TEHRAN – Iranian police have recently confiscated some historical relics, estimated to date back from 1st millennium BC to the Islamic era, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage has said.

The relics, which include a clay cow rhyton, a clay mouflon rhyton, a double-sided silver spoon and fork, and a glass jar were seized while they were being sold illegally, said Abolfazl Moradi, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

Three fake gold-colored pins with bird motifs, and a fake metal human face mask, were also among the objects, which were submitted to the province’s cultural heritage department to be studied by the cultural heritage experts, the official added.

He also noted that the culprits were detained and handed over to judiciary officials for further investigation.

Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King Ardashir I (180-242 CE). The province makes a base for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

The first well-documented evidence of human habitation on the Iranian plateau is found from deposits from several excavated cave and rock-shelter sites in the Zagros Mountains, which dates back to Middle Paleolithic or Mousterian times (c. 100,000 BC).

ABU/MG