Latest Archaeological News From Iran

Explosions Shook Historic City of Toos

2006-12-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

Tehran, 28 December 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- Recent explosive operations by Road & Transportation Department of Khorasan Razavi province for construction of a belt road three kilometers from the city of Toos have caused cracks to appear in the surrounding walls of this historic city. Construction of the belt road close to the historic city of Toos has recently started without coordination with Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO). This is while based on an act passed by the Iranian Cabinet Ministers, all governmental organizations are obliged to coordinate their projects with ICHTO and obtain permission.
Expressing strong objection to the activities of the Road & Transportation Department of Khorasan Razavi province, Vafa Sabeti, head of the Research Center of Toos Historic City said: “Currently a team of cultural heritage experts has been dispatched to the historic city of Toos to make a report from the damages caused by the explosive operations.” Considering that the city has large numbers of old buildings, Sabeti predicts that more likely the city’s main rampart, the ruling seat of the ancient citadel, and Haroonieh have also seen damages by the explosive operations. However, since the city’s rampart extends for 7 kilometers, Sabeti believes that assessing the extent of damages to this historic city is a time-taking process.
On the other hand, executive authorities of road construction claim that their operations do not pose any threat to the ancient monuments of Toos. “We had to use weak explosives to destroy the trenches that exist on the path of road construction; but explosions are set at a distance of 3 kilometers from the city; therefore, this historic city is safe,” said Ali-Akbar Alipour, the project manager.
The historic city of Toos is located in Khorasan Razavi province, northeast Iran. It was among the first cities that were destroyed by the Mongol invaders and like other cities of Khorasan province was almost completely ruined. Ruins of old Toos can still be seen in this city today; however, Toos is most famous for the tomb of Ferdowsi, the renowned Persian poet of the 10th century AD.

Lost Achaemenid City Rising from Bam Historic Site

2006-12-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

Tehran, 18 December 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- Studies by a team of archeologists from Bam Archeological Research Institute led into discovery of a vast city, 42 hectares in area, belonging to the Achaemenid dynastic period (550 BC–330 BC) at the historic site of Bam, Kerman province. Archeologists assume the city is more likely what referred to in historic texts and Bisotun inscription as Nashirmeh which was mistakenly taken as the other name for the historic complex of Pasargadae located in present-day Fars province. Large numbers of potshards dated to the Achaemenid dynastic era were also found by archeologists during their recent studies in Bam’s major fault, situated close to the world famous Bam Citadel.
Archeologists believe that the discovery of the exact location of Nashirmeh, otherwise referred to as Paishiyauvada, is essential in gaining a greater understanding of the mysterious years of strife and turmoil during the last years of Cambyses’ reign which carried through the years that followed his death.
Cambyses II (reigned 529-522 BCE) was the son and successor of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid dynasty, who took over the Persian Empire after the death of his father. There may have been some degree of unrest throughout the Empire at the time of Cyrus’ death, for Cambyses apparently felt it necessary secretly to kill his brother, Smerdis (Bardiya), in order to protect his rear while leading the campaign against Egypt in 525 BC. He conquered Memphis and the Pharaoh was carried off in captivity to Susa. Egypt remained as a Persian satrapy for the following 200 years.
While in his Egypt campaign in 522 BC, news reached Cambyses of a revolt back home led by Gaumata the Magian, an impostor claiming to be Smerdis (also known as the false Bardiya), the youngest son of Cyrus the Great and Cambyses’ brother. Several provinces of the Persian Empire accepted the new ruler, who bribed his subjects with a remission of taxes for three years. Hastening home to regain control, Cambyses died, possibly by his own hand, more probably from infection following an accidental sword wound. Later, Darius the Great defeated Gaumata and came to power in 521 BC. The new finding could overturn previous conceptions regarding the events that ultimately resulted into transferring of power from the heirs of Cyrus the Great to the dynasty of Darius the Great who was from a noble Persian family. It can also shed light on the baffling story of Bardiya’s assassination as some believe he was killed by his brother Cambyses while others say that the person killed by Dariu s the Great was the real Bardiya who was murdered due to Darius’ ambition to gain domination of the Persian Empire. The latter theory is now fading for several reasons raised by the new finding of Nashrimeh outside the boundaries of Pasargadae.
One idea that discards the second theory says that if Gaumata was the real Bardiya, why did he refuse to fight Darius the Great in Pasargadae, the center of Achaemenid power? Moreover, Darius the Great’s inscription in Bisotun says that the ‘real’ Bardiya was murdered before Cambyses led his campaign to Egypt. Some believe that Bardiya was killed by the order of his own brother, Cambyses, to prevent any possible claim to the throne while Cambyses was off to Egypt.
Yet relatively fewer archeologists and historians hold Darius the Great responsible for Bardiya’s death and say that Guamata was Cambyses’ brother, Bardiya. These experts argue that if Bardiya was killed by Cambyses in 525 BC, there was no way to keep it secret for three years until Guamata claimed the thrown as Bardiya in 522 BC. On the other hand, historians say that Darius the Great could have easily distorted the reality in his recording in Bisotun inscription as he does not say much about Guamata except that he was a Magian who rebelled against the Achaemenid king of the time whereas in other historic accounts left from his reign, Darius the Great clearly states the ancestors, nationality, and residence of his enemies. However, the first idea that says Guamata was an imposter holds more truth based on historic evidence.
“If the Magian Gaumata is Bardiya, son of Cyrus the Great, why didn’t he stay in Pasargadae? Why did he initiate his uprising somewhere far from the Achaemenid dynastic capital of Pasargadae? Therefore, it is much closer to the reality to say that Gaumata was not in fact Cyrus’ son and for this reason he could not make his way through Pasargadae,” says Mohammad-Taqi Atayi from the team of archeologists in Bam.
“If the theories raised by the recent discovery are proved, the political history of early Achaemenid period as we know it today could significantly be challenged … Once the only reliable reasoning which suggests Nashrimeh and Pasargadae to be one and the same city is disproved, one may conclude the theory that says Darius rebelled against the Imperial Family is fundamentally flawed and can be questioned,” added Atayi.
According to this archeologist, the names of three cities located in Kerman appear on the inscriptions found in Persepolis’ ramparts, one of which is Nashirmeh.‌ He also said that that evidence of Achaemenid dynastic period can still be found in Kerman such as potteries discovered in Sassanid era fortresses of Dokhtar and Ardeshir.
One of the strong documents used by archeologists to refute the theory suggesting Nashrimeh and Pasargadae to be the same is the Bisotun inscription. A few years after Darius the Great rose to the throne, he arranged for the inscription of a long ode of his accession in the face of the usurper Gaumata to be inscribed on a cliff in the Zagros Mountains of Iran that extend to Kermanshah Plain in a historic site known as Bisotun.
The inscription is carved in both Old-Persian and Elamite languages. The Old-Persian inscription mentions a place called Paishiyauvada while its twin inscription in Elamite has Nashirmeh in place of this word. This shows that Paishiyauvada and Nashirmeh refer to the same place and that Nashirmeh was the Elamite name for Paishiyauvada. On the other hand, since it was not common for a city to have more than one name in one language and since Paishiyauvada and Pasargadae are both Persian names, it is clear that Paishiyauvada and Pasargadae are not the same. Therefore, Nashirmeh is not the Elamite equivalent for Pasargadae and refers to the same city known as Paishiyauvada. Moreover, according to the Bisotun inscription, Paishiyauvada is the name of a city on the foothills of a mountain called Arakadri, which today archeologists believe is the Jebal-Barez Mountain, south of Bam in Kerman province. This shows that Nashirmeh was indeed in Kerman.
The rule of the entire Kerman region along with a number of other satrapies was bestowed by Cyrus the Great to his youngest son, Bardiya. This is why Gaumata chose this region, Paishiyauvada in particular, as the base of his revolt. Moreover, its population of 8000 people was a great advantage. Even if three-quarter of the population were women, children, and the elderly, this still leaves a population of 2000 young men who could make up a powerful army to help Gaumata reach its goal. However, if Gaumata was the real Bardiya, he could have easily made use of all the powers in his hand and unite all the regions under his control to rebel against his brother and seize over Pasargadae, which evidently never happened, once again proving Gaumata as fraud.
Nonetheless, further studies on the recently discovered Achaemenid city of Nashirmeh (Paishiyauvada) will shed more light on the mysterious years that followed Cambyses’ death.

