TEHRAN –Iranian police have recovered 40 ancient relics from a smuggler who was illegally embedded them in his car in western Lorestan province, the provincial tourism chief has said.

In an inspection of a car, 40 pieces were found that are estimated to date back to different historical eras, Ata Hassanpur explained on Wednesday. 

Two suspects were detained in this regard and surrendered to the judicial system for further investigation, he noted. 

Lorestan, which is a region of raw beauty, was inhabited by Iranian Indo-European peoples, including the Medes, c. 1000 BC. Cimmerians and Scythians intermittently ruled the region from about 700 to 625 BC. The Luristan Bronzes noted for their eclectic array of Assyrian, Babylonian, and Iranian artistic motifs, date from this turbulent period. 

Lorestan was incorporated into the growing Achaemenid Empire in about 540 BC and successively was part of the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid dynasties.

ABU/