Iranian
archaeologists have unearthed over 600,000 intact
earthenware pottery works and shards in the newly
discovered 6000-year-old rocky habitation near the
Halil-Rud River cultural area, where the ancient
site of Jiroft is located, the director of the
archaeological team working in the area announced on
Sunday.
“Our
team has discovered a great number of intact
potteries and a large amount of shards, the volume
of which reaches one meter in height in some
areas,” Davud Abyan said.
The
team recently discovered a 6000-year-old rocky
habitation with more than 800 cells in the Barez
Mountains, east of the Halil-Rud River in southern
Kerman Province.
Glazed
in crimson and tan, the pottery was created in
various shapes, some with spouts, and a special
technique was employed in making the works, Abyan
said.
“The
great amount of earthenware indicates that pottery
making was the main occupation of the people living
in the region, and they exported the products to
other places,” he added.
The
rocky village is located at a height of 250 meters
with two and four square meter cells. The habitation
is Iran’s most ancient rock residence ever
discovered.
The
Jiroft region was one of the first places where
civilization and urbanization were established about
5000 years ago.
Many
Iranian and foreign experts see the findings in
Jiroft as signs of a civilization as great as Sumer.
Iranian archaeologist Yusef Majidzadeh believes that
Jiroft is the ancient city of Aratta, which was
described as a great civilization in an ancient
Sumerian clay inscription.