Traces of Mithraism Found in Mazandaran Province

2006-06-08T19:21:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 8 June 2006 (CHN) -- Discovery of some Mithraism symbols such as cypress, a goat and an inscription in Sassanid-Pahlavi language and Mithraism architectural style in Kangelou Fortress all have strengthened the theory that this historical monument was used as a worship place during the ancient times. “In Avesta, Zoroastrian’s holly book, Mithra means promise and faith. Mehr (literary meaning love or sun) was one of the creators of Ahura Mazda, God in Zoroastrianism. He was the protector of promise and faith and was lord of light and brightness. We have found some symbols of this religion in Kangelou Fortress,” said Saman Sourtiji, member of academic assembly of Iran’s Archaeology Research Center and head of excavation team in Kangelou Fortress.
According to Sourtiji, while most of the Mithraism worship places were located inside the caves or places deeper in the ground with the opening towards the sun, Kangelou monument has a quiet different style. “Kangelou is an oval-shaped tower with a 50-square-meter area, constructed in three floors with rubbles, plaster, and mortar. Although most parts of the ceiling have been destroyed over time, what has remained indicates that Sassanid architectural style was used in the construction of the ceilings. A small hole towards the west was identified during the initial excavations in this monument on the base of the tower which means that there must have been a cubbyhole in a lower level of the tower,” added Sourtiji. According to Mithraism beliefs, Mehr was created from a stone, which is why Kangelou monument has a panorama of a huge rock mountain named Khernero from the north. In Pahlavi language, Khernero means the spirit of the sun. Sourtiji believes that former discoveries in this historical site indicate that Kangelou Fortress must have been used as a worship place during the Sassanid era. For example, discovery of some graves with burial gifts such as an opal signet ring with Pahlavid-Sassanid script carved on it, discovery of a gemstone with the design of a six-petal sun carved on it, and another gemstone designed with the image of a cypress tree all may be used as proofs to this claim because all of these designs had a symbolic meaning in Mithraism beliefs.
“The design of a goat, which was the symbol of nature and fertility, was carved on one of the discovered jewels. Also the discovered Sassanid-Pahlavi inscription on the opal signet ring says “Farokhi” or “Farahi”, meaning luck or happiness, and belongs to the 4th century AD when Mithraism was spread to a large extent within Iran and Europe,” explained Sourtiji. Mithraism was an ancient mysterious religion prominent from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD. Mithraism apparently originated in the eastern part of today’s Iran around the 7th century BC. It was based on worship to the goddess Mithras and derives from the Persian and Indic god Mithra and other Zoroastrian deities. Mithras was known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra, Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher. The veneration of this God began about 4000 years ago in Persia, where it was soon embedded with Babylonian doctrines. According to Martin A. Larson, an American populist freethinker and religion scholar, in The Story of Christian Origins, Mithraism and Christianity derived from the same sources.
Mithra’s birthday was adopted by Christians in the 4th century AD as the birth of Christ. The archaeology team in Kangelou Fortress hopes to find more traces of Mithraism in this historical monument. If this claim is proven fully, Kangelou will be the most important Sassanid prayer house discovered so far in Mazandaran province.

Wine Production was Well-Developed during Sassanid Era

2006-06-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 7 June 2006 (CHN) -- Recent geophysical and archaeological studies in Bolaghi Gorge led to discovery of the biggest wine production workshops belonging to the Sassanid era (226–650 AD). This is the first time archaeologists have succeeded in discovering such a big wine production workshop. Prior to this, the remains of a wine production workshop belonging to the Sassanid era had been discovered during the archaeological excavations by the joint Iranian-Polish team in Bolaghi Gorge under the supervision of Ali Asadi and Barbara Kaim.
“Three wine production workshops had already been discovered in area no. 64 of Bolaghi Gorge historical site during archaeological excavations by the Iranian-Polish joint team. However, the recent geophysical studies have resulted in discovery of more than 10 other constructions which were used for producing wine. Two coins belonging to Qobad I, the Sassanid king, were also discovered in the architectural remains in this area which indicate that the area no. 64 and all its belongings must go back to the Sassanid era,” said Reza Heidari, the current Iranian head of the Iranian-Polish joint team in Bolaghi Gorge.
Babak Aminpour, head of the team of geophysical studies in Bolaghi Gorge, strongly believes that most of the unearthed constructions in area no. 64 of Bolaghi Gorge must have been workshops for producing wine. “Mortar dishes were used for producing wine and the grape juice was directed to bigger jars through a ditch which was built for this purpose. The remains of grain pits have also been discovered in this area,” explained Aminpour.
According to Heidari, considering that the main settlement area of the royal family was in the south of Fars province during the Sassanid era, discovery of these workshops in Bolaghi Gorge on the opposite side, north of Fars province, has raised new questions. All of these new discoveries indicate that the Persians enjoyed a high technology in producing wine during the ancient times, particularly the Sassanid era. The most ancient wine of the world seems to have been found in a vase in Ajjii Firuz Tepe in Iran belonging to 5000-5500 BC.
Bolaghi Gorge is one of the historical sites of the Pasargadae in Fars province. With the flooding of Sivand Dam which has been constructed in this gorge, hundreds of historical sites unearthed so far including area no. 64 will drown. With the cooperation of Sivand Dam authorities and Bolaghi Gorge salvation team, some joint teams from Iran and foreign countries are busy with archaeological excavations in the site to save the main remains of Bolaghi Gorge before inauguration of the dam.

40 Skeletons Rested in Peace for 3000 Years in Narges Tepe

2006-06-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 6 June 2006 (CHN) -- Archaeological excavations in Narges Tepe historical site in the Iranian northern province of Golestan led to the discovery of 40 skeletons, most probably belonging to the first millennium BC. Ali Abbasi, the head assistant of Narges Tepe excavation team reported, “40 skeletons and some architectural remains were discovered during the archaeological excavations in Narges Tepe. However, more studies are required to determine the exact date of these skeletons. The burial method used for these skeletons will also be announced after more accurate studies.”
Based on the previous excavations and according to what Mahmoud Rabiei, executive director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Golestan province, had said about Narges Tepe, this historical hill dates back to some 3000 years ago. “Discovered relics such as clay jars in this historical site have strengthened the theory that Narges Tepe should have been a village during the first millennium BC,” explained Rabiei. According to Abbasi, previously only some soundings were done in this historical site and this is the first time a systematic archaeological excavation is being carried out in Narges Tepe. However, he refused to give more detailed information due to security reasons and referred further announcements to the end of the excavations in Narges Tepe. Archaeological excavations in Narges Tepe have been started since two months ago and will continue to 4th of July. However, Abbasi believes that these excavations will extend to August.

Identifying 18 Watermills in Khuzestan

2006-06-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 3 June 2006 (CHN) -- Khuzestan’s water and energy organization succeeded in identifying 18 water millponds in city of Baghmalek in Khuzestan province. These watermills date back to between 100 to 700 years ago and all of them have Iranian traditional names. “Since the people of this region have many difficulties with transferring and watering these mills, they still use 1000-year-old methods such as tunnel mills, etc. However, since almost fifty percent of these mills have been destroyed over time, they are not usable any longer,” said Hamid Reza Farokhabadi, head of a department of Khuzestan water organization.
According to Farokh Ahmadi, this region enjoyed a rich technology from ancient times in using different irrigation methods such as constructing channels and digging tunnels for directing the water of Abolabas River, constructing man-made waterfalls, etc for watering their paddies which can be considered as one of the tourism attractions of the region.
It is important to know that Iran has some of the oldest and biggest dams in the world. The dam of Kurit was considered the biggest dam in the world up until the blossoming of the Western technology in the 20th century. There are about 75 ancient Dams in Iran, some as old as 6000 years old.
Farokh Ahmadi also explained that identifying these constructions is a new accomplishment which has been made by the water organization of Khuzestan province. “Those one which might be usable will be reconstructed to be revived in future,” added Ahmadi.

