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2026-09-15 17:16
Newly discovered ‘Sasanian’ rock engravings depict mountain goat, horses in southern Iran
TEHRAN – Needle-engraved rock art depicting a mountain goat and horses dating to the Sasanian period (224–651 CE) have recently been found on the rocky outcrops of the Marvdasht Plain in southern Iran.
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2026-09-08 16:49
From sacred spring to stone museum: the long journey of Khusro II's bust
Located north of Kermanshah, the Taq-e Bostan archaeological complex is renowned for its magnificent Sasanian rock reliefs and royal grottoes.
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2026-09-02 15:31
4,600-year-old board game, decorated bone comb unearthed at Burnt City in southeast Iran
TEHRAN - Archaeologists excavating the ancient Burnt City in southeastern Iran have unearthed a 4,600-year-old board game, a decorated bone comb and exceptionally well-preserved organic remains, offering new clues about the social and everyday lives of the city’s inhabitants during the third millennium BC.
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2026-09-01 17:29
Karaftou Cave: A timeless sanctuary of history, art, and faith in western Iran
TEHRAN – Karaftou Cave, nestled in the rugged limestone cliffs of Iran’s Kordestan province some 53 kilometers east of Saqqez and 46 kilometers northwest of Divandarreh, stands as one of the country’s most enigmatic and historically significant archaeological sites.
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2026-08-31 14:15
Five-year Iran-Poland study sheds new light on life in Iran before the Medes
TEHRAN - A five-year joint research project by the University of Tehran and the University of Warsaw has shed new light on the lives of communities in central Iran before the rise of the Median state, challenging the long-held view that Iron Age populations in the region were predominantly nomadic pastoralists.
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2026-08-23 17:12
Rock art: Tiny Sasanian bird motif discovered in southern Iran
TEHRAN – Archaeologist Abolhasan Atabaki has reported the discovery of what he describes as the smallest known bird motif from the Sasanian period, measuring just 3 by 2 centimeters and engraved on the rocks of the Marvdasht Plain in Fars province, southern Iran.
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2026-08-17 16:35
Archaeological survey in Taft identifies ruined structures, stone tools
TEHRAN - The first systematic archaeological survey of the Nir and Garizat districts in Taft county, central Iran, has been completed, identifying ancient sites, historic fortifications, water-management structures, cemeteries and stone tools, a provincial heritage official said.
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2026-08-16 17:18
Echoes of the past: Golden-lustre ceramic bowl
The pictured golden-lustre ceramic bowl, which dates from the 7th century AH (13th–14th century CE), is made of a stone-paste (glass-paste) body. It is deep-bodied, with a flat rim, an elongated profile, and a tall, rounded, concave base. Decorative inscriptions adorn both its interior and exterior surfaces.
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2026-08-15 16:43
Alamut’s World Heritage status opens new chapter for tourism and local growth
TEHRAN - Alamut region could become a strategic hub for social cohesion, hope, tourism thrive, and local development following its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a senior official at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said.
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2026-08-05 16:39
University of Tehran archaeologist warns against repeat of Jiroft civilization looting
TEHRAN – A University of Tehran archaeologist has warned of a rise in illegal excavations at archaeological sites in Iran’s Jiroft plain, urging authorities to take immediate action to prevent further damage to one of the country’s most significant ancient heritage areas.
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2026-08-04 17:36
French archaeologist calls for more research into Sasanian military architecture
TEHRAN – French architectural researcher and archaeologist Jean-Claude Voisin has highlighted the need for further studies on Sasanian military architecture, describing it as a field that reflects interactions among Roman, Byzantine and Central Asian traditions while remaining one of the less explored areas of ancient Iranian studies.
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2026-08-01 17:41
Iran, Italy to cooperate on restoring ancient gateway near Persepolis for site museum
TEHRAN - Cultural heritage authorities are moving ahead with plans to convert the ancient Tall-e Ajori archaeological site near Persepolis into a site museum, following the completion of archaeological excavations and the launch of a restoration project in cooperation with Italian experts.
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2026-07-28 17:00
Kermanshah among West Asia’s oldest human settlement areas, researcher says
TEHRAN – Kermanshah is one of the oldest known areas of human settlement in the Iranian Plateau and West Asia, with archaeological evidence indicating human presence dating back as far as one million years, Iranian researcher and historian Mohsen Derekeh said on Monday.
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2026-07-26 17:12
7,500-year-old Tepe Sialk undergoes restoration work
TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have launched the second phase of restoration work at the Tepe Sialk archaeological site in Kashan following the completion of improvements to the site's entrance, a provincial cultural heritage official said on Sunday.
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2026-07-26 14:12
UNESCO grants World Heritage status to Iran’s Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications
TEHRAN – Iran’s “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, becoming the country’s 30th tangible cultural heritage property to receive the prestigious international designation.
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2026-07-25 17:21
Ancient Espi Mazget up for restoration, tourism development by private sector
TEHRAN - Authorities in Iran's northern Gilan province plan to protect, restore and develop the historic Espi Mazget monument for tourism through a partnership with a private investor, a senior provincial official said during a visit to the site on Saturday.
