The
director of the team, Ali Mahforuzi, said that some
prominent musicians of Mazandaran believe that the
artifact looks like a clarinet.
If
the archaeologists can prove that the artifact is a
musical instrument, the 3000-year-old relic would be the
oldest musical instrument ever discovered in the region,
Mahforuzi added.
“The
artifact is made of a deer antler in which several holes
are seen, and a brass layer has been riveted with seven
nails to its end.
“No
additional studies have been carried out on the skeleton
yet. But considering the size, the archaeologists estimate
that it is a male. In addition, a dagger, a cup and a
glass, as well as a bracelet and a necklace have also been
found in the grave. A bronze ribbon and a brass sheet were
also put around the head of the skeleton.
“With
the discovery of the artifact, the musical history of the
region dates can be dated back to older an era, indicating
the cultural development of the inhabitants of the region
3000 years ago. Today, in the villages of northern
Mazandaran and in Gohar-Tappeh, the clarinet is still made
out of a deer antler.
According
to the musicians of Mazandaran, the oldest musical
instrument ever discovered in the Caspian region up to now
dates back to the Parthian era.
Covering
an area of 40 hectares, Gohar-Tappeh is located near
Behshahr in the northern part of the province. Ruins and
other artifacts unearthed in the region indicate that the
site dates back to the Iron Age, but further study is
required to determine its specific period during the Iron
Age.
The
proximity of the ruins of architectural structures and the
cemetery indicates that Gohar-Tappeh was a permanent
settlement millennia ago.
A
team of archaeologists recently discovered an unidentified
artifact in a grave beside a skeleton at the ancient site
of Gohar-Tappeh in Mazandaran Province, the Persian
service of CHN announced on Friday.
