New discoveries

The Great Wall of Gorgan is the most ancient wall in Iran, constructed to prevent attacks by the Hephthalites from the northern regions of the country. Extending 200 kilometers, it is the second longest wall in Asia after the Great Wall of China. Some archeologists believe that the two historical walls were constructed simultaneously, notes a report from Iran’s Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN) featured by the Zoroastrian News Agency (ZNA) in its digest.

Geophysical studies by a joint group of archeologists from Iran and Britain on the remaining parts of the Gorgan Wall on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, led to the discovery of the extent to which it juts into the Sea, adds the report. This part of the wall was buried in sediments as a result of the advancement of the sea over the years.

In addition to the wall which extends to a depth of one meter under the Caspian Sea surface, the studies in the area also revealed 18 brick kilns belonging to Iran’s Sassanid era (224–651 AD), announced Hamid Omrani, head of the team of archeologists. Struggling to identify an architectural style in one of the many caves dug into the wall, Omrani said they had succeeded in identifying the interior architectural design of cave number 4 which is located in Malaay Sheikh Village, and had located some fragmented clay and glass vessels and two earthenware tallow-burners.

Studies on this historic wall originally started with the aim of finding the political and social significance of the wall during the Parthian and Sassanid dynasties. Examining the influence of the wall on the architectural style and social beliefs of the inhabitants of the region is also another goal behind this season of archeological excavations in the region, notes the report.

On another front Iranian and Polish archeologists have started joint excavations to determine the extent of the wine production workshop previously discovered in Bolaghi Gorge, writes Soudabeh Sadigh of the CHN. Bolaghi Gorge, located four kilometers from the World Heritage Site of Pasargadae in Fars province, is one of the most important archeological sites in Iran where substantial historical evidence including the remains of a village belonging to the Achaemenid era (550-330 BC) have been discovered. According to Sadigh the archeologists have started their third season of excavations in the area and are seeking to identify the extent of the wine production workshop belonging to the Sassanid era which was discovered in the area two years ago.

The discovery of some evidence including two ancient coins belonging to the reign of Sassanian king Kobad II, shows that the discovered workshop was in use until the fall of the Sassanid dynasty in 650 AD.

"Some pool-like constructions were unearthed during two seasons of archeological excavations in area no. 64 of Bolaghi Gorge which are believed to be part of the wine workshop. With the discovery of some herbal seeds such as grapes in the area, the archeologists concluded that these pools must have also belonged to the wine production workshop. However, with carbonizing the discovered seeds during the third season of excavations, we are determined to clarify the exact usage of these constructions,” explained Asadi.

All of these new discoveries indicate that the Persians enjoyed an advanced technology in producing wine during the ancient times, particularly in the Sassanid era. The most ancient wine of the world is believed to have been found in a vase in Ajjii Firuz Tepe in Iran belonging to 5000-5500 BC, notes Sadigh. With the flooding of the Sivand Dam which has recently been built in the Bolaghi Gorge, hundreds of historical relics unearthed so far would be submerged, adds Sadigh. With the cooperation of Sivand Dam authorities and Parse Pasargadae Research Center, some joint teams from Iran and foreign countries have started the salvation project of Bolaghi Gorge to save the main historic and archeological remains of this ancient site before the inundation of the Dam, notes Sadigh.