Beak-spouted jug ca. 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. Parthian This spouted jug has a globular body, a flat base, and a high flaring rim. On one side is a looped handle with a tab at the top for the thumb, and on the other is a spout that rises upward from the jugs body before extending out horizontally, though only a little bit of it remains. It is made of a pale, light pink clay, using a potters wheel, with the handle and spout added. It was excavated at Shahr-i Qumis in northern Iran, which has been identified as the ancient city of Hecatompylos, established by the Parthians as their capital by about 200 B.C. In Greek Hecatompylos means ‘a hundred gates, suggesting that the city was quite large. Indeed, the modern archaeological site includes several mounds, only a few of which have been excavated, and a vast area covered with potsherds. This vessel was found in a large building at Site V, which has been tentatively identified as an elite residence. This building was completely