Dam Constructions are Destroying Iranian Civilizational Remains - CAIS Archaeological & Cultural Daily News of Iran©

Some Iranian cultural heritage experts complain about a spate of dam constructions that have wiped out entire civilizational remains. Jalil Golshan, the research director of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization (ICHO), echoed this when he said many historical sites have been submerged or damaged over the last few years as dams have been built in various areas.

"Given the fact that early, ancient civilizations have been formed near rivers, the area around the rivers are rich in terms of historical and archaeological heritage. However, construction of dams in many of these places has wiped it out," Golshan remarked.

He noted the ICHO conducts local surveys before a dam project starts. Yet, the surveys produce reports that are far from complete, since archaeological studies take time to complete.

Many dam projects have started in historical areas including the provinces of Khuzestan, Kurdestan and Golestan. The dams have so far submerged a good number of civilizational remains.

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