Saturday, November 20, 2021

Ecbatana excavation

ARCHAEOLOGY: Another archaeological season begins at Hegmataneh (Tehran Times).
The Hegmataneh Hill, also called Tepe Hegmataneh (thought to correspond to the ancient citadel of Ecbatana), has a circumference of 1.4 kilometers with an area of about 40 hectares.

The ruined Hegmataneh (Ecbatana) which is partly beneath the modern city of Hamedan (the capital city), is widely believed to be once a mysterious capital of Medes. According to ancient Greek writers, the city was founded in about 678 BC by Deioces, who was the first king of the Medes.

The Persian Empire continued to use Ecbatana as a summer residence after the conquest of the Medes. It is mentioned in Ezra 6:2 as having a royal archive.

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