During
the excavation of Agh Tapeh, the most
ancient known site of central plateau of Iran in
the vicinity of Dasht Gorgan and Golestan
Province, a new part is discovered that according
to Sadegh Malek Shahmirzadi, the head of the
archaeological group belongs to some 7000 years
ago.
The
public relation of cultural inheritance
organization reported that there are several
ancient places in the vicinity of the dam on lake
of Glolestan that are under the threat of turning
to an island or being seriously damaged and
destroyed as the result of the dam making
operations. The aim of the present archaeological
operation is to save these ancient sites and
prevent their further destruction.
Shahmirzadi
said: 'the discovered sites belong to the period
of Zagheh approximately 7200 years ago and
the period of Chesmeh Ali some 7000 years
ago. The discovered sites also include the
remainders of a part of a graveyard belonging to
the first millenium before Christ. It seems that
the first inhabitants of this place used the
surface of a natural hill that covered less than
half hectare in 7200 years ago as their living
place and subsisted on agricultural and animal
husbandry products.
On
the other hand, archaeological studies on the
pottery works found show that the inhabitant of Cheshmeh
Ali's period (some 7000 years ago) had also
the same mode of subsistence.
Also
the archaeological evidences of another ancient
hill of this region called Zaegh Atar show
that the inhabitants had moved to this natural
hill one millenium before Christ and the
constructions they left behind were then used in
the different eras of Achaemenid, Partian,
Sassanian and even the early periods of Islam by
different groups. Another hill called Chakar
Ata located near the lake of Golestan is also
on the verge of destruction because of the
penetration of the lake's water into the root of
the hill and any kind of exploration or divination
could be quite dangerous.
