CAIS
The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies
[ Home ]
[ About CAIS ]
[ Articles ]
[ Daily News ]
[ News Archive ]
[ Image Library ]
[ Announcements ]
[ CAIS Seminars ]
[ Copyright ]
[ Disclaimer ]
[ Submission ]
[ Search ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Links ]
|
.CAIS NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
|
Iran's Archaeological Sites Damaged by Bacteria
|
|
20 March 2007 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- SADDAM HUSSEIN can't be blamed this time. Damage to important archaeological sites in southern Iran was not after all caused by smoke from oil fires ignited during the first Persian Gulf war, according to a report by NewScientist.com on March 18.
Iran held Iraq responsible for the blackening of ruins at Persepolis and the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, even filing an unsuccessful claim for compensation with the UN.
Now researchers from Italy's National Research Council in Bologna have found that bacteria are to blame. DNA tests and electron microscopy confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria, which leave a black residue when they dry out. Analysis of the chemical composition of the deposit showed that it came from cyanobacteria and not from petroleum-based pollution (Environmental Science & Technology, DOI: 10.1021/es062176s).
"officials in Iran wanted us to demonstrate that one of the causes of the blackening was the burning of the wells," says Alessandra Bonazza, who led the study. "I think they are probably disappointed by what we found."
|
Extracted From/Source: NewScientist.com 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, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
|
|
|
|
"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
|
Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
|
