Discovery of a 7,000-Year-Old Skeleton in Excavation on Molavi Street, Tehran

The head of an archaeological project in southern Tehran's bazaar announced the discovery of a human skeleton dating back to the 5th millennium BC during sewage excavations on Molavi Street. He stated that prior to this discovery, the oldest identified ancient remains in Tehran were the Qitriyeh hills, which are about three thousand years old. According to the Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Mohammad Ismail Esmaeili Jaloudar, the head of this archaeological excavation, said on Sunday, January 21, 'This unique discovery pushes back the history of settlement in the urban area of Tehran by seven thousand years.' He added, 'Until now, the oldest identified ancient remains in Tehran belonged to the Qitriyeh hills and dated back about three thousand years.' The report indicated that digging a sewage well in early Azar (late November) in the Molavi area of Tehran led to the discovery of pottery pieces from about 400 years ago in this region. Following the discovery of these pottery artifacts, the Archaeological Research Institute issued a permit for archaeological studies in this area. According to Mr. Jaloudar, the archaeological excavations on Molavi Street, between Mohammadieh and Qiyam squares, uncovered 'diverse and numerous' ancient artifacts including many simple and glazed pottery pieces from the Safavid and Qajar periods, brick and stone materials, tile decorations, bone objects, and glass vessel fragments. He emphasized, 'After conducting tests and protective measures on the obtained artifacts, specialists will take steps to protect and transfer the prehistoric burial to the National Museum of Iran for public display.' Meanwhile, on Tuesday, January 23, Abbas Moghadam, head of the archaeological group in the ancient city of Urjan Behbahan, reported the existence of a historical site from the 6th millennium BC in that area, stating that this historical site was destroyed by flooding. He noted, 'Now, after discovering this site, documenting the flood event that caused the abandonment of this area is important to us.' Masoud Soltani-Far, head of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, stated on Sunday that Iran's cultural and historical identity dates back at least seven thousand years, and some artifacts and signs indicate an eleven-thousand-year history of Iran. According to Mr. Soltani-Far, estimates suggest that only three percent of the potential ancient artifacts in Iran have been uncovered through archaeological excavations.