TEHRAN - Emeritus Iranian professor and archaeologist Hamid Khatib-Shahidi, who joined plenty of excavations such as ones in Bastam and Hasanlu, died of natural causes on Saturday. He was 74.

Born 1948 in Maragheh, Khatib-Shahidi received his bachelor's degree in archeology from the University of Tehran in 1972 and then received his doctorate from the University of Eastern Naples (Italy) in 1975.

He was a member of the Archaeological Center of Iran (later the Iranian Center for Archaeological research) between 1973 to 1986. Furthermore, he was an assistant professor at Farabi University in Isfahan between 1977 to 1979.

He also served as an assistant professor in the archeology department of Tarbiat Modares University between 1998 to 2011. His main specialty was the study of archeology and the history of the Urartu civilization in northwestern Iran.

Khatib-Shahidi supervised more than 40 archeological field programs in different parts of the country, including Urartian sites such as Bastam and Hasanlu.

Moreover, he was a member of the archeology group of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature since the mid-1980s. 

Several cultural figures and archaeologists including Jebrael Nokandeh, the director of the National Museum of Iran, have offered condolences over his demise.

“The National Museum of Iran extends sincerest condolences to his family, friends, former students, and colleagues,” Nokandeh stated.

Some of his colleagues say that his dedication to Iranian archaeology will be remembered for all times.

AFM