Yaz Depe

Why it mattersYaz I–III type-site — BMAC→Iron transition in Margiana; handmade to wheel-made pottery switch.

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

Built

c.1500 BCE

Period

Late Bronze to Early Iron (c.1500–500 BCE; Yaz I–III Iron 1200–500, Achaemenid Yaz III)

Culture

Margiana (BMAC) → Yaz I (Early Iron handmade) → Yaz II–III (Median–Achaemenid)

Builders

Yaz cultivators → Achaemenid satrapal farmers

Purpose

Settlement and ceremonial centre

Abandoned

c.500 BCE (Achaemenid)

Rediscovered

1950s (Vadim Masson)

Excavation

Partially excavated

1. c.1200 BCE

   Yaz I handmade village (post-BMAC collapse)

2. c.900 BCE

   Yaz II fortified town with citadel

3. c.600 BCE

   Yaz III Achaemenid wheel-made and canal

4. 1950s

   Vadim Masson defines Yaz I–III sequence

• Yaz I Lower Fort Wall (Handmade Painted Ware)

  fortification

  Earliest Yaz I fort with handmade painted pottery and open hearths

  37.7003° N · 61.8302° E

• Yaz II Citadel and Central Pillared Hall

  fortification

  Yaz II citadel with pillared hall and storage magazines

  37.6996° N · 61.8303° E

• Yaz III Achaemenid Wheel-Made Quarter

  settlement

  Achaemenid Yaz III houses with wheel-made pottery and canal

  37.7005° N · 61.8295° E