TEHRAN – A team of Iranian archaeologists has recently commenced a fresh round of exploration in Tepeh Rostam, one of the satellite hills of the Burnt City, a UNESCO-registered site in southeastern Iran, ILNA reported on Tuesday.

This season of explorations is aimed to shed light on earlier discoveries of craft and residential accommodation, as well as teaching archeology students about the ancient site, said Hossein-Ali Kavosh, who leads the project. 

It has been determined that some objects, pottery, and other data found in this area are connected to the Burnt City and reveal its importance in the Bronze Age, which is about 5000 years ago, he added. 

This area is located on an artificial hill, and it has a circular fence with a high wall enclosing a large building in the center, he explained. 

According to the excavations, it appears that this was a sacred building, whose function during the Bronze Age can be identified through further excavations and a full reveal of the building from beneath the ground, he noted. 

Called “Shahr-e Sukhteh” in Persian, Burnt City is associated with four rounds of civilization, all burnt down by catastrophic sets of fire. The site is situated in Sistan-Baluchestan province, which was once a junction of Bronze-Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau.

Founded around 3200 BC, Burnt City was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC. Previous rounds of excavations showed that its residents had great skills in weaving, creating fine arts such as decorative objects, stone carving, and pottery painting.

ABU/AFM