Tehran, 29 May 2006 (CHN) -- The final meeting on the inundation of Sivand Dam will be held on the last week of spring 2006 with the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO). This is while the Minister of Energy had already announced that they had reached to an agreement of the exact date of the Sivand Dam inundation which according to him would have been November or December 2006.
“We have not yet reached an agreement with the Ministry of Energy on the inundation of Sivand Dam and the Minister of Energy made his announcement according to what he had estimated from the trend of excavations in Bolaghi Gorge historical site,” said Esfaniar Rahim Mashayi, President of ICHTO to CHN. Prior to this, the Minister of Energy had participated in an interview with Iran’s Fars News Agency in which he announced the agreement of this ministry with ICHTO for the inundation of Sivand Dam toward the end of this year.
“I had a visit to Shiraz on 17th of May and in a meeting attended by ICHTO authorities we studied the case and it seemed that the ICHTO had no problem with resuming the construction of Sivand Dam,” said Parviz Fatah, Minister of Energy. According to Hashem Rabani, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Fars province, the inundation of Sivand Dam will cause no harm to Pasargadae historical site; however, the final result will be clarified by the end of spring. Some experts anticipate that the archaeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge will finish by that time. It is certain that inundation of the Sivand Dam will drown major parts of Bolaghi Gorge and many of its historical sites; however considering the distance between this dam and the tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae, flooding of the dam will not directly affect Cyrus’ Tomb, though the humidity created by it will gradually destroy this ancient monument as well.
Sivand Dam is constructed on the Sivand River in Bolaghi Gorge historical site which is located 9 kilometers from the world heritage site of Pasargadae in Fars province. Following the news of the inundation of Sivand Dam, a false rumour was spread around the world which caused a lot of concerns among the cultural heritage enthusiasts that Pasargadae is in serious danger of being drowned. Today, after many studies, experts believe that the only threat the dam poses to Pasargadae and the tomb of Cyrus is the changes in humidity of the area. Still experts from the Ministry of Energy argue that this could be compensated by controlling the water level of the dam reservoir. Yet the relatively close distance between the Sivand Dam and Pasargadae leaves many suspicious.
However, since Bolaghi Gorge will submerge with all its historical sites once the dam is flooded, experts started their archaeological excavations there under a comprehensive salvation project in which archaeologists from all around the world take part. The project has led to some valuable discoveries so far such as unearthing of the remains of the palace of Darius, a village belonging to the Achaemenid era, and large numbers of ancient artifacts. Based on previous agreements, flooding of the dam is postponed until archaeologists announce that their excavations in Bolaghi Gorge are finished.

Re:
The illegitimate rumour that is concerning the supporters of the reservations of ancient monuments however is not only that Pasargadea will be drowned. The major concern is about it being destroyed by the humidity. Hence the rumour is no "false romour" but the reality and needs to be taken seriously. Already many have signed a petition against opening the damn. If you are interested please go to Save Pasargad website and show your support.
If CHN takes the survival of such ancient monuments so seriously, I suggest they build a glass cover around the monument. This technique has successfully been applied to the walls of the valley of the kings in Egypt under the supervision of Zahi Hawas.

