Discovery of an Aristocratic Quarter and a Sacrifice Place in Dastova

News Category: Elamite Period (3400 - 550 BCE)

LONDON, (CAIS) - Recent archaeological excavations in Dastova historical city resulted in the discovery of a brick raised platform and a huge structure belonging to the Elamite era. Archaeologists believe that this architectural complex should have been a sacrifice place or a place for worship ceremonies, but its real usage is still unknown.

“Regarding the size of the platform, it could not have been the base of a pillar or the pier of a wall. Most possibly, the place was used during religious rituals. 30 by 30 by 70 centimeter bricks and stucco were used in its construction,” said Ali Heidari, archaeologist and a professor of Azad University in Shushtar city.

“Since ordinary people used raw adobe to build their houses, the high quality bricks and materials which were used in the construction of this complex indicate that it must have belonged to people with high social classes. Nevertheless, more studies are still needed for clarifying the case.

The inhabitants of Dastova city enjoyed a strong economy. They were mostly engaged in trade relations in 45 AD, and thus imposed a great influence on the economy and business of the region,” added Heidari.

Some parts of this complex were destroyed when the local farmers constructed some irrigation channels. Agriculture, which is the main activity in Dastova, has led to the destruction of some constructions which were discovered during last year’s excavations.

“Our information about this historical site is not comprehensive, thus making us unable to carry out excavations in a specific area. We can only work on those hills which have not been leveled to the ground yet,” explained Heidari.

At present, a team of students are carrying out excavations in this historical site in order to discover more historical relics.

The ancient city of Dastova is located 3 kilometers south of Shooshtar in Khuzestan Province.