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According
to archaeological research in the 5000-year-old burnt city, in eastern
province of Sistan-Baluchistan, sacrificing human beings was a common
practice in ancient times.
After excavating a number of graves in the cemetery of the burnt city,
the Iranian archaeological team came across signs of murder and generally
beheaded bodies.
“During excavations in the burnt city cemetery, we came across a grave
with only one skull buried along with gifts and personal items needed
for the afterlife. There was also another grave in the form of a circle
with 13 skulls arranged toward the outside. In the center of this
circle, there were bones of a 45-year-old man and the skulls of 2
dogs”, Mansoor Sajjadi, head of archaeological team, told CHN.
According to Sajjadi, another grave contained a skeleton with its head
below its feet along with 2 daggers. As all the deceased have been
buried in religious ceremonies, it seems unlikely that they have been
evil-doers punished for their crimes.
“Burying the heads in a circle is a proof for the existence of a
ritual among the people in the burnt city, but we need to do more
excavations and research to come to a definite conclusion about the
sacrifice ritual”, Sajjadi said.
Burnt city ancient site in Sistan-Baluchistan province in southeastern
Iran is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Iran. Though this
site has been the subject of 8 seasons of archaeological research, the
experts do not still know what people resided in this city.
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