Pishva Historical Site on the Verge of Devastation

2006-06-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 1 June 2006 (CHN) -- While the historical site of Pishva, which contains a large amount of historical relics belonging to different periods of time, is on the verge of complete destruction by bulldozers, no real measure has yet been taken by authorities to prevent this cultural disaster. “Some people who claim to have certificate from the municipality of Pishva for construction activities in the area, have already started the destruction of Pishva historical site by bulldozers. No measure has been taken yet by authorities to prevent this destructive activity in the area which contains a large amount of clay relics,” said Mohammad Mir Eskandari, head of the archaeology team of Pishva Azad University.
According to Mir Eskandari, Pishva Tepe is considered a very important historical site for completing the studies about the history of the Central Plateau of Iran and its destruction would cause irrecoverable harm to a part of the ancient history of the Central Plateau of Iran. Although the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran had already declared about the harm which is threatening Pishva historical site several times, it seems it was neglected by the other organizations.
On the other hand the authorities of Pishva municipality have denied the destruction activities in the area and claim that the lands in the vicinity of Pishva historical hill are not belonging only to Pishva’s Municipality and they belong to the Ministry of the Housing and Urban Development, and Azad University as well. Besides, according to the municipality of Pishva city, the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Tehran have not determined the vicinity of this historical hill exactly yet.
Prior to this the news about the destruction of some historical sites in Pishva historical Tepe was announced and confirmed by the authorities of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran such as destruction of historical cemetery belonging to the Iron Age, and illegal excavations in this historical site. However, it seems it caused no change in the trend of illegal and destructive activities in this historical site.
While according to the article no. 558 of Islamic punishment regulations of Iran, whoever causes any kind of harm to any cultural, historical or religious sites which have been registered in the list of Iran’s National Heritage, should not only compensate for the loss, but also will sentence to one to ten years imprisonment. However, it seems this act does not work with Pishva clay hill which since few months ago is under illegal excavations and seems to be on the verge of devastation and no legal action has been made in this respect to prevent these destructive activities. Pishva is a city located in Tehran province. It is situated in the south-east of this province. The history of this hill dates back to the fifth millennium BC. Pishva clay historical hill is one of the registered sites in list of Iran’s National Heritage.
What is more disappointing in this respect is that it is not the first time that constructional and development activities are a hazard to one of the historical sites in Iran and it has changed into one of the major concerns of the cultural heritage enthusiasts. Maybe, this problem rises from lack of a comprehensive and executive regulation about how to protect the historical sites and also lack of information about the importance of cultural and historical sites. Implementing a determined regulation for protecting historical site, increasing the public knowledge about the importance of historical sites as a national heritage, and creating a coalition between different organizations and between organizations and people would be the best way to put an end to this controversy.

Discovery of Jar Burials and Bronze Arrowheads in Khuzestan

2006-06-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 1 June 2006 (CHN) -- Some jar burial with a bronze hair pin belonging to the Parthian era, and some arrowheads dating back to the Achaemenid era were discovered during the archaeological excavations at Sanjar Tepe in the city of Dezful, Khuzestan province. “During the recent archaeological excavations in satellite hills of Sanjar Tepe, we succeeded in discovery of some arrowheads. The form of these arrows indicates that they must have belonged to the Achaemenid era. We also found some jar burial graves belonging to the Parthian era with a stone seal and a bronze heir pin inside one of the graves,” said Mostafa Abdolahi, member of the excavation team in Sanjar Tepe.
According to Abdolahi, the excavations in Sanjar historical hill have been started to determine the history of the hill, its relation with the other pre-historic settlements of the area, determining the vicinity of this hill, providing the archaeology map of the area, and carrying out lithographical studies in this historical site.
First season of archaeological excavations in Sanjar Tepe has started by the students of Dezful Azad University under the supervision of Dr. Pour Derakhchandeh. Some important historical relics including a cylindrical seal with the design of a winged horse on its end, and clay, bronze, and iron relics have been unearthed so far during the archaeological excavations in this historical site.
Sanjar historical Tepe is located in the city of Dezful in Khuzestan province, south of Iran, and belongs to the Elamite period (2700 BC-539 BC). The first season of archaeological excavations in this historical site led to discovery of the location of Zahari, the Elamite city. This city was located between the cities of Susa and Avan. Considering the archaeological evidence found in the region, it is believed that this city must have existed near the Sanjar Tepe.

Discovery of Wheat Grains Inside a Grave as a Burial Offering in Gohar Tepe

2006-05-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

LONDON, May 31, 2006(CAIS) -- Continuation of archaeological excavations in Gohar Tepe led to the discovery of a large amount of wheat grains inside a grave placed in an oblation dish used as a burial gift. Ali Mahforouzi, archaeologist and head of excavation team in Gohar Tepe historical site, believes that discovery of these wheat grains would reveal some aspects of daiet habits of the inhabitants of Gohar Tepe during the Iron Age.
“Initial studies on the wheat grains which were discovered in a dish belonging to the Iron Age show that they are domestic and similar to those already found in Bronze Age layers. This new discovery might change some previous theories about the lifestyle of the people of the Iron Age. While it is believed that the inhabitants of that period had a nomadic life and were not settled in a particular place and earned their livings mostly through animal husbandry, discovery of grown domestic wheat in this area could be used as a proof to claiming that the inhabitants of Gohar Tepe enjoyed permanent settlements during the Iron Age and in addition to animal husbandry they produced grains as well,” said Mahforouzi.
Offering gifts to the dead was a common practice during the ancient times. So far, different kinds of burial methods have been discovered in Gohar Tepe including jar burial, squat burial, fetal burial, etc. Burial gifts were seen in most of the graves regardless of the method used for burial. However, the philosophy behind some of these burial methods as well as the burial gifts is still unknown to archaeologists and required more comprehensive archaeological studies.
Regarding the religious practices of the Gohar Tepe inhabitants during the Iron Age, Mahforouzi said, “What the people of this area practiced as their religion is still a matter of controversy. However, considering the discovery of some clay dishes containing the remains of the bones of some sacrificed animals in the graves, most probably the empty dishes were filled with holly water or other liquids at the time of burial, showing that the people of this region believed in making offerings to the dead” added Mahforouzi.
Based on stratigraphical studies done over the past few decades on the site, Gohar Tepe was an active center in the middle Bronze Age which was still alive during the Iron Age. However, the most ancient cultural layers found in the area belong to the Neolithic period, some 14,000 years ago, which are very similar to those found in other regional states and Central Asia. “The discovered evidence such as the existence of rural life and urbanization, evidence of a flourished economy system, the existence of pottery workshops and forges, stone and clay relics such as the statues of human beings and animals, the remains of plant and animals in the region, and many more evidence found in Gohar Tepe all indicate that this historic site is worth receiving a special attention and support by the people and all the authorities especially the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of the country.
Further excavations in the region would result in a better understanding of the lifestyle of the people who lived in the southern regions of the Caspian Sea,” added Mahforouzi. Gohar Tepe historical site, with a 50 hectare area, is located in eastern parts of Mazandaran province between the cities of Neka and Behshahr, north of Iran. It is one of the most important historical sites of Mazandaran province located near the Caspian Sea which carries the secret of an ancient civilization. It is also believed that Gohar Tepe once enjoyed a complicated urbanization with a history that goes back to some 5000 years ago.
According to the public relations office of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Office of Mazandaran province, Delavar Bozorgnia, director of this organization is intending to change Gohar Tepe historical site into a museum site with the cooperation of Ali Mahforouzi and other archaeologists, to give tourists the chance to observe closely the remains of the skeletons with their burial gifts and other historical remains discovered in this site and feel themselves in the atmosphere and historical context these objects belonged to. Also a clay oven has been created near the ancient one to make clay objects similar to the ancient ones for tourists to buy as souvenirs.

