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<< News >> Discovery of a Secret Passageway Leading to Parthian Kalan Fortress

Submitted by coldrum on Thursday, 28 June 2007  Page Views: 4444

DiscoveriesCountry: Iran During the archaeological salvation operation behind the Kalan (Kalān) Dam, archaeologists have discovered a secret passageway leading to the nearby fortress. This was announced by Hassan Rezvani, head of archaeological research team at Kalan historical site, according to Persian service of ISNA.

“The latest discovery of the well that is 4.5 meters deep, and was dug out in the ancient times, served neither as a water well or as a sewage well, but as an entry or exit point for the secret passageway linked to the fortress”, said Rezvani.

He added, “we have completed the Islamic stratum and are in process of preparing the next phase which is preparation of a plan for lower strata.”

Rezvani also mentioned that the Kalan fortress was constructed during the Parthian dynastic era (248 BCE-224 CE), which went under number of modifications during the post-Sasanian period (651-850 CE) – the well is possibly belongs to the latter period.

Rezvani concluded that: “we have managed to identify and unearth the section of Parthian watchtower and a fortification wall – annexation to the fortress was constructed during the post-Sasanian period.”

A team of Iranian archaeologists has been carrying out rescue excavations since March 1st, on a 22-meter high archaeological mound named Pātappeh and a number of other ancient sites, all of which will be submerged by the dam’s reservoir.

Kalan Dam, with a length of 826 meters and a height of 46 meters is being constructed 30 kilometres southwest of Malayer, Hamadan province, in northwest of Iran.

The main part of the mound includes ruins and a castle dating back to the Parthian and Sassanid dynastic eras. However, studies on strata show that the tepe had been inhabited since the fourth millennium BCE.

Iran’s cultural heritage has been seriously threatened by the Islamic regime's dam construction projects over the past few years, in a systematic attempt to wipe out the traces of Pre-Islamic Iranian heritage.

cais-soas.
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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"Discovery of a Secret Passageway Leading to Parthian Kalan Fortress" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Destruction of the Parthian Kuh-e Khajeh is on the Increase by coldrum on Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Despite frequent warnings by the experts, one of the most unique Parthian sites in Iran-proper known as the Kuh-e Khajeh (Parthian Ushida) remains in danger of total destruction, and the cultural authorities have not take any action to ensure its protection.

Speaking with the Persian service of ISNA on Wednesday, Rasul Haj-Mousavi, the director of Sistan’ Cultural Heritage Base (SCHB) said: “the daily destruction of the unique Parthian site has become very serious. [Saving] the site should become a matter of concern for Iran Cultural Heritage and Organisation (ICHTO), and [its protection] should be considered as a national programme.”

Haj-Mousavi said the two main difficulties that SCHB is facing are, “ICHTO would not follow the SCHB’s recommendation, when comes to prioritising the sites in the province for allocating the necessary budget, and also the lack of manpower. SCHB is a very large archaeological base, with no manpower.”

He recommended the protection of Khuh-e Khwajeh should become the priority and called for allocation of the whole of next years budget to save the site.

He added “a strong team of experts needed to conduct necessary work including surveying, cataloguing and damage-studies, which should lead to a restoration.”

As a sign of protest, Haj-Mosavi has submitted his resignation to ICHTO a few months ago, which was turned down. He submits his resignation for the second time.

In June 2006, Mohammadali Ebrahimi, the director of Sistan and Baluchestan province's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department asserted that the area badly needs vegetation to neutralize the destructive impacts of the strong winds, which occur for four months of the year with speeds reaching 120 km per hour. Despite his warnings in August 2006 one of the eastern walls of the palace has collapsed.

While the Iranian heritage sites are in desperate need of funding in order to be rescued from total destruction, the Islamic Republic is spending billions of dollars of the Iranian assets every year in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq. In June 2008, Iran Focus revealed that the regime spends $2.5B every year on activities in Iraq, in which a fraction of the money that is being spent for futile aims could be used to save thousands of heritage sites like Kuh-e Khajeh.



Historical Background (by Khodayar Bahrami):

Mount Khwajeh, also spelled Kuh-e Khajeh, Kuh-i Khaja, is a flat-topped black basalt mountain located 30 km southwest of the town of Zabol and is located on an island in the middle of Hamun lake, in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

The trapezoid-shaped basalt lava, situated 609 meters from the sea level, with a diameter ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 kilometers covering an area of 40,000 square meters, is the only natural height left behind the Sistan area. It is here we can find a citadel with palaces, fire temple, a pilgrimage centre and graveyard. Also there are number of small temples (possibly Mithraist or Anahit), known to the locals as the "Kouchakchal Ganjeh".

The Kuh-e Khwajeh historical complex is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Iran and the biggest model of unbaked mud brick architecture remaining in Sistan region, which dates back to the Parthian dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE).

The ancient site was identified by A. Stein, E. Herzfeld, and was investigated in part by G. Gullini in a short expedition conducted in the 1960. According to his findings the palace and the fire temple were already in existence in the Parthian period. The ruins on the southern slope, dates back to 1st century BCE and it is still known as Kuk-u Kohzadh.

