Different
sections of houses, passageways, and the barrier surrounding the
Parti Castle of Nehbandan, in northeastern Iran are to be
unearthed and studied in a series of geophysical operations, the
director of the Khorasan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department
announced on Friday.
According
to Abolfazl Mokarramifar, archaeological excavations to identify
several sections of the city and study the castle will be
conducted later.
All
that remains of the castle and the ancient city is a part of the
barrier surrounding the castle, he added. Archaeologists believe
that the site is ruins of the Parthian era city of Neh.
Located
200 kilometers from Birjand in Khorasan Province, the mud-brick
castle with its circle-shaped plan was surrounded by a barrier.
Its gate opened to a large vestibule inside the castle leading to
several alleys and passageways.
Artifacts
dating back to the Parthian era and Safavid era shards discovered
at the site prove that the area was continuously occupied for
centuries.
Experts
believe that the castle may date back to the 2nd millennium B.C.,
but the exact date and details of its construction have not yet
been determined.
