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.CAIS NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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4000-Year-Old Artefacts Discovered in Qazvin
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11 November 2006 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Surveys in Andej Valley of Qazvin led to the discovery of ancient objects dating back two millenniums BCE to the post-Sasanian eras.
Head of the expedition, said that a 12-member team comprising restoration,
an osteologist and a photographers examined the ancient site.
“Early studies have been terminated and the area is now ready for
archeological excavations,“ said Ātūssā Momeni, the head of the expedition.
She pointed out that surveys were carried out in seven mountainous villages of Kūchenān, Dek, Andej, Kandānsār and Mollālekelāyә, Sāēnkelāyә and Shahrak.
The team came across potsherds and brass objects going back to the second
millennium BCE in Kuchenan, the expert reiterated.
Momeni said that areas belonging to different historic periods from Parthian
dynasty (278 BCE - 224 CE) through Safavid eras had been found.
“An important edifice discovered is the Chāl Castle dating back to the Islamic period.
We have documented seven of the castle’s 12 rooms and printed catalogues.“
She stated that especially-designed graves belonging to the second and first
millenniums BCE were also discovered in Kūchenān.
Regretting that a lot of graves had been earlier damaged by tomb raiders, the
official highlighted the necessity of launching archeological excavations.
“The archeological facts and figures buried in the area will be destroyed
should the current trend continue,“ she warned.
Despite rampant illegal diggings, the experts said, the team documented graves
and another three castles namely Pāskūsh, Amīrān and Shahrak. They have
stratigraphic layers dating back to Parthian (one layer) and Islamic (two
layers) eras.
“We have benefited from anecdotal evidence provided by locals,“ the official
noted. “For instance, local information helped us find the door to Pāskūsh Castle.“
She thanked the locals for having preserved the historic Pāskūsh Castle against heritage thieves.
Momeni said that a human remains in sitting position and leaning against the
same door had been retrieved from the castle 50 years ago.
Turning to graves, she explained that they have superb designs.
“One wonders how the primitive dwellers managed to carry such giant boulders
to build the graves. The graves were designed in a way to block penetration of
water. Clay pipes have been used to channel water out of the graves to prevent
decomposition of corpses and objects.“
Momeni said that potteries found in the graves are very delicate and resemble
those discovered in Tappeh Siyalk of Kāshān.
The expert expressed hope that further studies at Andej historical site would
help unravel the mysteries associated with the area.
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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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