Archaeological Findings of Persepolis Exhibited

2006-05-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 30 May 2006 (CHN) -- On the sideline of the first workshop for promoting the management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage, currently held in Pesepolis, Fars province, an exhibition displaying archaeological findings in this historic palace opened today in Persepolis.
In this exhibition some pictures which were taken by foreign archaeologists such as Eric Schmidt and Ernest Herzfeld from the Oriental Institute of University of Chicago, during the archaeological excavations in Persepolis some 70 years ago have been displayed. In addition, images taken from other historical sites provided by different cultural heritage research centers such as Parse-Pasargadae, Tchogha Zanbil, Bam Citadel, Soltanieh, Bisotun, Takht-e Soleiman and historical sites of Shiraz, Yazd, Izeh, Neishabour, Masouleh, Niasar, and Abyaneh have also gone on display in this photo exhibition.
The opening ceremony of this Cultural Heritage Exhibition was held this morning with the attendance of Junko Taniguchi, UNESCO’s programme specialist in culture who is also the Organization’s representative in Tehran, Mohammad Hassan Talebian, head of Parse-Pasargadae Archaeological Research Center, Mehdi Mousavi, deputy director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Research Center, Hashem Rabani, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Fars province, Samad Raja, civil deputy of Fars governor office and some cultural heritage experts. The first workshop for promoting the management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage started its work yesterday, 29 of May, in Persepolis and will run to the 2nd of June.
During this five-day workshop, some Iranian and foreign experts in cultural heritage including representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and UNESCO and also heads of archaeology research centers of a number of countries study the latest accomplishments of UNESCO in this field and discuss the importance of cultural landscapes in preserving the cultural heritage sites all over the world.

Tarisha’s Landscape, Another Historic Site in Danger

2006-05-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 30 May 2006 (CHN) -- After two years of interruption in the construction of a hotel and an amphitheater in the vicinity of Eshkaf-e Salman (Salman Cave), also called Tarisha worship place, where the biggest Elamite cuneiform inscription is located, the Rehearing Court of Khuzestan province voted in favor of the construction of the building. Construction of this hotel which started two years ago in the vicinity of one of the most ancient caves of Iran without coordinating with the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Izeh is a real threat to the landscape of Eshkaft-e Salman historical site.
The court’s decision was announced two years ago; however, due to financial problems, the construction of the hotel had been stopped for two years and now the project is resumed in Eshfat-e Salman in Khuzestan province. “Backed by the court’s approval, the project manager has resumed the construction of this hotel in the area that is considered part of the cultural landscape of Eshkaft-e Salman historical site,” said Keramat Tahmasebi, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Izeh in Khuzestan province.
According to Tahmasebi, Khuzestan’s Rehearing Court was not convinced with the reasons provided by the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of this province presented to the court in a file for preventing the construction of the hotel in the area and announced that the submitted file was not complete.
In its announcement, the court says: “Although the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization is the body that determines the vicinity of a cultural or historical site, the reasons and documents which were submitted to the court by the hotel’s project manager seemed more reasonable compared to what was received from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, which is why the court voted in favor of this project to be continued!”
Asked to comment on the court’s announcement, Tahmasebi said: “While in its verdict the court has mentioned that determining the limits of a cultural landscape is the responsibility of the Cultural Heritage Organization, it has not fully recognized this right and has rejected our reasons. Besides, in the comprehensive map of the city, according to which the court has passed this act, our organization has agreed with the establishment of a park in the vicinity of Eshkaft-e Salman, not a hotel!”
“After the cultural landscape of the historic site of Eshkaft-e Salman was determined, we announced it to all the related organizations. Following the court’s decision, we complained to Iran’s Supreme Court asking them to study the case, but the project manager of the hotel has taken the chance and continued the construction works,” added Tahmasbi.
The pre-historical site of Eshkaft-e Salman is located in the city of Izeh in Khuzestan province and is one of the first historical sites in Iran which was registered in the list of Iran’s National Heritage. The biggest New Elamite inscription is found in this ancient site which is about to be turned into a tourism destination. Four reliefs can be seen in Eshkaf-e Salman, two of which are inside the cave and the other two are in the outside. What is interesting about these reliefs is that it is the first time the picture of a woman is carved beside a man. The image of the wife and sister of the king in a ceremonial tradition, while the priest is in front of them, shows that Eshkaf-e Salman was a worship place.
There is also another cave near this site which was turned into a holly place during the Ilkhanid era. What is happening in the case of Eshkaf-e Salman is only one example of the many other cases of this kind where the country’s cultural heritage is victimized by its urban and development projects. Same things have repeatedly occurred in other parts of the country and that is something Iran’s cultural heritage authorities must find a solution to before it afflicts the entire country.
Iran is trying to highlight the importance of its cultural landscape, the lands that surround its historical sites, and to make people realize how vital preserving the cultural landscapes are in protecting the country’s cultural heritage. In fact, cultural and historical landscape has turned into a very important factor considered greatly by UNESCO during the last two decades in inscribing a place in the list of world heritage sites and one of the main concerns of cultural heritage experts and enthusiast.
What is ironic in the story of Eshkaf-e Salman and its struggle with the hotel is to remember that Iran is currently hosting the first workshop for promoting management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage, but yet the country itself has major problems in this regard. The workshop started yesterday at Persepolis, Fars Province, and is attended by experts from International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and UNESCO and heads of archaeological research centers both inside and outside Iran with the aim of raising the awareness of both the public and the authorities about the importance of preserving their cultural landscapes.
It is undoubtedly correct to argue that the conflicts between different organizations within Iran and in other countries too when it comes to making a choice between preserving a historic site and going on with a development project rise from lack of information about the importance of these cultural heritage sites, and the fact that there are very limited training in this area. It is true that one of the ways through which the countries may succeed in doing so is by passing some regulations which strictly forbid constructions in the vicinity of a historic site. However, passing such laws is only a temporary solution as long as no training happens which provides the reasons for the existence of such regulations.
Perhaps holding of the fist workshop for promoting management and planning of cultural landscapes in a country like Iran would lead into awakening the people and the authorities not only in Iran but also in other countries of the world about their endangered historical sites while familiarizing them with the ways through which they may protect them from more damages.

