The lost Hellenistic city of Seleucia in Iran, described by the ancient Greek geographer Strabo, may lie beneath the damaged remains of a settlement beside the Jarrahi River, according to a new study. Researchers identify Jan-e Shin in southwestern Khuzestan province as the strongest candidate for Seleucia-on-the-Hedyphon, though no archaeological excavation has confirmed its identity.
Strabo described Seleucia as a “large city” near the Hedyphon River and said it was previously known as Soloke. The Roman writer Pliny also mentioned it as Seleucia-in-Elymais. Scholars generally associate the ancient Hedyphon with the modern Jarrahi, making the surrounding settlements important to the search.
The study, published in the journal Iran and the Caucasus, was written by Davide Salaris and Roberto Dan. It combines satellite analysis with evidence gathered during a 2015 visit and revisits locations examined by archaeologist John Hansman decades earlier.
Jan-e Shin offers clues to the lost city of Seleucia in Iran
Jan-e Shin lies about 80 kilometers (49.7 miles) southeast of Ahwaz. Hansman focused on a fortified settlement on the river’s western bank, but the researchers found indications of further remains across the water. They estimate the western area at about 30 hectares (74.1 acres) and the entire complex at roughly 50 hectares (123.6 acres), based partly on pottery scattered across the eastern side.
Satellite photographs from 1968 revealed a rectangular enclosure and traces of structures now difficult to recognize. Farming, canals, and soil removal have damaged the site, including parts of its defensive walls. Pottery found on both banks points to occupation through the Seleucid, Parthian, Sasanian, and early Islamic periods, possibly lasting into the 10th or 11th century.
During the 2015 visit, local farmers recounted a story about a “great city cut through by the river and split by two kings.” Hansman had suggested that older remains might survive within archaeological deposits reaching about 4 meters (13.1 feet) beneath the site.
Tell Tendy and Tell Tabareh leave the location unsettled
Satellite images also showed Tell Tendy, about 16.5 kilometers (10.3 miles) south of Jan-e Shin. The roughly 43-hectare (106.3-acre) site has yielded pottery and ancient coins, but its location beside a canal, rather than the river, and the absence of confirmed defensive walls weaken its candidacy. A nearby military air base prevented a direct visit.
A third site, Tell Tabareh, covers roughly 8.5 hectares (21 acres). There, the researchers documented extensive illegal digging and a clay coffin believed to date to the Parthian period.
They say the three sites may have been occupied during overlapping periods, but only systematic archaeological investigations can determine whether Jan-e Shin was the city described by Strabo. The study also warns that illegal digging and large-scale earthmoving threaten the surviving remains.
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