Irandaily | No. 4419 | Iranica

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New Discoveries At Bam Citadel

Archeologists recently reported the discovery of ancient altars in Afraz area (Bam Fault) and the identification of the first layers of Arg-e Bam’s ancient defensive wall.
Announcing the above, Shahriar Adl, an expert said that since the registration of Arg-e Bam on the list of world cultural heritage, many measures have been taken to preserve this historical complex, TavoosOnline reported.
The citadel was devastated in a 6.6-Richer quake that struck Bam and surrounding areas on December 26, 2003. The quake killed 26,271 people and injured 30,000.
This year, in collaboration with Arg World Heritage Base, several archeological teams conducted surveys.
“The archeologists of Arg Base continued their own excavations and achieved satisfactory results,” Adl added.
An amateur archeologist in Bam succeeded in discovering a number of petroglyphs related to at least three historical eras, which depict hunting scenes and portray animals such as wild goat and ram.
While looking for a suitable route for establishing the Nessa Dam water pipeline, the above-mentioned team discovered a number of tombs belonging to the pre-Islamic era.
Another team working in the Afraz area, which extends over 2,500 acres, discovered different kinds of altars.
“We were not aware of the number of these types of foundations that are unique to this region,” he said, adding that these small altars, which have been engraved in small chambers, were made on the slopes of faults shaped by water.

Darzin Waterway
Adl stated that another archeological excavation team was working near Bidaram, Darzin and Abaragh to the northwest of Bam.
In the region known as Abarighak, they discovered a vast area that may have been an orchard or something similar.
The team working in Bam Citadel discovered a large stream that flowed from the northern foothills of Jabal-e Barez to Darzin.
“This was an important discovery, since in historical sources there are references to Darzin as a grand, magnificent and beautiful city, but there had never been any explanation of how water reached the city,” he said.
“Today only the impressive ruins of Darzin and its mosque, which date back to the beginning of Islam and the pre-Mongol era, remain extant,” he said.
Adl mentioned the activities of another archeological team in the northeastern part of the fault and reported that in addition to the rereading of the upper part of the wall, they were able to discover precious artifacts in the core of the citadel`s wall.

Core of Bam’s Defense Wall
“Although the Bam Citadel’s defense wall has the appearance of being made of a single block, it is composed of different layers added to the primary wall over the course of years and in different eras,” Adl said.
During new researches on the primary core, considerable progresses have been made and scientific progress permits us to use the latest technologies to determine the exact age of the clay blocks.
Adl mentioned that the archaeological team in Bam has collected samples for dating the wall, palace and old castles in the fault region.
“These analyses are only possible in a few laboratories around the world and in order to achieve our goals, we have to wait for the money exchange problems to be solved with the assistance of the regional office of UNESCO in Tehran,” he said.
Adl stated that 6,000 to 7,000 years ago at Bam Citadel, there used to exist a number of installations, the base of which are situated approximately 10 meters beneath the actual surface of Bam Citadel.
“Since then and until the Qajar Era, various layers were added to the primary core of the wall and this is what makes the precise dating of each layer so complicated and difficult,” he said.
These analyses will provide valuable information for dating the core situated in the upper section of the palace, which is believed to belong to the Achaemenian period.
“The National Cartographic Center will resume flights over the Bam cultural site soon,” he said, adding that it hopes to get a better view of Bam`s cultural landscape, before population growth, industrialization and digging of deep wells changed it.

Susa, Burnt City Nominated For UNESCO Registration

Translated by Leila Imani

Iran has nominated the historical sites of Susa in Khuzestan province and Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan province for registration on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Announcing this, Masoud Alavian-Sadr, the deputy head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) for cultural heritage, said the dossiers of two ancient areas, which are expected to be completed by the end of June, will be studied in the next meeting of World Heritage Committee.
Referring to his recent trip to Khuzestan province to study the process of preparing the dossier of Susa, he said preliminary measures have been taken in this respect.
Alavian said related researches and studies are presently underway, adding that efforts will be made to prepare the dossier within the scheduled timeframe.
Hekmatullah Mousavi, the deputy head of Khuzestan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department, said the dossier of Susa include Shaur Palace, Apadana Palace, Eastern Gateway, Hadish, Fifteen City, Achaemenid Village, Jameh Mosque, a complex of buildings dating back to the Islamic Era, Acropol Hills and French Castle.
He said the first excavations in the region were made by French archeologists in the Qajar Era.
Based on preliminary studies, the historical site of Susa is spread over 400 hectares.
The official said that based on archeological studies conducted by ICHHTO’s experts, Susa’s ancient site and its boundaries have increased to 800 hectares.
Mousavi went on to say that the related dossiers are being prepared by the province’s cultural heritage, handicraft and tourism department in cooperation with the experts of the historical bases of Susa and Chogazanbil, and ICHHTO’s Department for Cultural Heritage.
Susa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Excavations have established the existence of urban structures dating back to 4000 BCE, and experts believe the town, situated between the rivers Karkheh and Dez, was already the political center of Elam in the fourth millennium.
The city, rebuilt by the Persian king Darius the Great (522-486), was clearly his favorite residence.
The modern Iranian town of Shoush is located at the site of ancient Susa. Shoush is the administrative capital of Shoush County in Khuzestan province.
Burnt City is a sizable Bronze Age urban settlement associated with the Jiroft culture. It is located in Sistan-Baluchestan province on the bank of Helmand River near Zahedan-Zabol Road.

Iranian Recipe

Beet Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Beet, 5 large (washed and chopped)
Pasta, 500 grams
Lettuce, 1(washed and chopped)
Red onion, 1/4 cup (chopped)
Walnut, 1/3 cup (chopped)
Feta Cheese, 1/2 cup (crumbled)
Honey, 4 teaspoons
Vinegar, 4 tablespoons
Olive oil, 4 teaspoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Direction
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, rub the beets with some olive oil and let them roast in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes until they are cooked.
In the meantime, cook the pasta according to the package direction and let it cool.
Chop the lettuce in small pieces and in a large bowl, toss them with the cooled pasta.
Remove the skin from the cooked beets and chop them in small pieces (about the same size as the pasta), add them to the pasta and lettuce.
Add the chopped red onion, walnut and cheese.
In a small bowl, combine honey with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk until combined.
Add them to the pasta salad, let the salad sit in the fridge for about one to two hours until the flavors combine.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Health Benefits of Beet
Beet is very low in calories (contains only 45 kcal/100 g), and contains only a tiny amount of fat. Its nutritional benefits come particularly from fiber, vitamins, minerals and unique plant-derived antioxidants.
The root is a rich source of phytochemical compound glycine betaine. Betaine has the property of lowering homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine, one of highly toxic metabolite, promotes platelet clot as well as atherosclerotic-plaque formation, which otherwise can be harmful to blood vessels. High levels of homocystiene in the blood result in the development of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.
Raw beets are an excellent source of folates. However, extensive cooking may significantly deplete its level in food.
Folates are necessary for DNA synthesis in the cells. When given during pre-conception period, folates can prevent neural tube defects in the baby.
It contains significant amounts of vitamin C, one of the powerful natural antioxidants, which helps body scavenge deleterious free radicals--one of the reasons for cancer development.
Beet leaves are an excellent source of carotenoids, flavonoid antioxidants and vitamin A, and contain these compounds several times more than that of in the roots.
Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, and is essential for vision.
Consumption of natural vegetables rich in flavonoids helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
The root is also a rich source of niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and carotenoids, and minerals such as iron, manganese and magnesium.

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