Iranian experts to restore Burnt City - Gayo Lues

According to CHTN, restoration experts will begin their work as soon as archeologists finish their studies at the excavated parts of the site’s eastern residential section.

The on-going studies show that the excavated sections of the residential area are in dire need of restoration because they are more exposed to the current of air and, therefore, more threatened by erosion.

One of the largest and richest Bronze Age sites in Iran and the Middle East, the Burnt City is believed by some to have been the capital of an ancient civilization that flourished on the banks of the Helmand River for more than 1,000 years and had extensive commercial, political, and social relations with other important cities in the region’s northeastern and western areas.

Spanning more than 300,000 hectares, the site is located near the city of Zabol, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan, and dates back to 5,200 years ago. Four civilizations have lived in the city which was burnt down three times and not rebuilt after the last fire.

The world’s oldest animated picture, a dice and backgammon set, and the earliest known caraway are among the most significant discoveries at the site.

Despite the excavations and studies carried out at the site, the reasons for the unexpected rise and fall of the Burnt City still seem to remain a mystery.

TE/TE