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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF IRANIAN WORLD© |
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A Sasanian Signet Ring with Inscription Discovered in Mazandaran
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28 May 2006 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- The first grave dating back to the Sasanian dynasty (224-652 CE) was discovered during preliminary archaeological evaluation of a historical site near Kanglu Fort in Savadkouh, Mazandaran province.
According to Persian service of CHN, a ring bearing an inscription in the
Sasanian-Pahlavi (Middle-Persian) script was also found in the grave.
A faculty member of the provincial Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Organization’s Research Centre and head of the excavation team for the site,
Saman Surtiji said that his group came across the grave while trying to find a
suitable access to Kanglu Fort.
The grave was located in a stone enclosure with the corpse buried in the posture
of a foetus, he said, adding that it also contained items made of enamelled
potteries, metal and glass.
Elaborating on the features of the grave, he further said that it was made of
stone and clay and the corpse was buried with the hands near its mouth and its
knees folded toward the left side of the torso.
Such methods of burial were prevalent from the prehistoric era to the early
centuries of the post-Sasanian period, he said.
Commenting on the ring found near the skeleton, the head of the excavation team
for Kanglu Fort, pointed out that the agate ring with a bezel was used as a seal.
“The
discovered ring in the grave is an opal ring which was used as a seal. An etched
word can be seen on the opal which was deciphered by Rasoul Bashash, in ancient
Iranian languages. According to Bashash, the word on the ring says “Farokhi”,
meaning "prosperity", and it was believed that it would bring dignity
and splendour for its owner,” explained Sourtiji.
According to Surtiji, with this discovery, the Kanglu fortress archaeology team
is determined to continue its excavations in the area to find the architectural
remains of the people who lived near the fortress during the Sasanian dynastic
era in order to learn more about the mysteries of this historical period in this
area.
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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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