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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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Looting Rampant in Ancient Natanz
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29 August 2006 |
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Karkas (Vulture) Mountain range looms over Natanz with Sasanian lighthouse at its' top (Click to enlarge) |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Shortage of Cultural Heritage Guards to protect historical monuments in Natanz in Esfahan province, has led to the plundering of relics from the ancient and prehistoric sites in the city.
According to Persian Service of CHN, presently illegal
excavations are being conducted in nine ancient sites in
the city.
Head of Natanz Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism
Office Ali Reza Mohseni-Tabar said that the ancient sites
in Natanz, which date back to the prehistoric era, are
among the most important in the country.
The sites, including Arisman, have so far been excavated
several times by local and foreign archeologists, he
noted.
“Milajerd, Qale-Gusheh, Badroud sites dating back to the
fourth millennium BCE as well as mounds including Abuzar,
Khaledabad, Helabad and Sefid Hill are among those that
have been and are looted during illegal excavations,“ he
said.
Stating that the number of employees at Natanz Cultural
Heritage Office does not exceed five, Mohseni-Tabar
further said this is while the city is home to a large
number of monuments, which should be protected.
“We have called on Esfahan Cultural Heritage,
Handicrafts and Tourism Department and even the
organization on several occasions to provide extra forces
but we have not year received any response,“
Mohseni-Tabar said.
According to a report by officials, illegal excavations
are still rampant in Natanz ancient sites and they
encounter new challenges each day.
Natanz is a small
mountain town located about 80 kilometers from Kashan. It is situated in the
Northern part of Esfahan and about 30 km away from the desert and at a height of
1600m above sea level.
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Extracted From/Source: Iran Daily Please
note
the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from
the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with
the following interventions by CAIS: Spelling corrections;
-Rectification and correction of the historical facts and data; -
Providing additional historical information within the text; -Removing any
unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information. All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
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"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
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Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
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