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2026-07-22 16:22
Floor coverings in Iran: From Neolithic mats to Safavid silk carpets
TEHRAN – During the Neolithic period, the inhabitants of Iranian plateau used reed mats as floor coverings in their shelters and also wrapped the deceased in them for burial. Thousands of years later, during the Safavid era, the use of silk brocade carpets woven by the artisans of Tabriz became widespread.
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2026-07-20 17:15
Oldest known photographs reveal how Persepolis has changed over time
TEHRAN - The oldest known photographs of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, provide a rare visual record of the monument before modern archaeological excavations reshaped its appearance.
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2026-07-19 18:59
Ancient Alamut fortifications complete Iran’s architectural and defensive history, expert says
TEHRAN - The proposed UNESCO World Heritage nomination of the Cultural Landscape of Alamut and its related fortifications would complete the historical narrative of Iran’s architectural and defensive heritage, Iranian cultural heritage veteran Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti said on Sunday.
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2026-07-19 18:48
Prominent Iranian archaeologist Ismail Yaghmaei passes away at 84
TEHRAN – Ismail Yaghmaei (also known as Ehsan Yaghmaei), one of Iran’s renowned archaeologists and a veteran of the country’s cultural heritage, passed away on Sunday morning, at Pars Hospital in Tehran. He was 84.
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2026-07-14 16:43
By Sonia Shidrang, Assistant Professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley and Iran’s deep past on UNESCO World Heritage List
This week marks the first anniversary of a milestone that reshaped how the world sees Iran’s ancient past. On July 11, 2025, during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Paleolithic Sites of the Khorramabad Valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List—Iran’s 29th such site, and its first ever dedicated to the Paleolithic period.
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2026-07-12 17:03
Historical mihrab discovered at Pasargadae World Heritage site
TEHRAN - A historical mihrab has been discovered during restoration and conservation work at a caravanserai within the UNESCO-listed Pasargadae archaeological site in southern Iran.
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2026-07-11 17:25
Iranology research institute to be established in Fars province
TEHRAN - The Fars provincial department of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts and Shiraz University of Art signed a cooperation agreement on Saturday to establish a self-funded Iranology research institute in the southern province of Fars, officials said.
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2026-07-03 18:29
Persepolis through the eyes of Iran’s martyred leader
TEHRAN – As Iran prepares to bid farewell to its martyred leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, one of the defining moments reflecting his vision of the country’s cultural identity has once again come into focus: his historic visit to the UNESCO-listed Persepolis in 1988, where he described the ancient site as a “valuable treasure” that must be safeguarded for future generations.
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2026-06-30 21:05
Shushtar’s World Heritage value lies in its engineering system, not individual structures: official
TEHRAN – The outstanding universal value of Iran’s UNESCO-listed Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System lies in the engineering knowledge and integrated water management system behind its construction rather than its individual bridges, dams or mills, the head of the World Heritage site said as the country marked the 17th anniversary of its inscription.
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2026-06-28 18:03
French archaeologist cracks 4,000-year-old Elamite script from Iran
TEHRAN – French archaeologist François Desset has decoded the 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite writing system from ancient Iran, unlocking one of the last undeciphered scripts of the ancient Near East after years of research.
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2026-06-27 17:55
Archaeologists say excavations at Kalgeh Zarrin could deepen understanding of Elymaean kingdom
TEHRAN – Archaeologists leading excavations at the ancient site of Kalgeh Zarrin near the southwestern Iranian city of Masjed Soleyman said continued scientific research, stronger protection measures and investment in cultural tourism could help reveal new information about the ancient Elymaean kingdom while contributing to local economic development.
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2026-06-26 17:35
Genetic tests underway on remains found in Ilkhanid royal cemetery
TEHRAN - Iranian archaeologists have begun genetic analysis of human remains uncovered in newly excavated Ilkhanid-era royal tombs near the UNESCO-listed Dome of Soltaniyeh in northwestern Iran, as researchers seek to identify members of the ruling dynasty buried at the site, officials said.
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2026-06-20 17:31
Ancient DNA reveals Zagros foothills as Bronze Age crossroads of peoples and cultures
TEHRAN - The Zagros mountain range and its foothills have long served as a crossroads for the movement of peoples, cultures, and languages. A question that has occupied scholars for decades is whether these cultural influences and population movements were accompanied by significant genetic changes. New research published in Genome Biology, which analyzed the ancient DNA of 17 individuals from the archaeological site of Bakr Awa in Iraqi Kurdistan, located in the western foothills of the Zagros, offers important insights into this question.
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2026-06-19 17:55
Achaemenid column base, other relics unearthed in UNESCO-listed Hegmataneh
TEHRAN - Iranian archaeologists conducting the 25th season of excavations at the UNESCO-listed ancient site of Hegmataneh in western Iran have uncovered an Achaemenid-era column base, remnants of medieval Islamic water management systems, and architectural remains dating to the Qajar and early Pahlavi periods, the excavation director said.