A team of international archaeologists has excavated a significant temple complex in the ancient city of Madaktu, Iran, dating back to approximately 400 BCE. The sanctuary is dedicated to a previously unknown avian deity referred to as the Obsidian Falcon, featuring a central altar crafted from solid volcanic glass and surrounded by hundreds of small clay votive figures.
The temple provides critical evidence of the spiritual practices of the late Elamite civilization during its integration into the early Achaemenid Empire. Researchers are particularly interested in the ritual chambers, which appear to have been used for complex divination ceremonies involving the flight patterns of birds of prey.