Studies Slated For Iran’s Oldest Mines - CAIS Archaeological & Cultural Daily News of Iran©

The oldest mine chain in Iran is soon to be explored by a joint Iranian-German study team in a bid to shed light on the ways that copper stone had been extracted and used thousands of years ago.

Located in the central province of Qom, Vashnavah mines comprises 22 mines, used in the 5th millennia B.C.

Head of the Iranian explorations team Mohammad Mireskandari said the third season of studies in Vashnavah aimed at finding out about the mining methods and use of the yields in historical sites as well as the exact age of mining in ancient Iran.

“Vashnavah mines are among the oldest in the world and the findings can shed light on many questions on the mining methods in Iran and worldwide,” he added.

The previous two seasons of explorations in the area yielded relics from the Sasanid era. Since 2000, the mine chain has been the scene of joint scientific work by experts from the University of Bochum and the Berlin Institute of archaeology as well as Iran’s Archaeology Research Center.

The new study season is scheduled to start in the second half of the current Iranian year.

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