Friday
02 February 2001
A
huge square building dating back to the Parthian
period of first century AD has been unearthed by
the archaeological expedition at Meleiha site.
The
3,600 square meter building contained a large
number of jars, ceramics, glassware, bronze and
iron items plus pottery which had originated in
Egypt, Khwarvaran province (what id today known as
Iraq) and India. The significance of such findings
is that they shed light on the development of
trade between the southern region of Iranian
empire region and these countries.
The building has huge walls and the whole
structure was surrounded by a two-meter thick
wall. The huge wall had eight square towers. The
building contained a chain of chambers, each used
for a specific purpose, including one as a kitchen
and another as a storage for household items.
The building had a huge square in the center with
a total area of 1,050 square meter. Most of the
pottery was found in the chambers in the eastern
and southern parts of the building, while the wall
of one room on the southern part of the building
contained a small canal used to drain water to the
square in the middle of the building.
Stairs leading to the upper part of the building
were located on the northern part of the building.
It stretched from the main entrance to the huge
fort. The building was part of a huge
fort unearthed in 1992.
Unfortunately,
excavation stopped in 1995 as a big part of the
fort was hidden under the highway connecting Dhaid
with Madam. Excavation resumed in 1998 and a
joint team of local and French archaeologists will
continue excavating.