Jiroft Inscription Belongs to the Eastern Civilization

2006-05-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 29 May 2006 (CHN) -- In his latest research paper about the discovered inscription in Konar Sandal in Jiroft, Piotr Steinkeller, professor of Assyriology in Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of Harvard University, explains that there exists no correlation between the inscriptions discovered in Jiroft, Shahdad, and Melian historical sites with the Elamite civilization which itself was under the influence of the civilization of Mesopotamia, and they should be considered as an eastern writing language.
“In his latest paper, Prof. Steinkeller has explained that there should not have been any relation between the discovered inscription in Jiroft and Elamite civilization, which itself was under the influence of Mesopotamian civilization. Steinkeller believes that it would be better to throw away this way of thinking and aknowldege the ‘eastern script’ instead of ‘Elamite script,’” said Yousof Majidzadeh, head of excavation team in Jiroft.
The Elamite script is known to belong to Khutelutush-In-Shushinak (c. 1120 - 1110 BC), the Elamite king. Experts believe that it is not logical to accept that a nation, who has a writing language itself, abandons its script after the conquest of a powerful neighbor and adopt Mesopotamian culture and script. They believe that this script found its way to Susa from eastern Iran.“
Decoding the discovered inscription in Jiroft requires a lot of time. However, archaeologists believe that this script must have been more ancient than that of the Elamite civilization. Further archaeological excavations in Jiroft historical site might help researchers to learn more about the identity of this inscription. We had two different writing languages in Iran during ancient times: One of them is Proto-Elamite script, which was mainly figures and numbers, and the other was writing language which did not use images. Prior to the discovery of Jiroft inscription, the most ancient script had been found in Susa historical site which has remained from the reign of Khutelutush-In-Shushinak. This inscription dates back to 1200 BC, while the Jiroft inscription is older than that and is estimated to be between 4400 to 4500 years old,” added Majidzadeh.
Elam is one of the most ancient civilizations on record. It was centered in the far west and southwest of today Iran. The Elamites came in power about 300 years after the fall of the Jiroft Kingdom (5000-3000 BC). The reign of the Elamite kings lasted from 2700 to 539 BC, coming after what is known as the Proto-Elamite period which began around 3200 BC when Susa, the later capital of the Elamites, began to receive influences from the cultures of the Iranian Plateau to the east. “It is believed that Jiroft’s writing language came into existence at the same time Mesopotamia started developing a writing system. According to the carbon 14 tests conducted on the layers in which Jiroft inscription was discovered, this inscription was dated to 2500 BC. Although such tests have not been carried out on Mesopotamia inscription yet, based on the discovered evidence so far, archaeologists strongly believe that Mesopotamia’s script goes back to 2600-2700 BC at most,” explained Majidzadeh. The new discoveries during the archaeological excavations in Konar Sandal such as historical inscriptions, the most ancient ziggurat of the world, and many other historical relics have confused archaeologist and confronted them with an unknown civilization in the east. This further led into revisions on some previous archaeological hypotheses.
The city of Jiroft is situated close to Halil Rud historical site in Kerman province. The discovered stone dishes in the area belonging to the first half of the third millennium BC point to the developed art of carving on stones at that time. The second inscription that was recently discovered at the Konar Sandal Ziggurat of Jiroft is scheduled to be deciphered by teams of researchers from the University of Chicago and the University of Paris. Archaeologists are waiting for the results to come out which may well change the history of civilization as we know today.

Date of Sivand Dam Inundation Not Yet Agreed Upon

2006-05-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 29 May 2006 (CHN) -- The final meeting on the inundation of Sivand Dam will be held on the last week of spring 2006 with the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO). This is while the Minister of Energy had already announced that they had reached to an agreement of the exact date of the Sivand Dam inundation which according to him would have been November or December 2006.
“We have not yet reached an agreement with the Ministry of Energy on the inundation of Sivand Dam and the Minister of Energy made his announcement according to what he had estimated from the trend of excavations in Bolaghi Gorge historical site,” said Esfaniar Rahim Mashayi, President of ICHTO to CHN. Prior to this, the Minister of Energy had participated in an interview with Iran’s Fars News Agency in which he announced the agreement of this ministry with ICHTO for the inundation of Sivand Dam toward the end of this year.
“I had a visit to Shiraz on 17th of May and in a meeting attended by ICHTO authorities we studied the case and it seemed that the ICHTO had no problem with resuming the construction of Sivand Dam,” said Parviz Fatah, Minister of Energy. According to Hashem Rabani, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Fars province, the inundation of Sivand Dam will cause no harm to Pasargadae historical site; however, the final result will be clarified by the end of spring. Some experts anticipate that the archaeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge will finish by that time. It is certain that inundation of the Sivand Dam will drown major parts of Bolaghi Gorge and many of its historical sites; however considering the distance between this dam and the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae, flooding of the dam will not directly affect Cyrus’ Tomb, though the humidity created by it will gradually destroy this ancient monument as well.
Sivand Dam is constructed on the Sivand River in Bolaghi Gorge historical site which is located 9 kilometers from the world heritage site of Pasargadae in Fars province. Following the news of the inundation of Sivand Dam, a false rumour was spread around the world which caused a lot of concerns among the cultural heritage enthusiasts that Pasargadae is in serious danger of being drowned. Today, after many studies, experts believe that the only threat the dam poses to Pasargadae and the tomb of Cyrus is the changes in humidity of the area. Still experts from the Ministry of Energy argue that this could be compensated by controlling the water level of the dam reservoir. Yet the relatively close distance between the Sivand Dam and Pasargadae leaves many suspicious.
However, since Bolaghi Gorge will submerge with all its historical sites once the dam is flooded, experts started their archaeological excavations there under a comprehensive salvation project in which archaeologists from all around the world take part. The project has led to some valuable discoveries so far such as unearthing of the remains of the palace of Darius, a village belonging to the Achaemenid era, and large numbers of ancient artifacts. Based on previous agreements, flooding of the dam is postponed until archaeologists announce that their excavations in Bolaghi Gorge are finished.

Re:
The illegitimate rumour that is concerning the supporters of the reservations of ancient monuments however is not only that Pasargadea will be drowned. The major concern is about it being destroyed by the humidity. Hence the rumour is no "false romour" but the reality and needs to be taken seriously. Already many have signed a petition against opening the damn. If you are interested please go to Save Pasargad website and show your support.
If CHN takes the survival of such ancient monuments so seriously, I suggest they build a glass cover around the monument. This technique has successfully been applied to the walls of the valley of the kings in Egypt under the supervision of Zahi Hawas.

Restoration of Cyrus' Tomb Started in Pasargadae

2006-05-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 29 May 2006 (CHN) -- Restoration of the tomb of Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid king, has started in Pasargadae historical site in Fars province by removing very giant stones. This project which involves 10 restoration experts aims at preventing possible damages to this ancient monument by humidity.
“Studies on the condition of Cyrus’ Tomb and its susceptibility had already started last year, and following that the restoration project of this Achaemenid monument was planned. About 30 years ago, some parts of this monument were restored by an Iranian expert. However, since the material which was used in the restoration was cement, and cement and stone do not stick together for a long time, the cracks appeared once again through which the raindrops leaked into the tomb and caused more damages to the monument. In this restoration project we will try to prevent any water leakage by closing the cracks,” said Mohammad Hassan Talebian, head of Parse-Pasargadae Research Center.
The restoration work started with the ceiling of this historical monument and experts believe that the restoration of the ceiling will be completed by the end of winter.
“Some stones had been removed during the previous restoration work. This time we also have to remove some giant stones and put them back to their original place. The exact place of the stones will be determined by the metal braces used in the construction of the tomb,” said Hassan Rahsaz, restoration expert and head of restoration team of Cyrus’ Tomb.
So far, experts have relocated three stones of the ceiling, weighing more than 2 tons each.
“This year we are intending to pay a special attention to the Tomb of Cyrus and Pasargadae historical site. Therefore, for us this year is the year of Pasargadae,” added Talebian.
Pasargadae historical site is located 87 kilometer northeast of Persepolis in Fars province of Iran. Pasargadae was an important city during the Achaemenid era (648 BC–330 BC) and was the first capital of the Persian Empire. It was construction by the order of Cyrus the Great around 546 BC but was left uncompleted due to death of Cyrus in a battle in 529-530 BC.
Many Greek and Persian historians account that after Cyrus the Great was killed in the battle, he was brought to this place and was buried there. They also say that his tomb was constructed towards the sunset since he was fond of the unset view during his lifetime.
The tomb of Cyrus the Great has witnessed many dramatic events in the course of the history. After the conquest of Persia by Arabs in the seventh century AD, Arab armies came upon the tomb planning to destroy it. However, the talented caretaker of the grave managed to convince the Arab commander that the tomb was not built to honor Cyrus but instead housed the mother of King Solomon. This way he saved it from destruction.