Stein also discovered a Buddhist monastery at Mth. Khajeh in 1916. Roman Ghirshman pointed out that the art of Mth. Khajeh predates Gandhara art which disproves the widely accepted notion that Buddhism spread from Nepal or Eastern India, and it claimed that Mth. Khajeh was Kapilavastu, the birthplace of Gotama.

Stein's work clearly shows that Buddhism was born in Iran but was later nurtured in modern India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

However, Khwajeh Mountain Complex is greatly respected by followers of the three faiths of Zoroastrian, Christianity and Islam and considered as a holy place. The mountain has been named after the mausoleum of "Khwajeh Mehdi", one of the sympathizers of Alavi rulers, which is situated on this mountain, often referred under its Islamic name Kuh-i Ushida.

The oldest and by far the most important structure of the site is an ancient fortress found on the eastern slope, referred to under various connotations such as Rostam’s castle, the Kāferūn castle, Kohan-Dež, etc.

Unique murals decorated the walls of the fortress, few of which have survived. Recently, a complete documentation of the site was carried out. In addition, partial restoration and fortification of the castle were conducted on its walls and arches.

Sistan, known as the birthplace of Iranian hero Rostam, has very strong associations with Zoroastrianism. According to Zoroastrian mythology, Lake Hamun was the keeper of the Prophet Zoroaster's seed. And when the world’s end is at hand, three maidens will enter the lake, and afterwards will give birth to the messiah known as the Saoshyant, who will then be the "final saviour" of mankind.

http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72:destruction-of-the-parthian-kuh-e-khajeh-is-on-the-increase&catid=34
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A Large Parthian Site in Khuzestan Province Seriously Damaged & Partly Destroyed by coldrum on Thursday, 16 July 2009
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A Large Parthian Site in Khuzestan Province Seriously Damaged & Partly Destroyed

During the widening of a road by the Islamic Republic’s controlled Iran’s National Oil Company near the city of Ahwaz, a large historical site dating back to the Parthian dynasty (248 BCE - 224 CE) was seriously damaged and some sections were completely destroyed, as reported by the Persian service of the Friends of Khuzestan’s Friends of Cultural Heritage Society (TARIANA).

Apparently the destruction of the site began over a decade ago by the Islamic Republic’s Construction Jihad Foundation. The name and the exact location of the site have been kept secret for security reasons.

“Destruction of this important site which its’ name cannot be disclosed for security reasons, began in 1990s by the Jihad Foundation,” said Mojtaba Gahestuni, the director of Tariana.

“The ancient site is over 150 hectares and there is evidence of mudbrick walls, large cut stones, stone-constructions, a fire-alter as well as decorated potsherds scattered over the site,” said Gahestuni.

He continued “in this site there is a large cemetery which is covered with broken pieces of large red coloured-torpedo shaped earthenware urns, typical of Parthian dynastic art and black-wares dating back to the 1st millennium BCE.”

Currently the ancient Iranian site is left unprotected at the mercy of the Oil Company’s bulldozers and smugglers alike. The responsibility of the security of the site lies with the provincial Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organisation (KCHHTO) but no action has been taken yet to protect it.

Not so surprisingly, but ironically KCHHTO has been responsible for the destruction of many pre-Islamic Iranian sites in the Khuzestan Province.

“KCHHTO is fully aware of the site’s cultural and historical importance, not only have no measures been taken to secure the site, but also no steps were made to register the site on the national heritage list or commission a preliminary archaeological survey to demarcate the boundaries of the site,” said Gahestuni.

Registering a site in today’s Iran does not mean anything as many archaeological and historical sites which were registered on the list some since 1930s have been damaged and even totally obliterated and nothing was done to protect them, such as last years destruction of a Partho-Sasanian site in Susa.

The Parthian site contains a free-standing stone structure which is believed to be a Parthian Mausoleum.

“In the site there is a large cubic-structure made of stone and saruj mortar, which is 2 meters in height, 6 meters wide and has a 2 meter foundation. Primarily we thought the structure was an ābanbār (water storage), but it is more likely to be a mausoleum.”

He concluded “if any archaeological researches are to be conducted on the site we will surly find the coinage and written-evidence to obtain more information about the ancient site.”

http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54:a-large-parthian-site-in-khuzestan-province-seriously-damaged-a-partly-destroyed&catid=1
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Archaeologists Discovered a Parthian Girl with her Treasure by coldrum on Wednesday, 21 May 2008
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Archaeologists Discovered a Parthian Girl with her Treasure

During the recent archaeological salvage excavations in Parthian site of Nakhl-e Ebrahimi village, near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, Iranian archaeologists have discovered a crypt containing a body of eight-year-old girl and burial gifts, reported by Persian service of CHN on Friday.



The crypt and its contents are estimated to date back approximately 2200 years ago.



According to Abbas Norouzi, archaeologists working with ICHTO, the Parthian girl was buried in the crypt, placed in an embryonic position and with herself had 18 pieces of gifts, including cut-pendants and decorative beads all made of agates, as well as small pottery vessels and a number of jars.



The team in February discovered a large fortress dating back to the Arsacid dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE). The excavations have been carried out to salvage possible ancient sites before building developments totally engulf the region. The original Parthian name of the coastal village is unknown.

http://www.cais-soas.com/News/2008/March2008/14-03.htm
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