Tehran, 24 December 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- A team of Iranian and French paleoanthropologists at the Burnt City has recently started some paleopathological studies on the teeth and jaws of 600 skeletal remains discovered in this historic site, located in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan va Baluchestan. Experts are hoping that their studies will lead them into revealing more information on the anthropology and diet of Burnt City ancient inhabitants.

 

“More than 600 skeletons have so far been discovered in Burnt City’s ancient cemetery. The skeletal remains are now kept in special chambers and a number of anthropologists from the joint Irano-French archeology team have recently started their studies on the teeth and jaws of these skeletons,” said Dr. Farzad Forouzanfar, director of the anthropology department of Iran’s Archeology Research Center and member of Burnt City excavation team.

 

According to Forouzanfar, anthropological studies on the skeletal teeth would give clues to the diet of Burnt City inhabitants who populated this area during the 3^rd millennium BC: “Since the ancient people had no means to remove the bacterial plaques that formed on their teeth, we are certain that we can still find them on the remaining teeth through laboratory analysis,” added Forouzanfar.

 

An earlier study at the Burnt City had led archeologists into proposing a theory that suggested mothers of the ancient Burnt City suffered from malnutrition at one period of time as skeletons of a number of stillborn fetuses were found in the site’s cemetery.

 

One of the most important pre-historic sites of Iran, Burnt City boasts a civilization history of more than 5000 years. Ten seasons of archeological studies in this ancient city resulted in numerous findings, some of which – such as the recent discovery of a 5000 year old woman with artificial eye – have astounded world archeologists.

 

 

Maryam Tabeshian

foreigndesk@chn.ir