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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS^©

07 September 2005

Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) announced on Tuesday that once Sivand Dam is filled with water, part of Tanghe-Bolaghi containing historical relics of various eras will be submerged, except Pasargad and the Mausoleum of Cyrus the Great.

The report released by ICHTO Public Relations Department on Wednesday said that Sivand Dam is currently under construction at Tanghe-Bolaghi 95 kms to the north of Shiraz, 50 kms from Persepolis and 17 kms from Pasargad.

Polvar river flows into Tanghe-Bolaghi. The significance of the area is associated with the fact that it is frequented by nomads and quite rich with major prehistoric monuments dating back to pre-Islamic era. Besides, it is covered with vegetation and plantations.

Some 130 historical and prehistoric relics have been identified by Parseh-Pasargad Research Foundation and the Archaeological Research Center.

The relevant survey was launched two years ago to rescue some of the unearthed objects. This was materialized in two years by conducting preliminary assessment of the site, collecting the relevant information as well as taking aerial and satellite photos and documenting them.

Besides, based on a precise program, the relevant sites were classified in accordance with various periods and the call for an international conference was released.

Following the call, seven research groups from universities of various countries including the Italian University of Bologna, the Polish University of Warsaw, the Japanese University of Kyoto, the French Lumiere Research Center, the German Iranology Center, the German Archaeological Center and Tehran University Archaeological Department jointly embarked on their first excavation season on February 20, 2004.

During this first season, in addition to documentation of palaeolithic caves and sites as well as those of other ancient ages, architectural structures of villages constructed between the rule of Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties and the industrial-productive complex of Sassanid era were identified.

The unearthed ceramics and artifacts were transferred to Mazveh and the discovered sites were registered.

The excavation of a significant ancient metal mine is predicted to get underway by a joint Iranian-German team in 20 days, while the second season of excavation will start on a broader scale in a month.

The ICHTO hopes that through cooperation with the Ministry of Energy it will not only manage to preserve the historical sites at Tanghe-Bolaghi, but that this important project will set an exemplary nationwide model.

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