Ancient Paint Buckets Found in Persepolis

23 April 2005

Fragments of four ancient clay buckets most probably used as paint containers have accidentally been found in Persepolis, an Iranian World Heritage Site in Fars province.

Maintenance workers of Persepolis complex accidentally came to pieces of the clay buckets when they were repairing the electricity wires along the southern wing of the eastern stairway of Apadana Palace.

The discovered fragments are the bottom of these buckets which are covered with paint, explained archaeology expert of Persepolis, Ali Asadi, adding that the amount of paint in the buckets shows that they were used as paint containers some 2500 years ago.

Two of the pieces are painted red, and the others blue, and since they have been unearthed near one of the walls of Apadana Palace and its stairway reliefs of gift bearers, it is believed that the colors were used to decorate the Palace.

With studying the discovered paint remaining on the fragments, archaeologists are hoping to understand better the chemical industry and arts of the Achaemenid time.

Minute remains of paint identified here and there on the engravings of the Persepolis complex and ancient documents had already proved the use of paint in the ancient complex.