The ancient site of Sorkh Domlaki is located in the Lorestan province, about ten kilometers southeast of Kuhdasht. The site was first identified as a result of unauthorized excavations, but in 1938, Schmidt began scientific excavations in the region, and continuous excavations were carried out in this area under the supervision of various archaeologists until 2009.
Sorkh Domlaki is located on the slope of a mountain at an altitude of 1280 meters above sea level. The architectural features in the site indicate three periods of settlement in this area, which date back to around the first millennium BC. One of the most important artifacts found here is a central hall with several rooms around it, which Schmidt referred to as a temple and is now called the Sorkh Domlaki Temple. It appears that this temple was built in two floors, with the upper floor made of mud bricks and the lower floor made of stone. The central room was the largest room in the temple, and evidence of cooking has been found in it. This room was probably the temple's sanctuary. In the center of this sanctuary, there is a structure made of clay and straw with a cylindrical hole about 50 centimeters in diameter, which is filled with ash and animal bones. Archaeologists have speculated that this structure was a fire altar. The central religious authority of the temple was probably lost around 650 BC.
Jewelry, seals, pins, tools, pottery, figurines, and weapons are among the objects found at this site. The motifs used on these objects show the influences of Mesopotamia, Elam, and the indigenous style of Lorestan. Stone carvings with images of winged lions and trees of life, as well as broken pieces of glazed pottery with incised designs, dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries BC, are other artifacts found at Sorkh Domlaki. Interestingly, given the shining history of Lorestan in crafting bronze artefacts during that period, the volume and quality of the bronze objects found here are greater than other objects. The Sorkh Domlaki archaeological site is registered as number 3638 in the list of Iran's national monuments and is one of the attractions of Kuhdasht.
