Rare Artifacts Recovered from Smugglers - CAIS Archaeological & Cultural News of Iranian World©

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Some 11 rare artefacts from the first millennium BCE have been unearthed from the village of Darreh Shahr in Ilam province, reported ISNA quoting the director of historical heritage office at Darreh Shahr, Siavoush Shahbazi.

He said that the precious collection included metal items such as arrows with designs, metals depicting wild goats. They make up a rare collection comparable with the artifacts displayed in Iranian and foreign museums.

He said that the collection was seized in Tehran from an illegal digger. He made no mention of the exact location of the site from which the collection was found.

The official said that there are 500 historical sites at Darreh Shahr and Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) needs to know exactly from which point, the illegal diggers had unearthed the collection.

He expressed dismay at the absence of adequate protection of historical sites and said that ICHTO experts usually see ruins on the ground when they inspect the historical sites indicating that illegal digging is underway due to the lack of security.

Director of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department in Ilam province Fereydoun Mohammadi said that the department’s experts will take steps to identify the site from which the collection was unearthed.

He said that the collection is estimated to date back to 2800 BCE.