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Pictures couteousy of Taryana

Archive Image: The reclining position of the bearded man on the relief is similar to this Parthian Clay Plaque date to 1st c. CE (Click to enlarge)

LONDON, (CAIS) -- The Parthian high-relief of Bard-Choozeh (Chovzeh) located in the township of Lali in the south-western Iranian province of Khuzestan has been left alone at the mercy of vandals who recently by digging underneath the relic have caused damages, and now it requires urgent attention in order to prevent its destruction, reported the Persian service of CHN on Tuesday. 

“This high relief was discovered and identified [as Partho-Elamite] by the Masjed-Soleiman and Andika’s Friends of Cultural Heritage Society. The relief is currently upside down because it was separated from its original location which was at the foot of the mountain, and still in a good condition”, said Mojtaba Gahestuni, the spokesman for the Khuzestan’s Friends of the Cultural Heritage Association (TARIANA). 

The Parthian relief of Bard-Choozeh is showing a reclining bearded man in Parthian fashion adorned with jewels holding a cup in one hand and apple like object in another. The relief is very similar to those found in Susan-Sorkhab, Suztina and Tang-e Saruk in Behbahan and Palmyra in Syria. 

Gahestuni demanded the relief to be studied and registered on the national heritage list, and the necessary measures for its protection to be taken to save the relic from destruction.

Note (07 October 2009): The Partho-Elamite relief was identified by archaeologies Ja’afar Mehr Kian, rather than the Masjed-Soleiman and Andika’s Friends of Cultural Heritage Society. Also the correct spelling of the name is Chovzeh.