Building no 3 in Dahāne-ye Gholāmān, Eastern Iran (Sistan): an Achaemenid religious puzzle

The text presented tries to take stock of the religious history of ancient Iran on the basis of the archaeological evidence. In particular, it deals with the problems of building no 3 identified in Dahāne-ye Gholāmān in the 60s of the last century by the Italian Archaelogical Mission in Sistan (East Iran) directed by Prof. Umberto Scerrato. The building seems to reflect both the pre-Zoroastrian ideological-religious background of the area and the practical-ritual aspects and structures associated with the use of fire. 50 years after the discovery of that building questions still remain open as to its real function and the religiosity of the Achaemenid period, to which, however, it and the archaeological context in which it is located, refer to.