TEHRAN –A team of archaeologists has found a cemetery, estimated to date from the Sassanid era when they conducted excavations adjacent to an ancient fortress in northwest Iran.

Traces to the graveyard were found earlier this year when workers found some evidence during a road construction project near Oltan fortress, which is located in Ardabil province.

Evidence shows that the Oltan historical cemetery was used by the residents of this historical fortress for about 700 to 800 years, however, some graves were damaged during road construction, a local expert says.

Archaeogeophysical studies combined with magnetometric methods have led to novel discoveries. As a result of this method, as well as the aerial photographs taken by a drone from 95 meters above the ground of the castle and its surroundings, digital maps of the terrain will be prepared.

There can be no doubt that this castle was an important defensive structure in northwest Iran during the Sassanid era, but its studies and excavations have largely been neglected until this day.

From ancient to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest. Fortresses were designed primarily to defend territories in warfare and were also used to solidify rule in a region during peacetime.

In many ways, Iran under Sassanian rule witnessed glorious achievements in Persian civilization. Experts say that during Sassanid times, the art and architecture of the nation experienced a general renaissance.

In 2018, UNESCO added “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region”, which is an ensemble of Sassanian historical cities in southern Iran, to its World Heritage list. The serial property is composed of eight selected archaeological site components in three geographical-area contexts at Firuzabad, Bishapur, and Sarvestan, all located in Fars province.

The components include fortification structures, palaces, reliefs and city remains, which date back to the earliest and latest moments of the Sassanid Empire that stretched across the region from 224 to 651 CE.

AFM