The southern Urmia lake basin, particularly the basin of Zarrine Rud, has been occupied by various human groups since prehistoric period and later, thanks to abundant sources of water, fertile soil, rich pasturelands and variety of animals and plants. In the first millennium BCE, this region witnessed the formation of the Kingdom of Mannea, which had an important role in cultural and political course of the region. Despite the importance and pivotal role of Zarrine Rud basin in the hypothetical realm of Mannea, unfortunately no sufficient research and scientific excavation has been done in this area and it has remained little-known. One of the sites in this region is the Jowšātū fort which is of great importance because of its strategic location, the size and structure of extraordinary and unique architecture. Architectural remnants of the Jowšātū fort include a great defensive wall on the east side, less important stone walls, and mudbrick walls with the rubble foundation on the other sides Regarding the collected potsherds and architectural characters, it is suggested to date back to the early Iron Age III. Yet, the architectural evidence indicates the possibility of two construction periods. The first is related to the construction of huge stone wall which remained unfinished due to political or military reasons. In terms of construction, there is no similar building with circular tower in the area.
