TEHRAN – A team of cultural heritage experts has recently restored an ancient earthen sculpture excavated from Konar Sandal, a Bronze-Age site in Iran’s Jiroft region of Kerman province, southern Iran.

The restoration project which included purification and maintenance processes was carried out in close collaboration with Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, IRNA reported.

Last December, Konar Sandal underwent a fresh archaeological excavation led by Iranian archaeologist Seyyed Mansour Seyyed Sajjadi after a 17-year hiatus.

Situated in the Jiroft plain of Kerman province, the site consists of two mounds a few kilometers apart, called Konar Sandal A and B with a height of 13 and 21 meters, respectively. At Konar Sandal B, a two-story, windowed citadel with a base of close to 13.5 hectares was found. Tablets with scripts of unknown nature were reportedly discovered at the site.

Nestled amidst towering mountains reaching approximately 4,000 meters in height on three sides, Jiroft's discoveries are regarded by numerous Iranian and international experts as emblematic of a civilization as notable as that of Sumer and ancient Mesopotamia. The remarkable unearthing of the Jiroft site occurred serendipitously in the early 21st century during severe floods along the Halil River, revealing a plethora of previously undiscovered tombs and artifacts believed to trace back to the Early Bronze Age (late 3rd millennium BC).

The initial archaeological excavation at the site took place over two decades ago, spearheaded by Iranian archaeologist Yousef Majidzadeh and an international team of experts. This endeavor unveiled a Bronze Age settlement nestled in the Halil-Rud Valley. During this period, eyewitness accounts described the sighting of "an ancient object floating on the water's surface." Recognizing its significance, villagers, affected by two years of drought, flocked to the riverbanks the subsequent day in search of relics dating back 5,000 years.

Despite its historical importance, geological factors led to the site being overlooked by tourists and archaeologists, who typically focused their attention on locations like Mesopotamia, situated roughly 1,000 km away. In 2003, Iran invited Jean Perrot, the esteemed French archaeologist who directed excavations in the Shush (or Susa) area from 1969 to 1978, to lead the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in exploring Jiroft.

According to Majidzadeh, Jiroft artifacts serve as a "missing link" in understanding the Bronze Age, shedding light on the prevalence of incised chlorite vessels bearing remarkably similar imagery across distant ancient sites from Mari in Syria to Nippur and Ur in Mesopotamia, Soch in Uzbekistan, and Tarut in Saudi Arabia, north of Bahrain. The archaeologist proposes the existence of a school of stone carvers, given the consistent aesthetic observed in these objects throughout the region, indicating a developmental period of 300 to 400 years for these traditions to evolve.

Artisans in Jiroft fashioned pieces adorned with enigmatic iconography and embellished with lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, carnelian from the Indus Valley, turquoise, agate, and other imported semiprecious stones. Majidzadeh highlights their naturalistic style, claiming it to be unparalleled for that era. Surrounded by mountains soaring to around 4,000 meters in height on three sides, Jiroft's discoveries are regarded by numerous Iranian and international experts as compelling evidence of a civilization on par with that of Sumer and ancient Mesopotamia.

AM