Tehran, 19 December 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- Some 52 prehistoric and historic sites dating back to Elamite (3400-550 BC), Parthian (248 BC-224 AD), Sassanid (224-651 AD) and Islalmic periods (651 AD and afterwards) have been identified during studies by cultural heritage experts and archeologists in the vicinity of the historic site of Tchogha Zanbil in Khuzestan province, southern Iran. The new finding once again brings to light the historic importance of the region and the necessity to safeguard it against possible threats posed by oil exploration activities.

 

Based on the new studies, experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) warned that five out of the 52 hills identified in the region are jeopardized by installation of oil pipelines according to the map provided by the Oil and Petroleum Ministry and the only solution would be to change the routes of some of these pipelines.

 

“Our studies revealed that if Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum relocates two or three out of these 9 routes to a distance 200 to 300 meters farther, no harm would threaten these historical sites. We have prepared the topographical and aerial picture of these ancient hills,” explained Mahnaz Sharifi, head of excavation team in Tchogha Zanbil to CHN. 

 

Archeological excavations are mainly focused on the 9 main routes in which the oil pipelines have been established, covering a 200 square kilometer area between the cities of Susa, Sustar, Haft Tepe, and Dezful.

 

The historic site of Tchogha Zanbil, located in the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan, is home to the only surviving ziggurat in Iran which is also one of the most important remaining evidence of the Elamite kingdom. Ziggurat is a temple tower in the form of a terraced pyramid with successively receding stories.

 

An oil field is believed to exist underneath this ziggurat which is built on an anticline. Earlier this year experts of Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum started digging oil wells along three routes in the vicinity of Tchogha Zanbil historic site, the closest one was dug just at a distance of 300 meters from the ziggurat. This brought strong objections from UNESCO and the Iranian cultural heritage experts, asking the Ministry to immediately stop such destructive operations in the region.

 

 

Soudabeh Sadigh

foreigndesk@chn.ir