Two weeks of explorations and study in Tal Bakun in the southern Fars province suggest the oldest economic and industrial management hub in the near east has been all but wiped out. The spot had been explored years ago by the oriental institute in Chicago.

There is little evidence to shed light on what caused the destruction of the site, despite efforts by the explorations team headed by Dr Abbas Alizadeh from the oriental institute and comprising students from the University of Tehran, the Tehran Open University and the open universities of Marvdasht and Kazeroun.

Still, there are reasons to believe that the area was destroyed over a five year course in 1976 to 1981. Alizadeh noted an institute expert who had visited the site in 1976 and 1977 had told him he had seen part of wall foundations.

He speculated the destruction had been caused by people who used bulldozers. Alizadeh expressed hope the site could be reconstructed.