Cylindrical Seal with a Strange Design Discovered in Dezful

2006-05-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 28 May 2006 (CHN) -- Archaeological excavations in Sanjar Tepe in Khuzestan province resulted in the discovery of a cylindrical seal with the design of a winged horse on its end. Although it is not the first time that the archaeologists have found a design of a winged horse in Iran, what makes this one special compared to the previous ones is that this winged horse has a lion’s head and a cow or a goat’s hooves, creating a strange creature which combines features of a horse, a bird, a lion, and a cow!
“A stone seal which most probably belongs to the Sassanid era (226-651 AD) was discovered during the first archaeological excavation in Sanjar Tepe in Dezful. The design of a winged horse can be seen on the seal whose head is like a lion and has round hooves like a cow or a goat. Horse was considered as a sacred animal during the Sassanid period and had a special place among the Persians of the time. We had previously found a large number of Sassanid seals with the designs of winged horses on them in other archaeological sites but what makes this one unique among all the pervious ones is that it is the first time we see such a strange combination of four animals all in one. Another interesting thing about this design is that the hooves are round not cracked, although we don’t have any idea about the reason it is designed so,” said Mostafa Abdolahi, archaeologist and head of Archaeology Department of Azad University of Dezful.
First season of archaeological excavations in Sanjar Tepe has started by the students of Dezful Azad University under the supervision of Dr. Pour Derakhshandeh. According to Abdolahi, the objects which have been discovered so far in this historical site, including clay, bronze and iron relics, were displayed in an exhibition in Khuzestan which was held during the Cultural Heritage Week (18-25 of May).
“Some models illustrating the Islamic architectural style used in the constructions of the city and colored posters from some historic monuments prepared by the students were displayed in this exhibition. In addition, some documentary movies from different archaeological sites were screened in this exhibition,” said Abdolahi.
Sanjar historical Tepe is located in the city of Dezful in Khuzestan province, south of Iran, and belongs to the Elamite period (2700 BC-539 BC). The first season of archaeological excavations in this historical site led to discovery of the location of Zahari, the Elamite city. “This city was located between the cities of Susa and Avan. Considering the archaeological evidence found in the region, we believe that this city must have existed near the Sanjar Tepe,” added Abdolahi.

Bolaghi Gorge, Home to Many Potters

2006-05-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 27 May 2006 (CHN) -- Discovery of several clay ovens at the Bolaghi Gorge in Fars province shows that art of pottery was much flourished in this historical site some 7000 years ago and that this place was the residential settlement of handicrafts artists in pottery making during the ancient times. This was announced in a one-day archaeology seminar which was held on 24th of May in Iran's National Museum with a special focus on Bolaghi Gorge historical site. During this seminar, heads of archaeology teams issued their reports on their accomplishments in this historical site.
Iranian-German joint archaeology team, represented in this seminar by Mojgan Seyedein and Barbara Helwing, declared the discovery of several numbers of kilns for baking clays and used it as a proof to claiming that a large number of potters lived in Bolaghi Gorge during the ancient times. "Archaeology excavation team in Bolaghi Gorge has succeeded in discovery of five clay bake ovens in the area so far. Just like the clays found from the Bacon era, these ovens enjoy a very high quality," said Mojgan Seyedein, Iranian head of the joint Iranian-German archaeology team in Bolaghi Gorge.
She also talked about some other accomplishments in this historical site during the archaeological excavations in areas no. 119, 73, and 131 of Bolaghi Gorge such as discovering some constructions belonging to the Achaemenid era, residential areas of the people during the Bacon era (5th millennium BC), and discovering the remains of some 7000-year-old skeletons such as a girl who was buried on her side.
Barbara Helwing, German head of the joint Iranian-German archaeology team in Bolaghi Gorge also talked about the discovery of a settlement area in this historic site which belonged to some tribes who lived there during the Bacon era. "There were several hypothesis about the exact location of a residential area which was believed to have belonged to the Bacon era; however, our excavations ultimately revealed that it actually existed in area no. 131 near the Sivand Dam," explained Helwing.
Among other achievements of this team of archaeologists were finding the remains of several skeletons and a mass grave containing 6 skeletons discovered by digging some deep trenches.
Iranian-German joint team has continued its excavations in Bolaghi Gorge historical site since winter 2006 under the supervision of Mojgan Seyedein from Iran and Barbara Helwing from Germany. This team of archaeologists is working alongside other Iranian and foreign experts to save the remaining evidence of Bolaghi Gorge before they are drowned by inundation of the nearby Sivand Dam.

Signet Ring Found in a Sassanid Grave in Mazandaran

2006-05-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 27 May 2006 (CHN) -- A grave belonging to the Sassanid era was discovered during sounding activities by archaeologists near Kangelou historical fortress in Mazandaran province in which a signet ring with Pahlavi-Sassanid script carved on it was found.
“This Sassanid grave was discovered during the sounding activities aimed at finding the pathway to Kangelou Fortress in Savad Kooh in the northern Iranian province of Mazandaran. This is a four-layer stone grave and the corpse was buried in a foetal position. In addition to the signet ring, some enameled clay dishes, metal, and glass relics have been found in this grave,” said Saman Sourtiji, member of academic assembly of Iran’s Archaeology Research Center of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Mazandaran province and head of the archaeology team in Kangelou Fortress.
According to Sourtiji, the grave was built with rubbles and mud mortar and the corpse was buried towards the west laid on its left side with hands near its mouth and knees bent.
This is a pre-historic burial method common before the Islamic period. However, this new discovery shows that this method of burial continued in Mazandaran province even after the Islamic era for over a century.
“The discovered ring in the grave is an opal ring which was used as a seal. An etched word can be seen on the opal which was decoded by Rasoul Bashash, master of ancient languages. According to Bashash, the word on the ring says “Farokhi” or “Farahi”, meaning luck or happiness, and it was believed that it would bring dignity and splendor for its owner,” explained Sourtiji.
According to Sourtiji, with this discovery, the Kangelou fortress archaeology team is determined to continue its excavations in the area to find the architectural remains of the people who lived near the fortress during the Sassanid era in order to learn more about the mysteries of this historical period in this area.

Achaemenid Irrigation Channel Discovered Near Persepolis

2006-05-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 25 May 2006 (CHN) -- Archaeological excavations and geophysical studies by the joint Iranian-French team in Fars province led to unearthing of an irrigation channel belonging to the Achaemenid era (648-330 BC) in an area between Persepolis and the city of Estakhr (pool) in Fars province.
“The remains of an irrigation channel belonging to the Achaemenid era have been discovered in the northern part of Persepolis which according to geophysical studies must have continued to the Estakhr city. Archaeological evidence shows that this channel was constructed using natural elements. However, in some parts the channel was blocked by hard cliffs but the people of the time scraped the stone and by using rubbles they constructed the path of the channel to direct the water of Polvar (Sivand) River to Marvdasht Plain where the ancient palace of Persepolis is located,” said Mohammad Feizkhah, Iranian head of Iranian-French archaeology team in Marvdasht, Fars province.
Last year the remains of another irrigation channel had been discovered in Persepolis which was used to collect water in the palace. However, this new discovered channel is longer than the previous one. “This channel is 4 kilometers in length and is considered a long channel considering the time during which it was constructed and the limited facilities that were available at that time. The channel started from Polvar River with a steep slope and the closer it got to Persepolis, the less steep it became which indicates that the purpose of its constructors was to speed up the transferring of water to Persepolis during that time,” added Feizkhah.
Archaeological excavations in Marvdasht Plain in Fars province are currently being carried out by a joint Iranian-French team. Moreover, a geophysical map is being prepared by experts which would help the archaeologists to get more familiar with the area near Persepolis. Last year this team succeeded in discovering some residential settlement areas belonging to the Achaemenid era in this region. Discovery of a big dam belonging to the same period was one of the other prominent accomplishments of this team of archaeologists and experts in this historical area.

