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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS^©

18 September 2005

A team consisting of 8 German archaeologists and geologists alongside an Iranian group are going to do some excavations in the metal mines of the Bolaghi Gorge belonging to the first millennium before the Christ.

Bolaghi Gorge which is located in Fars province, 7 kilometers from the historical site of Pasargadae, is of great significance due to the 130 historical sites there. Archaeologists also believe that part of the King Road which is the most ancient road of Iran, passes through this gorge.

“The team consists of 8 German archaeologists and geologists, who will start their excavations from Monday 19 September,” says Karim Alizadeh, director of international affairs office of the Archaeology Research Center of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of Iran.

According to Alizadeh, the team under the supervision of Ernest Pernitska, professor of Tubingen University, is to carry out some archaeological excavations on the metal mines of Bolaghi Gorge. A team from Iran will cooperate with them as well.

Ernest Pernitska had already cooperated in the archaeological excavations of Sialk Tepe and Arisman with Iranian archaeologists.

Primary estimations show the mines to date back to the first millennium BC, but further studies are needed to support the belief.

As part of the salvation project of Bolaghi Gorge, a team of Iranian and Japanese archaeologists have so far done some excavations in the ancient caves of Bolaghi Gorge site which will drown after the flooding of Sivand Dam within a few months.

Archaeologists believe that the discovered stone tools in the cave indicate the existence of human beings in this area during the cave dwelling period.

Four archaeological teams from Germany, France, Italy, and Poland with the cooperation of Iranian experts have already done some excavations for the salvation of Bolaghi Gorge historical remains. Their studies led to the discovery of some historical sites belonging to the 4th millennium BC to the Islamic period, a village belonging to the Achaemenid era, and some valuable evidence from the Sassanid era.

By flooding of Sivand Dam, the 130 historical sites of the Bolaghi Gorge will drown.

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