AMLAŠ is a small village in southeastern Gilan province in Iran. Its population is predominantly Gilak, speaking a distinct Gilaki-Gāleši dialect, with livelihoods based on rice cultivation, tea production, and seasonal pastoralism in the Alborz Mountains. Historically, Amlaš developed from a large village into a regional commercial and tea-processing center, growing rapidly after the establishment of a municipality in 1970. The region is also famous archaeologically for the so-called “Amlaš” artifacts, a diverse group of bronze, terracotta, and pottery objects dating from the late second millennium BCE to the Sasanian period.
Because most of these artifacts were recovered through illicit excavations without archaeological context, their dating and interpretation remain uncertain. As a result, “Amlaš” is best understood as a geographical designation for a region rich in archaeological finds rather than as a distinct archaeological culture.