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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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7000-Years-Old Artifacts Discovered in Shahindej
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16 September 2006 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Archaeological research at historical Shahin-Ddej Tappeh (Šāhīn-Dež Hill) led to the discovery of relics dating back 7,000 years, head of the team working at the site said.
Farangis Mirzaei director of archaeological research
centre told Persian Service of IRNA that the ancient
relics including potsherds, architectural remains, stone
and clay inscriptions as well as glass pieces were
retrieved from the hill located in the city of Shahindej,
in Mahabad, West Azarbaijan province.
She said the excavations aimed to study stratigraphic
layers and delineate boundaries of the hill.
The official explained that the history of some of the discovered relics stretches back to 4800 to 4100 BCE and some others to the Islamic period.
Mirzaei added that some of the artifacts belonging to
first and second millenniums BCE and the Bronze Age are
distinct from the rest due to the delicacy and excellence
used in creating them.
Golden potteries recovered from the middle layer of the hill date back to the same period. The potteries have been glazed using advanced methods.
According to Mirzaei, the hawk and castle motifs appearing
on some of the inscriptions indicate the reason why the
city was called Shahindej (The Hawk Castle).
Given that the historical mound is situated in the center
of the city, it has been subjected to unbridled illegal
constructions in recent years.
Archeologists believe that the hill, sitting near
Azargoshasb Fire Temple in Takht-e Soleiman (Shiz), had
been an administrative, military and social nerve center
during the Arsacid and Sassanid dynasties and the post-Sasanian
era.
Shahindej is located 100 km off the Takht-e Soleiman
historic site in Takab, which was registered on UNESCO’s
World Heritage List in 2003.
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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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