Discovery of a Parthian Canal by Gorgan's Great Wall - Archaeological and Cultural News of the Iranian World

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Following the recent discovery of a fortress at Gorgan's Great Wall during the third season of archaeological research, archaeologists have also managed to discover a canal belonging to the Parthian dynastic era.

''The canal is 50 kilometers in length and 250 meters in width, which led Gorgan water towards the wall for defence purposes,'' director of Gorgan wall Cultural Heritage Base Hamid Omrani said.

"Water in the canal was used during war-times, it was filled with water in order to protect the city against any possible invasion", he added.

According to Omrani, the evidence indicated that the canal was dug out during the Parthian dynastic era (248 BCE-224 CE), and prior to the construction of Gorgan great wall.

"Archaeologists last week discovered a fortress which was named No 16 and it is located adjacent to the Gorgan wall", he concluded.

The third phase of archaeological research began in early August with cooperation between Iranian and British archeologists (from two Scottish universities).

The Gorgan's Great wall extended 200 kilometres in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, it is the most ancient and the longest wall in Iran-proper. It was constructed to prevent invasions by the invading nomadic groups from north. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but it possibly belongs to the late Parthian or early Sasanian (224-651 CE) dynastic eras.

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