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LONDON, (CAIS) -- Archeological excavations in Partho-Sassanid cemetery in Damavand led to discovery of number of artefacts including an amphora, several rhytons, as well as a number of Sassanid coins engraved with the design of Khosrow II Parviz. The remains of architectural style of the Sassanid dynastic era (224-651 CE) can be seen in this cemetery which was discovered during the construction of a new branch for Science and Technology University in the city of Damavand in Tehran province.

“Archeological excavations in this historical cemetery show the flourishing and prominent situation of Valiran village in Damavand district during the Parthian (248 BCE-224 CE) and Sasanid dynastic eras,” said Mohammad Reza Nemati, head of archeology team of Damavand cemetery according to CHN (Cultural Heritage News Agency).

Noting that three different burial methods including urn burial, loculus (a slot-like burial niche), and surface burial have been observed in this Parthian cemetery, Nemati explained: “These three burial methods show the difference between social classes during the Parthian dynastic era. While the surface graves are very simple, some valuable burial gifts can be seen in loculus ones which indicate the high social rank of the people buried in them.”

According to Nemati, urn-burial method was mostly used for children during this period and discovery of the rhytons and amphora in this Parthian cemetery is among the most unique archeological achievements during the last 40 years. “The rhytons discovered in this historical cemetery are quite unique. Discovery of an amphora, which was commonly used in the early history of ancient Greece, in this historical site has amazed archeologists,” added Nemati.

“In addition to some rectangular-shaped rooms, the usage of which is not yet known, three pieces of clay tablets in Pahlavi (middle-Persian) language and coins engraved with the image of Khosrow II Parviz, the Sassanid king of kings, have also been discovered in the Sassanid layer of this archeological cemetery,” explained Nemati.

According to Nemati, since archeological excavations started in this historical site as a rescue operation after the accidental discovery of the cemetery, this season of excavations will be closed earlier than usual which will be by September 10, 2006. However, due to the importance of this ancient cemetery, in a near future the excavations will be resumed after gaining the approval of Iran’s Archeology Research Center.

Damavand is a historical city in Tehran province. Damavand is located at a close distance to Iran’s tallest peak, Mount Damavand. Its name appears in Sassanid texts and has been mentioned abundantly by Ferdowsi, the great Persian epic poet in the 10^th century CE, in his literary masterpiece of “Shahnameh” or “The Book of Kings”. Many Parthian remains have so far been found in this city which fell to Arab Muslim invaders in 651 CE.

Damavand is rich in historical heritage. It contains 37 historical mausoleums, 27 castle ruins, 23 traditional houses of architectural significance, 18 traditional bathhouses, 6 caves, 5 historical bridges, 3 historical mosques and 3 caravansaries.

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