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.CAIS NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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Archaeologists to Excavate the 14,000-Year-Old Island of Kharg in Persian Gulf
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23 November 2006 |
LONDON,
(CAIS) -- Archaeologists of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of
Būshehr province are about to start their excavations to identify historic
sites of the southern Iranian Island of Khārg (also Khārk), located in the
Persian Gulf.
Based
on the available historic accounts and archaeological evidence, about 14,000
years ago Khārg Island emerged from the depth of the Persian Gulf. The same
documents suggest the existence of human settlements on this island as far back
as the middle of third millennium BCE. Remaining evidence from different
historic periods, from the Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BCE) to the
post-Sasanian period, abounds in this Island.
Head
of the team of archaeologists which is to scan the entire Island for historic
evidence, Hamid Zarei, said that the studies at Khārg Island aim to identify
and document all the archaeological and historical sites of the Island.
Administered
by the adjacent coastal Būshehr Province, Khārg Island provides a seaport for
the export of oil.
According
to Zarei, since Khārg Island alone accounts for 80 percent of the country’s
crude oil production export, it has always been a hot spot for oil companies and
thus the Island hosts the highest number of oil companies active in Iran.
However, he lamented that activities by these companies have resulted in the
destruction of some of the Island’s most ancient sites and said that the new
phase of excavations at Khārg Island hopes to prevent repetition of such
tragedies by identifying the existing historic sites of the Island.
Due
to the economic importance of Khārg and the large amount of oil reserves in
this Island, the number of oil companies who choose this Persian Gulf Island as
their centre of activities is currently on the rise. This increases the
possibility of destruction of the region’s historic sites and highlights the
necessity for identifying those ancient sites in the shortest possible time.
Khārg
Island is a continental island in the Persian Gulf is located 25 kilometres (16
miles) off the coast of mainland and 483 km (300 miles) north of the Strait of
Hormoz. It is only 4 kilometres across and 6 kilometres long.
Archaeologists are hoping to find traces of prehistoric dwellings in this Persian Gulf Island during their studies, which will begin shortly.
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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, 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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