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.CAIS NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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52 Historic Sites Identified in Tchogha Zanbil
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19 December 2006 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Some 52 prehistoric and historic sites dating back to Elamite (3400-550 BCE), Parthian (248 BCE-224 CE), Sasanian (224-651 CE) and post-Sasanian periods have been identified during studies by cultural heritage experts and archaeologists in the vicinity of the historic site of Tchogha Zanbil in Khuzestan province, southern Iran.
The
new finding once again brings to light the historic importance of the region and
the necessity to safeguard it against possible threats posed by oil exploration
activities.
Based
on the new studies, experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Organization (ICHTO) warned that five out of the 52 archaeological mounds
identified in the region are jeopardized by installation of oil pipelines
according to the map provided by the Oil and Petroleum Ministry and the only
solution would be to change the routes of some of these pipelines.
“Our
studies revealed that if Iranian National Oil Company (INOC) relocates two or
three out of these 9 routes to a distance 200 to 300 meters farther, no harm
would threaten these historical sites. We have prepared the topographical and
aerial picture of these ancient hills,” explained Mahnaz Sharifi, head of
excavation team in Tchogha Zanbil to CHN.
According
to her, archaeological excavations are mainly focused on the 9 main routes in
which the oil pipelines have been established, covering a 200 square kilometre
area between the cities of Susa, Shushtar, Haft Tappeh, and Dezful.
The
historic site of Tchogha Zanbil, located in the southwestern Iranian province of
Khuzestan, is home to the only surviving ziggurat in Iran which is also one of
the most important remaining evidence of the Elamite period of Iranian history.
An
oil field is believed to exist underneath this ziggurat which is built on an
anticline. Earlier this year experts of INOC started digging oil wells along
three routes in the vicinity of Tchogha Zanbil historic site, the closest one
was dug just at a distance of 300 meters from the ziggurat. This brought strong
objections from UNESCO and the Iranian cultural heritage experts, asking the
Ministry to immediately stop their destructive operations in the region.
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Extracted From/Source: Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN) 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, transparent, 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 Cyrus Legacy
The Royal Asiatic Society
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