Tehran, 30 May 2006 (CHN) -- After two years of interruption in the construction of a hotel and an amphitheater in the vicinity of Eshkaf-e Salman (Salman Cave), also called Tarisha worship place, where the biggest Elamite cuneiform inion is located, the Rehearing Court of Khuzestan province voted in favor of the construction of the building. Construction of this hotel which started two years ago in the vicinity of one of the most ancient caves of Iran without coordinating with the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Izeh is a real threat to the landscape of Eshkaft-e Salman historical site.
The court’s decision was announced two years ago; however, due to financial problems, the construction of the hotel had been stopped for two years and now the project is resumed in Eshfat-e Salman in Khuzestan province. “Backed by the court’s approval, the project manager has resumed the construction of this hotel in the area that is considered part of the cultural landscape of Eshkaft-e Salman historical site,” said Keramat Tahmasebi, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Izeh in Khuzestan province.
According to Tahmasebi, Khuzestan’s Rehearing Court was not convinced with the reasons provided by the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of this province presented to the court in a file for preventing the construction of the hotel in the area and announced that the submitted file was not complete.
In its announcement, the court says: “Although the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization is the body that determines the vicinity of a cultural or historical site, the reasons and documents which were submitted to the court by the hotel’s project manager seemed more reasonable compared to what was received from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, which is why the court voted in favor of this project to be continued!”
Asked to comment on the court’s announcement, Tahmasebi said: “While in its verdict the court has mentioned that determining the limits of a cultural landscape is the responsibility of the Cultural Heritage Organization, it has not fully recognized this right and has rejected our reasons. Besides, in the comprehensive map of the city, according to which the court has passed this act, our organization has agreed with the establishment of a park in the vicinity of Eshkaft-e Salman, not a hotel!”
“After the cultural landscape of the historic site of Eshkaft-e Salman was determined, we announced it to all the related organizations. Following the court’s decision, we complained to Iran’s Supreme Court asking them to study the case, but the project manager of the hotel has taken the chance and continued the construction works,” added Tahmasbi.
The pre-historical site of Eshkaft-e Salman is located in the city of Izeh in Khuzestan province and is one of the first historical sites in Iran which was registered in the list of Iran’s National Heritage. The biggest New Elamite inion is found in this ancient site which is about to be turned into a tourism destination. Four reliefs can be seen in Eshkaf-e Salman, two of which are inside the cave and the other two are in the outside. What is interesting about these reliefs is that it is the first time the picture of a woman is carved beside a man. The image of the wife and sister of the king in a ceremonial tradition, while the priest is in front of them, shows that Eshkaf-e Salman was a worship place.
There is also another cave near this site which was turned into a holly place during the Ilkhanid era. What is happening in the case of Eshkaf-e Salman is only one example of the many other cases of this kind where the country’s cultural heritage is victimized by its urban and development projects. Same things have repeatedly occurred in other parts of the country and that is something Iran’s cultural heritage authorities must find a solution to before it afflicts the entire country.
Iran is trying to highlight the importance of its cultural landscape, the lands that surround its historical sites, and to make people realize how vital preserving the cultural landscapes are in protecting the country’s cultural heritage. In fact, cultural and historical landscape has turned into a very important factor considered greatly by UNESCO during the last two decades in inscribing a place in the list of world heritage sites and one of the main concerns of cultural heritage experts and enthusiast.
What is ironic in the story of Eshkaf-e Salman and its struggle with the hotel is to remember that Iran is currently hosting the first workshop for promoting management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage, but yet the country itself has major problems in this regard. The workshop started yesterday at Persepolis, Fars Province, and is attended by experts from International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and UNESCO and heads of archaeological research centers both inside and outside Iran with the aim of raising the awareness of both the public and the authorities about the importance of preserving their cultural landscapes.
It is undoubtedly correct to argue that the conflicts between different organizations within Iran and in other countries too when it comes to making a choice between preserving a historic site and going on with a development project rise from lack of information about the importance of these cultural heritage sites, and the fact that there are very limited training in this area. It is true that one of the ways through which the countries may succeed in doing so is by passing some regulations which strictly forbid constructions in the vicinity of a historic site. However, passing such laws is only a temporary solution as long as no training happens which provides the reasons for the existence of such regulations.
Perhaps holding of the fist workshop for promoting management and planning of cultural landscapes in a country like Iran would lead into awakening the people and the authorities not only in Iran but also in other countries of the world about their endangered historical sites while familiarizing them with the ways through which they may protect them from more damages.

Tehran, 30 May 2006 (CHN) -- On the sideline of the first workshop for promoting the management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage, currently held in Pesepolis, Fars province, an exhibition displaying archaeological findings in this historic palace opened today in Persepolis.
In this exhibition some pictures which were taken by foreign archaeologists such as Eric Schmidt and Ernest Herzfeld from the Oriental Institute of University of Chicago, during the archaeological excavations in Persepolis some 70 years ago have been displayed. In addition, images taken from other historical sites provided by different cultural heritage research centers such as Parse-Pasargadae, Tchogha Zanbil, Bam Citadel, Soltanieh, Bisotun, Takht-e Soleiman and historical sites of Shiraz, Yazd, Izeh, Neishabour, Masouleh, Niasar, and Abyaneh have also gone on display in this photo exhibition.
The opening ceremony of this Cultural Heritage Exhibition was held this morning with the attendance of Junko Taniguchi, UNESCO’s programme specialist in culture who is also the Organization’s representative in Tehran, Mohammad Hassan Talebian, head of Parse-Pasargadae Archaeological Research Center, Mehdi Mousavi, deputy director of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization Research Center, Hashem Rabani, director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Fars province, Samad Raja, civil deputy of Fars governor office and some cultural heritage experts. The first workshop for promoting the management and planning of cultural landscapes of world heritage started its work yesterday, 29 of May, in Persepolis and will run to the 2nd of June.
During this five-day workshop, some Iranian and foreign experts in cultural heritage including representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and UNESCO and also heads of archaeology research centers of a number of countries study the latest accomplishments of UNESCO in this field and discuss the importance of cultural landscapes in preserving the cultural heritage sites all over the world.

