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.CAIS NEWS© ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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Accidental Discovery of Neo-Elamite Treasure in Ramhormoz
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07 May 2007 |
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Picture courtesy of ISNA Persian Service (Click to enlarge) |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Iranian archaeologists are searching for a king who possessed five rings of power. The rings were discovered by chance by the Khuzestan Water and Waste Water Company during a grading operation in the city of Rāmhormoz, Khuzestan Province last week.
The
rings have been discovered in two U-shaped coffins, which, unfortunately, have
been seriously damaged by bulldozers.
They
are similar to a ring that belonged to the Elamite king Kidin-Khutran (1235-1210
BCE), whose coffin was discovered in 1982 in the ruins of the Elamite city of
Arjan, which is located 10 kilometres north of the city of Behbahān in
Khuzestan Province.
One
of the gold rings has a cuneiform inscription, which is believed to be written
in neo-Elamite. Gold rings of this type were a symbol of power and Elamite kings
were buried wearing them.
Altogether,
about 500 invaluable artifacts have been discovered near the coffins.
“More
precise archaeological techniques are required to date these items of
treasure,” Abdorreza Peymani, an archaeologist of the Khuzestan Cultural
Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, told the Persian service of CHN
on Saturday.
“However,
it seems that some of the artifacts date back to the neo-Elamite, Parthian, and
Achaemenid dynastic periods, and the empires that once ruled in Mesopotamia,”
he added.
“The
discovery has raised much speculation,” Peymani said.
“To
whom did these items belong? Did the rings belong to a single person, and if so,
why did he have five?”
This
extraordinary discovery of artifacts includes a golden armlet with herb motifs,
two golden bracelets bearing dear-head patterns at each end, some ornamental
stones also decorated with herb motifs, several bracelets, one of which bearing
a cuneiform inscription, and a short golden cane.
Some
155 golden buttons of various sizes were also found, which will help
archaeologists in the study of ancient costumes.
Several
statuettes of goddesses, which originally must have come from
In
addition, a golden necklace, golden plaques with herb motifs, 99 golden necklace
beads, 23 golden necklace pendants of various sizes, three marble stone dishes,
earthenware and bronze dishes, several bronze bracelets, metal tripods which
were probably used as candlesticks, and a fish-shaped goddess ornament, which
dates back to the second millennium BCE., have been discovered at the site.
The
fish goddess is in the form of a woman with a pleated skirt, her hands
outstretched as if to indicate something. The fish-shaped part of the goddess is
part of a decorative armrest of a throne.
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Extracted From/Source*: Mehr News
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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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