Posted on 12/08/2008 8:03:02 PM PST by BGHater
Iranian archeological teams working at the reservoir area of the Khoda-Afarin Dam have recently discovered a burial site of a Kurgan warrior during their rescue excavations.
A bull, a number of ancient weapons, dishes, and bronze artifacts have also been found in the warrior's grave, MNA quoted the Director of the Archaeological Research Center of Iran (ARCI) Mohammad Hassan Fazeli Nashli as telling the Persian service of CHN on Sunday.
"According to the archaeologists, the warrior enjoyed a special status among his people," he added.
The Kurgans were an Indo-European culture living in northern Europe, from Russia across Germany during the fifth, fourth, and third millennia BC.
A number of the people also immigrated to northwestern Iran and lived there around 1500 to 2000 BC, when the Bronze Age was ending in Iran.
So far, a total of 20 graves of Kurgans have been dug out at the site, nine of which were discovered during the recent excavations, Fazeli Nashli said.
"Along with the bull, a number of grey pottery dishes bearing geometrical shapes and weapons such as a dagger, sword, and bayonet have been presented to the warrior in the grave," he explained.
The archaeologists had previously discovered Kurgan graves containing skeletons of a horse, sheep and other animals during the previous season of excavations last year.
The warrior's grave, which measures about 6 x 1.5 meters, has been constructed by mud and stones. The stones are larger in lower part of the grave and become smaller in upper part.
"This is the first time the Kurgan people are being studied in Iran, however we don't know much about their architecture and residential areas in Iran," Fazeli Nashli noted.
The teams have also discovered strata dating back to the Parthian and Achaemenid periods. They also hope to find signs of habitation by Kurgans in the strata.
Five teams of experts are currently working at the reservoir area of the Khoda-Afarin Dam, which is home to many archaeological sites.
The dam has been completed one year ago and its filling was postponed following an ARCI's appeal for rescue excavations.
However, it is not clear how the team can continue working at the site, because the dam was officially launched by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during his tour of East Azarbaijan Province last week.
Ping.
Did they find his iPod, and if so, what songs were on it?
Somehow I feel we need a leader of this stature during these difficult economic times.
bttt
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Thanks BGHater. |
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Hooker: “I’m Candy!”
Kurgan: “Of course you are.”
Ah...a Friedrich fan, eh?
Check out the trunk on my trike....:)
I read a lot of the Wiki link, but did not see any reference the movement into Britain and Ireland shown on this map. Do you have any more information on that?
Wow — how big *is* this dam anyway? ;’)
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