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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF IRANIAN WORLD© |
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Delay in Excavation, Destroys Gilvan Prehistoric Site
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25 May 2006 |
LONDON,
(CAIS) -- Nearly one month has passed since the
accidental discovery of Gilvan ancient site in northern Iran. However,
archaeological rescue operations to save this prehistoric site have not started
yet, a fact which concerns many people as they see this area being gradually
destroyed due to the very limited attention it receives from the authorities.
Last month, construction workers accidentally discovered a number of ancient
artifacts in the village of Gilvan located in the Iranian northwestern province
of Ardabil. It turned out that this place was the location of an ancient
cemetery. Among the discovered relics were three gold-plated metal daggers, 25
pieces of potteries, ornamental beads, and several armaments plus the remains of
a number of skeletons. Soon after, Iran’s Archaeology Research Centre deployed
a team of experts to examine the area and prepare a report. It was expected that
some measures to be taken straight away to save this newly discovered site, but
no major step has been taken yet.
Yahya Naghizadeh, head of the Cultural Heritage Police Department of Ardabil
province, has repeatedly announced his concern over the present poor condition
of the ancient site. He blamed two main factors, rainfall and intense sunlight,
that are causing most of the damages to this site and its artifacts and said,
“After experts visited this area and prepared their report we were hoping that
an emergency excavation operation be launched to save such a mportant ancient
site. Unfortunately, despite the fact that these experts had emphasized the
importance of immediate excavations in this area in their report, the cultural
heritage authorities have not yet announced their approval.”
Naghizadeh also mentioned that Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of
Ardabil province has established a temporary security station to safeguard this
area and added, “Our experts are ready to take the responsibility of
protecting this ancient site permanently but as long as nothing is announced by
the cultural heritage authorities, this is all we can do.”
Pointing to the locals’ increasing concerns over the fate of this ancient
site, head of Ardabil’s Cultural Heritage Police Department said, “Aside
from the natural factors which threaten this area, one of the major problems we
have is that the owner of the land in which this ancient cemetery was found
claims his share of the discovered artifacts. Considering all these factors, we
urgently need the Archaeology Research Centre to get involved and take the necessary
actions immediately.”
Archaeologists have now confirmed that this ancient site and all the discovered
artifacts in its vicinity belong to the first millennium BCE.
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Source/Extracted From: CHN Related Article(s): 09 May 06: Accidental Discovery of Ancient Armaments in Ardabil
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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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