Elburz Mountains and Marlik in northeast Iran

1. Map of the Elburz Mountain Range area of Ancient Iran, South of the Caspian and north of the Dasht-i Kavir desert.

Iron Age Tepe Marlik (in Gilan)

	1. Embossed silver beaker of c. 1400-1000 B.C. Provenance unknown, but resembles Marlik materials. 14.0 cm. tall. In top register are horses, and in bottom register are winged lions attacking ibices. British Museum, UK. At this time there emerged "Early Western Gray Ware" culture and a new language due to deepening contradictions associated with contact with Iranians from the steppe.
	2. Hollow pottery figurine of a woman in red burnished clay. Unknown provenance, but possibly Marlik area. Late 2nd millenium B.C. British Museum, UK. Figurines in polished red or grey pottery of animals or of naked human figures with sexual attributes emphasized, are common in this Iron I-age Grey Ware period.
	3. Iron II (c. 1000-800 B.C.) spouted jug in grey burnished pottery from Gilan. 48.7 cm. tall. Iron II is actually when iron is first used in northwestern Iran ("iron age" no longer reduces to just technology). Such bridge spouted jars, often on tripods, are typical of the period.