Seals and sealing practices in Sasanian Iran: New evidence from Taxt-e Solaymān

Dr Yousef Moradi created a catalogue of bullae he excavated at Taxt-e Sulaymān in Iran. 

This project produced images and a full catalogue with detailed descriptions of 824 lumps of clay (bullae) bearing over 2000 seal impressions dating from the Sasanian period of Iran (224–651 CE). The collection was discovered by Dr Yousef Moradi, the Experienced Researcher of this project, at the World Heritage site of Taxt-e Solaymān (Western Azerbaijan Province of Iran), the religious complex of Ādur Gušnasp, or ‘Fire of the Warriors’, in 2002–2008 during seven seasons of excavations conducted under the auspices of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization (ICHO). 

This project laid the foundation for our current collaborative AHRC project on “Beyond Discovery: Religion, economics and administration in Sasanian Iran through new clay bullae from Taxt-e Solayman” (2023–2028).

Header image: Taxt-e Suleyman in winter (picture by Yousef Moradi)