LONDON, May 31, 2006(CAIS) -- Continuation of archaeological excavations in Gohar Tepe led to the discovery of a large amount of wheat grains inside a grave placed in an oblation dish used as a burial gift. Ali Mahforouzi, archaeologist and head of excavation team in Gohar Tepe historical site, believes that discovery of these wheat grains would reveal some aspects of daiet habits of the inhabitants of Gohar Tepe during the Iron Age.
“Initial studies on the wheat grains which were discovered in a dish belonging to the Iron Age show that they are domestic and similar to those already found in Bronze Age layers. This new discovery might change some previous theories about the lifestyle of the people of the Iron Age. While it is believed that the inhabitants of that period had a nomadic life and were not settled in a particular place and earned their livings mostly through animal husbandry, discovery of grown domestic wheat in this area could be used as a proof to claiming that the inhabitants of Gohar Tepe enjoyed permanent settlements during the Iron Age and in addition to animal husbandry they produced grains as well,” said Mahforouzi.
Offering gifts to the dead was a common practice during the ancient times. So far, different kinds of burial methods have been discovered in Gohar Tepe including jar burial, squat burial, fetal burial, etc. Burial gifts were seen in most of the graves regardless of the method used for burial. However, the philosophy behind some of these burial methods as well as the burial gifts is still unknown to archaeologists and required more comprehensive archaeological studies.
Regarding the religious practices of the Gohar Tepe inhabitants during the Iron Age, Mahforouzi said, “What the people of this area practiced as their religion is still a matter of controversy. However, considering the discovery of some clay dishes containing the remains of the bones of some sacrificed animals in the graves, most probably the empty dishes were filled with holly water or other liquids at the time of burial, showing that the people of this region believed in making offerings to the dead” added Mahforouzi.
Based on stratigraphical studies done over the past few decades on the site, Gohar Tepe was an active center in the middle Bronze Age which was still alive during the Iron Age. However, the most ancient cultural layers found in the area belong to the Neolithic period, some 14,000 years ago, which are very similar to those found in other regional states and Central Asia. “The discovered evidence such as the existence of rural life and urbanization, evidence of a flourished economy system, the existence of pottery workshops and forges, stone and clay relics such as the statues of human beings and animals, the remains of plant and animals in the region, and many more evidence found in Gohar Tepe all indicate that this historic site is worth receiving a special attention and support by the people and all the authorities especially the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization of the country.
Further excavations in the region would result in a better understanding of the lifestyle of the people who lived in the southern regions of the Caspian Sea,” added Mahforouzi. Gohar Tepe historical site, with a 50 hectare area, is located in eastern parts of Mazandaran province between the cities of Neka and Behshahr, north of Iran. It is one of the most important historical sites of Mazandaran province located near the Caspian Sea which carries the secret of an ancient civilization. It is also believed that Gohar Tepe once enjoyed a complicated urbanization with a history that goes back to some 5000 years ago.
According to the public relations office of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Office of Mazandaran province, Delavar Bozorgnia, director of this organization is intending to change Gohar Tepe historical site into a museum site with the cooperation of Ali Mahforouzi and other archaeologists, to give tourists the chance to observe closely the remains of the skeletons with their burial gifts and other historical remains discovered in this site and feel themselves in the atmosphere and historical context these s belonged to. Also a clay oven has been created near the ancient one to make clay s similar to the ancient ones for tourists to buy as souvenirs.

Tehran, 1 June 2006 (CHN) -- Some jar burial with a bronze hair pin belonging to the Parthian era, and some arrowheads dating back to the Achaemenid era were discovered during the archaeological excavations at Sanjar Tepe in the city of Dezful, Khuzestan province. “During the recent archaeological excavations in satellite hills of Sanjar Tepe, we succeeded in discovery of some arrowheads. The form of these arrows indicates that they must have belonged to the Achaemenid era. We also found some jar burial graves belonging to the Parthian era with a stone seal and a bronze heir pin inside one of the graves,” said Mostafa Abdolahi, member of the excavation team in Sanjar Tepe.
According to Abdolahi, the excavations in Sanjar historical hill have been started to determine the history of the hill, its relation with the other pre-historic settlements of the area, determining the vicinity of this hill, providing the archaeology map of the area, and carrying out lithographical studies in this historical site.
First season of archaeological excavations in Sanjar Tepe has started by the students of Dezful Azad University under the supervision of Dr. Pour Derakhchandeh. Some important historical relics including a cylindrical seal with the design of a winged horse on its end, and clay, bronze, and iron relics have been unearthed so far during the archaeological excavations in this historical site.
Sanjar historical Tepe is located in the city of Dezful in Khuzestan province, south of Iran, and belongs to the Elamite period (2700 BC-539 BC). The first season of archaeological excavations in this historical site led to discovery of the location of Zahari, the Elamite city. This city was located between the cities of Susa and Avan. Considering the archaeological evidence found in the region, it is believed that this city must have existed near the Sanjar Tepe.

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