TEHRAN - Ali-Akbar Sarfaraz, a trailblazing archaeologist, has passed away at the age of 96.

According to the Iranian media, Sarfaraz, who held a Ph.D. in the conservation and protection of stone artifacts from New York University, was born in Hamadan in 1927. His expertise centered on the art history of the Achaemenid, Sassanian, and Ilkhanid periods, earning him a master's degree in archaeology with honors from the University of Tehran in 1963.

Benefiting from a UNESCO scholarship, Sarfaraz pursued his Ph.D. at New York University, specializing in the conservation and protection of stone artifacts, a milestone he achieved in 1969. His active involvement in various international exploration projects in Mexico marked significant contributions to the field.

Sarfaraz assumed the pivotal role of heading the Iran Ancient Museum on February 13, 1979. Subsequently, from 1979 to 1995, he shared his wealth of archaeological knowledge with students at the University of Tehran.

Over the course of a decade, Sarfaraz led archaeological groups at both the universities of Tehran and Tarbiat Modares.

His groundbreaking explorations in Arg-e Alishah in Tabriz and Tang-e Chogan played a transformative role in reshaping the understanding of Iranian scholars regarding the Ilkhanid and Sassanian periods.

In 1962, Sarfaraz was a member of a team that excavated an Iron Age site in Yanik Tepe. The excavation uncovered an artifact made of bone and resembling a pair of spectacles buried with the body of a girl. If, as Sarfaraz hypothesized, this artifact once held lenses, they would represent the earliest known use of corrective lenses.

The legacy of Sarfaraz remains indelible, leaving an enduring impact on the world of archaeology.