TEHRAN -- Supervisor of the Cultural Heritage Department in Zabol said that archeologists, researchers, and tourists are free to visit Burnt City in Zabol, Sistan-Baluchestan Province. Alireza Khosravi added, "Burnt City is considered to be the grandest archeological site in the region. Without a doubt it used to be one of the most significant residential places in Asia in the Bronze Age -- a period of human culture between the Stone Age and the Iron Age, characterized by weapons and implements made of bronze."

Khosravi pointed to the third season of excavations in the city and Gholaman Orifice adding, "Study and research have already been started in one of the archeological sites in Zabol called "Old Zabol" from the Islamic era. After that excavations will commence from the beginning of next year i.e., March 2003.

During the past seasons' excavations earthen pipes have been discovered that suggest the existence of sewage system in 3000 B.C.

More than 15000 tourists and 300 researchers and archeologists from Japan, Germany, Sweden, and Georgia have officially visited Burnt City, Khajeh Mountain, and other regions between March and August 2002.

Burnt City is located at 65km southwest of Zabol.