continuously or synchronously.
- supports · provides archaeological observation and chronology
MĀRLIK — Kamyar Abdi (2000)Summarizes the cemetery and competing dates.
Locator: Excavation history, finds, and chronology discussion - contextualizes · contextualizes
The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran — Michael D. Danti (2013)Places Marlik within broader Iranian debates.
Locator: Northwestern Iranian chronology and regional comparisons
1200 BCE–800 BCE
Precision: range
Chronology model: later marlik chronology
moderateA later chronology compresses much of the cemetery into the twelfth–ninth or early eighth centuries BCE. This remains separate from the preferred display range.
- supports · provides archaeological observation and chronology
MĀRLIK — Kamyar Abdi (2000)Summarizes the cemetery and competing dates.
Locator: Excavation history, finds, and chronology discussion - contextualizes · contextualizes
The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran — Michael D. Danti (2013)Places Marlik within broader Iranian debates.
Locator: Northwestern Iranian chronology and regional comparisons
Interpretation and caveats
The cemetery is an Iranian connection zone and chronological comparator. It is not evidence for a securely mapped kingdom or a direct route into the Caucasus.
Event context
Classification
Event type: elite cemetery use
Evidence layer: archaeological
Timeline role: cross regional context
People and places
Locations: Marlik cemetery, Marlik elite cemetery horizon, Northwestern Iran and south Caspian highlands
Why it matters to the timeline
Marlik materially improves interpretation of Caspian-facing elite metalwork and burial networks, while a direct Caucasus connection remains unproven.
Research notes
- Summarizes the cemetery and competing dates. Role: provides archaeological observation and chronology. Locator: Excavation history, finds, and chronology discussion.
- Places Marlik within broader Iranian debates. Role: contextualizes. Locator: Northwestern Iranian chronology and regional comparisons.
Evidence and sources
- supports · provides archaeological observation and chronology
MĀRLIK — Kamyar Abdi (2000)Summarizes the cemetery and competing dates.
Locator: Excavation history, finds, and chronology discussion - contextualizes · contextualizes
The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran — Michael D. Danti (2013)Places Marlik within broader Iranian debates.
Locator: Northwestern Iranian chronology and regional comparisons
Referenced records
- Northwestern Iran and south Caspian highlands · entity
- Marlik elite cemetery horizon · entity
- Marlik cemetery · entity