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A 5000-year old historical city which has
been buried under the Ghala hill in the Iranian western
province of Ilam has attracted archaeologists’
attention.
Perimeter setting and documentation of the historical
site, located on the south eastern fringe of Zarneh city
near Eivan, have been completed pending a more thorough archaeological
research.
"Having dug a few boring pits and found relics
traced back to the protoliterate period, we are
convinced that different periods of sedentism have
existed in this historical city since 3200 years B.C. up
to the early Sasanid era," said Malek Ahmadi, the
head of Ghala research team.
He guessed that remnants of sedentism of the preliterate
period will also be obtained, if thorough investigations
be conducted on the hill, for this historical city is
located on an ancient route connecting Mesopotamia to
the central parts of Iran.
During the documentation process of Ghala hill, in
addition to the remains of architectural monuments, some
relics, such as painted potteries, glassware bits, cut
stones and blades of flints, were obtained.
Henry Rawlinson visited this historical area in 1915 and
reported that the remnants of a metropolitan spot, in an
area of 8 square kilometer, could be seen.
The remaining walls and cubicles from the city have now
been destroyed as the result of some agricultural and
development activities. The central castle of the city
is one of the few intact parts of the site.
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