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LONDON, (CAIS) -- In continuing their researches for identifying satellite areas in vicinity of Burnt City (Shahr-e Sukhteh), archaeologists have succeeded to discover other 100 prehistoric sites. This way, the number of prehistoric and historic sites in this 5000-year-old city which according to Richard Fray, American archaeologist, is “the paradise of archaeologists” has reached to four-hundred.

Announcing this news, Alireza Khosravi, head of Burnt City Research Canter, anticipates that some 800 prehistoric and historic hills would be identified by the end of excavation activities in the area. However in a more optimistic view, he estimates that the number of satellite sites in Burnt City area may even amounted to 1500.

Regarding the biggest and smallest historical hills which have been identified so far in the area, Khosravi told Persian service of CHN: “Covering 200 square meters area, hill number 32 with 3 meters height has been identified as the smallest hill in vicinity of Burnt City which has been inscribed in list of Iran’s National Heritage Sites on 30^th December 2005 with the number of 14119. The largest of all is mound number 383 with 36,000 square meters area, which has been put up for being registered as a National Heritage site.

Head of Burnt City Research Canter further explained that the farthest distance of identified satellite villages from Burnt City is about 25 kilometers which show the large extent of this prehistoric city.

Archaeologists believe that the identified historical hills identified in vicinity of Burnt City must have been small villages or residential settlements which are known as satellite hills of Burnt City.

Located 57 kilometres from Zabol in Sistan va Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, Burnt City is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the country. The city experienced four stages of civilization and was burnt down three times, which is why it was named the Burnt City.   

Excavation on the Burnt City was initiated in 1967 when Professor Maurizzio Tosi, Italian archaeologist and his colleagues joint Iranian archaeologists. Later in 1988-1989, excavations were resumed by Dr. Mansour Sadjadi under the auspices of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization. Despite of 10 seasons of continual archaeological excavations in this 5000-year-old site, it still holds many secrets within. The outcome of the researches has been published in 170 books and papers so far in Persian, English, Italian, Japanese, German, and Spanish languages.

Based on discoveries made in the region, it became evident that urbanization existed in Burnt City some 5000 years ago and that the city was the converging point of the great civilization of Persia, Mesopotamia, India, and China in the ancient times.  

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