TEHRAN – A total of 16 relics, estimated to date from prehistorical times, have recently been donated to the tourism and cultural heritage directorate of Kerman province.

“16 ancient objects have been donated to Kerman province’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts,” ILNA quoted a provincial police commander as saying on Sunday.

“Based on technical examination of the relic conducted by experts of the general directorate, the authenticity of all the [donated] objects were confirmed and their antiquity was estimated to be prehistoric,” the official added.

The police official, however, did not provide further detail on the objects and the donator(s).

The big and sprawling 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 Bazaar-e Sartasari, Jabalieh Dome, Ganjali Khan Bathhouse, Malek Jameh Mosque, and Shahdad Desert to name a few.

Kerman is bounded by the provinces of Fars on the west, Yazd on the north, South Khorasan on the northeast, Sistan-Baluchestan on the east, and Hormozgan on the south. It includes the southern part of the central Iranian desert, the Dasht-e Lut.

AFM