10 Sasanid Sites Discovered in Marvdasht, Southern Iran

06 August 2005

Iranian and American archaeologists discovered historical sites dating to the third millennium BC up to the Islamic invasion times in Marvdasht Plain, near Shiraz.

Marvdasht is one of Iran’s important archaeological sites which houses invaluable heritage from the 5th millennium BC, the Achaemenid era –including the world-famous Persepolis – and later times.

A team of four Iranian archaeologists and an American expert from Chicago University carried out studies in the northern parts of Marvdasht which according to the Iranian head of the team, Ali Asadi, was not well studied previously.

“Excavations in the area led to the discovery of 10 new residential sites which have provided remains from the third millennium BC up to the Islamic times, however, most of the discoveries date back to the Sassanid and Islamic era,” explained Asadi.

Archaeologists are hoping that the new studies would help them gain information on the history, residential conditions, and ancient maps of the area.

The American archaeologist working on the team is Tobin Hartnell a PhD student of Chicago University, with Near Eastern Art/Archaeology as his field of study and a concentration on Mesopotamia. He has the Achaemenid era as his thesis subject, therefore the studies of Marvdasht are to be used as part of his data.

The Oriental Institute of Chicago University is one of world’s most important research centers working on oriental archaeology. The Institute carried out extensive excavations in Iran before the Islamic Revolution, and has returned to the country since two years ago with special attempts of Abbas Alizadeh, an Iranian professor of the University.