Discovery of 3000-year-old Artist in Espidej

The skeleton of a 3000-year-old artist buried alongside the tools used for his metalwork has been found in Espidej of Sistan-Baluchistan.

Excavations in the 3000-year-old site of Espidej led the archaeologists to the discovery of a tomb belonging to an artist, buried with his tools which include an awl, a bronze scoop, a grindstone, and a water container used for freezing copper and bronze.

The tools are evidence that metal arts were blooming in the area, and even sent from Espidej to other regions inside and outside Iran.

The discovered items, just one among the numerous unique artifacts found in Espidej, are now under study by archaeologists. Illegal excavators had destroyed many of the ancient tombs in the area before experts got to them.

According to head of the archaeology team of Espidej site, Mohammad Heidari, next to the skeleton and tools, a bronze statuette of a dog, only one centimeter long, has been found, which shows that people of the area used delicate tools to create nice miniature vessels and statuettes.

Evidence is moreover found proving that the artifacts were exported to other regions of Iran, as well as other ancient civilizations, Heidari told CHN.

Archaeologists have so far unearthed two prehistoric cemeteries and gained lots of information on Espidej site; however, much work and excavation should still be carried out on the historically rich area located just 25 kilometers out of Zabol, dating back to some 3000 years ago.