TEHRAN – Archaeologists have recently concluded the previously-excavated burial structures in Rudsar, northern Iran, belong to different Islamic periods.

The burial chambers were unearthed earlier this year after an archaeological team carved several trenches in the modern town of Rudsar.

“Led by archaeologist Seyyedeh Mana Rouhani, the team was tasked to investigate possible historical layers disappearing beneath the town,” according to Vali Jahani who presides over Gilan province’s tourism directorate.

Studies on potteries obtained from the chambers suggest the cemetery dates from the early Islamic era,  Jahani said on Monday.

Evidence indicates that the sequence of the cemetery stretched some nine centuries, the official explained.

“The identified graves date from around the third century AH to the 11th century AH.”

Historical texts suggest that Rudsar rose to prominence as a prosperous coast town in the early Islamic era, the official added.

Gilan is well-known for its rich Iron Age cemeteries such as Marlik that have been excavated over the past century. Until the 7th century CE, Gilan was in the sphere of influence of the consecutive Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires ruling Iran.

The subsequent Arab conquest of Iran led to the rise of many local dynasties, and Gilan acquired an independent status that continued until 1567.

Sophisticated Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, has long been a weekend escape for residents of Tehran who are looking to sample the famous local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial action – it's the largest, and wettest town in the northern region. Gilan is divided into a coastal plain including the large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts of the Alborz Mountain range.

AFM