French archaeologist says Ur royal tomb artifacts came from Jiroft

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indicjournalists, kalyan97 <kalyan97

wrote:

 

December 15, 2006

 

French archaeologist says Ur royal tomb artifacts came from Burnt City

 

TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) -- French archaeologist Michèle Casanova said

that

the artifacts unearthed from the royal tombs in the ancient Sumerian

city of

Ur came from Iran's 5200-year-old Burnt City, the Persian service of

CHN

reported on Friday.

 

 

 

"Now, we are almost certain that the beautiful artifacts discovered

in the

city of Ur had been brought from the Burnt City, Jiroft, and Central

Asia.

This fact raises many questions, including why trade relations were

established between the regions," Casanova said.

 

 

 

Casanova, who is also an expert on ornamental stones and particularly

lapis

lazuli, and several other foreign archaeologists are working together

with

the Iranian team at the Burnt City, near the city of Zabol in

Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

 

 

 

"The most interesting point is that all the ornamental dishes made of

soapstone have been discovered in temples and royal tombs," noted

Casanova,

who is also a professor at the University of Rennes.

 

 

 

"This fact indicates that ornamental dishes were very common, so the

artifacts were buried with ordinary people. However, such dishes had

been

brought to Mesopotamia as a precious object for temples and royal

families,"

he explained.

 

 

 

Nine seasons of excavations have been carried out at the Burnt City.

 

 

 

An artificial eye is one of the most amazing artifacts discovered at

the

Burnt City during the current excavations led by Mansur Sajjadi.

 

 

 

The team also discovered an earthenware bowl at the Burnt City which

bears

images of what experts believe is the world's oldest "animated"

picture

drawn around it.

 

 

 

Archaeologists had previously estimated the size of the city at 150

hectares, but the latest study shows that the city covers an area of

180

hectares.

 

 

 

It was built circa 3200 BC and destroyed some time around 2100 BC.

 

 

 

The city had four stages of civilization and was burnt down three

times.

Since it was not rebuilt after the last time it was burnt down, it

has been

named the Burnt City.

 

 

 

MMS/HG

 

END

 

MNA

http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=421712

 

--

Dharma protects those who protect it

Dharmo rakshati rakshitaha

 

S. Kalyanaraman