Skeletons of a Mother & a Child Found at the Bolaghi Gorge

2006-05-25T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 25 May 2006 (CHN) -- Latest archaeological excavations at the Bolaghi Gorge historical site in Fars province led to discovery of the skeletons of a mother and her child who were buried in a joint grave some 7000 years ago. With this new discovery, the number of the discovered skeletons in Bolaghi Gorge reached to eight.
“The skeleton of the mother was found buried on her side with the baby embraced in her arms. These skeletons belong to the Bacon era, some 7000 years ago, and were discovered in the residential area of Bolaghi Gorge. The gender of the mother was determined during our studies, however we are not yet sure about that of the child,” said Mojgan Seyedein, Iranian head of Iran-German joint archaeology team in Bolaghi Gorge.
Prior to this, the grave of a girl, a mass grave with disordered skeletons of three people, and the complete skeleton of a young man had already been discovered in Bolaghi Gorge. All of these graves date back to the fifth millennium BC.
According to Seyedein, with the discovery of the grave of the mother and her baby, the number of the graves discovered in Bolaghi Gorge reached the number eight. She also said that all the discovered skeletons have been transferred to Parse-Pasargadae Research Center for further studies.
Iranian-German joint archaeological team has continued its excavations in Bolaghi Gorge historical site since winter 2006 under the supervision of Mojgan Seyedein from Iran and Barbara Helwing from Germany. They discovered some areas belonging to the Bacon era which were settlement areas of the inhabitants of Bolaghi Gorge some 7000 years ago.
The 18-kilometer Bolaghi Gorge is located 9 kilometers from the world heritage site of Pasargadae and is considered part of its landscape. Archaeological excavations started in Bolaghi Gorge when it was announced that the inundation of the newly constructed Sivand Dam would pose a real threat to Bolaghi Gorge and all the archaeological evidence which have been unearthed so far in this historical site. The salvation project in Bolaghi Gorge started with the engagement of eight international teams more than a year ago and continues to this day.

Remains of Darius’ Palace Unearthed in Bolaghi Gorge

2006-05-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 24 May 2006 (CHN) -- Following the discovery of the remains of a huge palace which is believed to date back to the Achaemenid era (648-33 BC) and is denoted to Darius the Great, by the Iran-French joint archaeological team at the Bolaghi Gorge in Fars province, archaeological excavations continued in the area which led to unearthing the remains of the palace.
“Prior to this, the remains of a summer residential palace belonging to the Achaemenid era was identified in area no. 85. However, archaeological excavations show that this palace was destructed due to the later constructions during the Sassanid and Safavid periods. Moreover, we were able to find the remains of an estimated 900-square-meter palace which for sure must have belonged to the Achaemenid kings and for some unknown reason was destroyed by bulldozers,” said Mohammad Taghi Atayi, Iranian head of Iran-France archaeological team in Bolaghi Gorge in the one-day Bolaghi Gorge archaeology seminar which was held today in National Museum of Iran with the attendance of heads of Iranian and foreign archaeological teams active at the Bolaghi Gorge.
Discovery of the base of a pillar and the platform of the palace assured archaeologists that this palace must have belonged to the Achaemenid era. According to Atayi, archaeologists have succeeded in saving some parts of the palace; however other parts of the palace such as the base of the pillars have been destroyed by bulldozers.
In this one day summit, Remy Boucharlat, the French head of Iranian-French joint archaeological team in Bolaghi Gorge, issued his report on their accomplishments in Bolaghi Gorge and the discovery of the Achaemenid palace in this historical site.
Among other participants in this one day seminar were heads of archaeological teams in historical sites of Kalat Qafkhaneh in Shahrud, Pardis Tepe in Varamin, Sang Tarashan in Khoram Abad, Chehr Abad salt mine in Zanjan, and Bandian Dargaz in Khorasan. The participants presented their reports on their archaeological findings across Iran. However, the main focus of this seminar was on the discoveries of the Bolaghi Gorge area, especially the newly discovered palace of Darius the Great.
Excavations at the Bolaghi Gorge started almost two years ago with the aim of saving the remains of archaeological evidence before the inundation of the nearby Sivand Dam. Currently, some groups from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, and a large number of Iranian archaeologists are busy on the site with the Bolaghi Gorge salvation project.

Discovery of an Ivory Scabbard in Lorestan

2006-05-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 24 May 2006 (CHN) -- Discovery of a scabbard made of ivory was one of the most important achievements during the third season of excavations in Sangtarashan in Lorestan province. This is the first time a scabbard with such a material belonging to the end of the Iron Age has been discovered in this area.
“The third season of excavations led to discovery of two iron swords and an iron axe. What makes these swords unique among all the other discoveries in this historical site so far is that there is a thin layer of decorative bone, most probably ivory, between these two swords. It is believed that this layer is the remains of the scabbard of one of these swords. It is the first time an ivory scabbard has been discovered in Lorestan province. These swords were kept in an appropriate climatic condition and therefore the bone decorations of the handles have remained almost intact which provides us the chance to restore them,” said Mehrdad Malekzadeh, head of excavation team in Sangtarashan historical site.
Malekzadeh explained “50 other bronze relics including a wide variety of war instruments such as different kinds of swords in different sizes, battle axes, and some dishes such as teapots, pitchers, bowls and glasses have also been discovered during the excavations.”
According to Malekzadeh, one of the other unique discoveries during this season of excavations is a very beautiful bronze glass with a very delicate etching work on its body and the design of a lotus flower on its bottom. “Although this glass has been partly damaged over time due to humidity and other natural factors, the etching work on it show that it is a unique object and we have sent it to the restoration laboratory of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Lorestan province to be studied more,” added Malekzadeh.
Some 400 square meters have been excavated during three seasons of archaeological excavations in Sangtarashan and some 350 ancient bronze relics have been unearthed so far in this historical site which date back to the end of the Iron Age. However, no architectural evidence or cemeteries have been discovered in this historical site so far. “Although no architectural evidence has been discovered so far in this area, we still believe that a prayer house might have existed in this region, although its exact place has remained a question to us,” explained Malekzadeh.
Sangtarashan historical site is located 52 kilometers from Khoram Abad on the height of “80 Pahloo” and “Taf” mountains and is considered an important archaeological site in Iran.

King Road does not pass near the Bolaghi Gorge

2006-05-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 23 May 2006 (CHN) -- Last week it was announced that the remains of a gigantic palace believed to have belonged to Darius the Great, the Achaemenid king who ordered the construction of Palace of Persepolis in Shiraz, was discovered during the archaeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge. This very interesting news attracted the public attention and roused a lot of interest among the people both inside and outside the country.
This new discovery disproved some old theories about this ancient site. Prior to this, it was supposed that Bolaghi Gorge was the location of the King Road- the ancient major road built by order of Darius to connect Pasargadae to Persepolis and Susa. However, the recent geophysical studies prove that King Road never passed through Bolaghi Gorge and what was believed to have been the King Road is in fact only the remains of an ancient wall surrounding the Bolaghi Gorge which collapsed over time. Moreover, Mohammad Taghi Atayi, Iranian head of Iranian-Italian joint archaeology team in Bolaghi Gorge said that the fact that this wall was used as a shell keep to enclose Bolaghi Gorge and discovery of the remains of the palace of Darius in Bolaghi Gorge and many other evidence all indicate that Bolaghi Gorge was used as a hunting ground by Darius the Great and other Achaemenid kings some 2500 years ago.
“Last year we conducted a sounding measurment in some parts of what we thought was the King Road to examine the materials used in its construction. During our studies, we found adobe material with a large amount of white grits which for sure could not have been used for strengthening the road,” added Atayi.
According to Atayi, the white grits were not found in other parts of Bolaghi Gorge and most probably they were used for strengthening an important construction.
Archaeological studies on this road show that due to its narrow width and the fact that some parts of it do not have the characteristics of Achaemenid constructions, this part of Bolaghi Gorge which was believed to have been the King Road was used for other purposes.
Rejecting of the theory that Bolaghi Gorge was the location of King Road has brought up two new theories which have been proposed by Atayi and Remy Boucharlat, the French head of Iranian-French joint archaeology team in Bolaghi Gorge. Atayi believes that what was formerly believed to have been the King Road was a long wall which surrounded the valley and discovering the remains of an Achaemenid palace in this historical gorge proves that King Road was in fact a shell-keep for enclosing the area and Bolaghi Gorge was the hunting ground of Achaemenid kings.
On the other hand, Boucharlat believes that King Road was originally an irrigation channel. However, since no remains of sediments have been seen throughout this road yet, this idea has been suspended for now.
“Studies on the path of this road led to new findings about its real identity. What was known as the King Road started from the beginning of the Bolaghi Gorge and after covering the entire valley it ended in its original place. Now the question is, what kind of a road could it be that started and ended in the same place? On the other hand, these excavations resulted in discovery of several walls on the path of the road which in some parts have remained almost intact up to a height of 5 meters. All of these evidences show that ‘King Road’ was only a defensive wall for protecting the area of Bolaghi Gorge,” explained Atayi.
Atayi strongly believes that this discovered palace belonged to Darius the Great and the “King Road” is the remains of the shell-keep of Bolaghi Gorge and this area was used as a hunting ground by Achaemenid kings.
“Discovery of the palace’s pedestal with the Achaemenid-style floorings and its construction on a platform assured us that there must have been a palace belonging to the Achaemenid era in Bolaghi Gorge long before the actual discovery of the palace of Darius the Great. On the other hand, discovering the remains of a large number of clay canteens indicate that this palace was a temporary residential area for the Achaemenid kings who spend a short time there during the hunting season. The remains of clay objects in the area also show that some food reservoirs were established in this palace for the soldiers who guarded the palace. Today, we can strongly claim that Bolaghi Gorge was once the hunting ground of Achaemenid kings. Environmental evidence show that this area was much greener than what we see today and some animals used to live here during the ancient times.
Bolaghi Gorge is an endangered historical site in Fars province, near the ancient site of Pasargadea, threatened by the Sivand Dam built in its vicinity. Although the dam is not flooded yet, it is clear that inundation of the dam will drown this historic site almost completely. A large number of archaeological groups from different countries have rushed to the site to save this historic heritage as much as possible. At present, some groups from Italy, France, Germany, Poland, and a large number of Iranian archaeologists are busy on the site with the Bolaghi Gorge salvation project.

