Lorestan's Excavations Delayed, Illegal Diggers Smash Artifacts

Cultural Heritage News Agency ^ | 30 November 2006 | Maryam Tabeshian

[SunkenCiv]

Heavy rainfall forced archeologists abandon Lorestan's ancient cemetery of Babajilan while illegal diggers continue to destroy the region's invaluable bronze relics... [A]fter only 18 days during which archeologists were busy collecting the broken pieces of bronze artifacts dug out by illegal diggers, they had to return since heavy blizzard made continuation of their work almost impossible. The Iron Age cemetery of Babajilan has many times been plundered by illegal diggers and, according to Ata Hassanpour, archeologist of Lorestan's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department, the cemetery is now full of ancient artifacts destroyed as a result of illegal activities... [M]any of ancient relics unearthed by the smugglers are destroyed further once in contact with the air for too long. On the other hand, since large numbers of artifacts found in Lorestan's historic sites are made of bronze, they easily oxidize after few days of exposure in open air.

[SunkenCiv]

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Ancient bronze objects discovered in the historic site of Sang-Tarashan, Lorestan province

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[SunkenCiv]

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