TEHRAN – Over 500 ancient tomb chambers have recently been found across the Mehdiabad-Oliya cemetery, which is located in Rigan county, southeastern Kerman province.

“A team of archaeologists discovered more than 500 ancient tombs during a magnetic survey to determine their dispersion across an 8-hectare area of land,” ISNA quoted Kourosh Mohammadkhani, the team leader, as saying on Tuesday.

The evidences were obtained by Archaeo-Physics research methodology that deals with a powerful sub-surface imaging tool, the report said.

Initial scientific studies on earthenware excavated form the tomb chambers suggest they date from Achaemenid and Sassanid eras, Mohammadkhani added.

The big and sprawling Kerman province has been a cultural melting pot since antiquity, blending Persians with subcontinental tribe dwellers. It is home to myriad historical sites and scenic landscapes such as the UNESCO-registered Bam and its Cultural Landscape, Bazaar-e Sartasari, Jabalieh Dome, Ganjali Khan Bathhouse, Malek Jameh Mosque and Shahdad Desert to name a few.

AFM/MQ/MG