University of Pennsylvania to Translate History of Jiroft

2006-05-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 23 May 2006 (CHN) -- University of Pennsylvania is translating papers presented at the International Conference of Jiroft and will publish them in a single book. Adding to this announcement, Yousef Majidzadeh, head of the archaeology team in Jiroft, said: "These papers will be published in Persian and English in two volumes."

He added that translation of these articles will lead into a better understanding of the discoveries on the Eastern civilization in the world and will allow further study of this unknown culture. Furthermore, it will draw the attention of many scholars to the Halil Roud area.

Majidzadeh said that many of the scholars and archaeologists have learned about the recently discovered inscriptions in Jiroft and showed interest. He also said that he was invited by several universities in different countries such as Italy and Spain to participate in conferences relating to the subject, but due to financial issues he was unable to attend, adding that "it is a pity having to leave talks on these subjects at international conferences and seminars to foreigners like, say, an Italian."

The extensive excavations at Halil-Roud and the Konar Sandal sites close to the city of Jiroft have so far revealed some of the earliest places of urbanization with historical evidence dating back to as early as the third millennium BC.

Until now, the excavations at the northern and southern areas of Konar Sandal have led to the unearthing of a fortress, the oldest stone staircase in the world, inscriptions and graves. It is the hope that these discoveries will attract the attention of many scholars around the world to the missing civilization of Eastern Iran.

Delay in Excavation to Ruin Gilvan Prehistoric Site

2006-05-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Tehran, 22 May 2006 (CHN) -- Nearly one month has passed since the accidental discovery and later identification of Gilvan ancient site in northern Iran. However, emergency excavations to save this prehistoric site have not started yet, the fact remains that this area is being gradually destroyed due to the very limited attention it receives from the authorities and this worries many people.
Last month, construction workers accidentally discovered a number of ancient artifacts in the village of Gilvan located in the Iranian northwestern province of Ardabil. It turned out that this place was the location of an ancient cemetery. Among the discovered artifacts were three gold coated metal daggers, 25 pieces of clays, ornamental beads, and several armaments plus the remains of a number of skeletons. Soon after, Iran’s Archaeology Research Center sent a team of its experts to examine the area and prepare a report. It was expected that some measures be taken right away to save this newly discovered site, but no major step has been taken yet.
Yahya Naghizadeh, head of the Cultural Heritage Police Department of Ardabil province, has repeatedly announced his concern over the present improper condition of these ancient artifacts. He blamed two main factors, rainfall and intense sunlight, that are causing most of the damages to this site and its artifacts. Naghizadeh said, “After archaeology experts visited this area and wrote their report we were hoping that an emergency excavation campaign be launched to save these invaluable ancient artifacts. Unfortunately, despite the fact that these experts had emphasized the importance of immediate excavations in this area in their report, the cultural heritage authorities have not yet announced their approval.”
Naghizadeh also mentioned that Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Ardabil province has established a temporary security station to safeguard this area and added, “Our experts are ready to take the responsibility of protecting this ancient site permanently but as long as nothing is announced by the cultural heritage authorities, this is all we can do.”
Pointing out to the locals’ increasing concerns over the fate of this ancient site, head of Ardabil’s Cultural Heritage Police Department said, “Aside from the natural factors which threaten this area, one of the major problems we have is that the owner of the land in which this ancient cemetery was found claims his share of the discovered artifacts. Considering all these factors, we urgently need the Archaeology Research Center to get involved and do anything that is needed immediately.”
Archaeologists have now confirmed that this ancient site and all the discovered artifacts in its vicinity belong to the first millennium BC or before.

Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Babak Fortress

2006-05-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

LONDON, May 20, 2006 (CAIS) -- Following the recent excavations in Babak fortress and removal of debris, some important parts of the fortress, which had previously been unknown, were unearthed. Archaeological excavations in Babak Fortress started in 2002, and some parts of this fortress were unearthed. The most important discovery has recently been made in this historical site which was finding of a staircase dating back to the beginning of Post-Sasanid period.
The main activities of the excavation team were excavating and restoring the western part of the main staircase. Due to the large number of Iranian pilgrims, this part of the staircase was not in a good condition and if nothing had been done to preserve it, it would have suffered a real harm in the future.
A 4.5x5.5 meter room with two windows, which must have been a guard room, was discovered during latest excavations in. There is a 35-meter corridor beside the room. This corridor leads to two towers which have already been unearthed. The discovered staircase and the two-floor building at the back of the corridor and towers all belong to the beginning of the Islamic era. Experts believe that this building might have been a reservoir or food storage.
Stonework with mortar was used in the construction of this double-floor building, except for the staircase. This was a common architectural style during the Sasanid dynastic era. Therefore, it cannot be said for sure that the staircase and building were constructed during the same historical period. Babak fortress is one of the most important historical sites of Iran, located in a mountainous region in north-west of the country.
This fortress also called the Eternal Fortress was built during the Sasanid dynastic era; however, it is famous for the 23-year Iranian residence and resistance of Persian hero Babak Khorramdin who fought against the Arab invaders.
One of the most dramatic periods of Iranian history occurred under Babak’s leadership from 816 to 837 CE. Eventually Babak, his wife, and his warriors were forced to leave their command post at the fortress under very difficult circumstances after 23 years of struggle.
During Babak’s martyrdom, the caliph's henchmen first cut off his legs and hands in order to convey the most devastating message to Iranians. Legend has it that Babak bravely rinsed his face with the blood pouring out of his wounds, thus depriving the caliph and the rest of the Arab invaders the opportunity to see that his face had turned pale due to heavy bleeding.
Every year in July, Iranians pilgrims visiting the place to hail their Persian hero, Babak, as the symbol of Iranian resistance against foreign and dictatorship rules. The pilgrims reading poetry including Shahnameh (the Book of Kings - Iran’s most famous epic) and playing traditional Persian music. They also lit up bonfires to follow traditional rituals of ancient Iran.